H O S T E D
In mid July, I flew into Kuala Lumpur, buoyed on great anticipation and the palpable excitement of not only mine but also of Singapore and Malaysia-based foodie fans of “Nadodi Bar & Restaurant” who had slipped into my DMs singing their praises for the restaurant. After my stupendous experience, I have joined their chorus of adulation.
Over a welcome tea, Head Chef Sricharan Vankatesh gave a mini lesson to my fellow media attendees and myself on the spices used extensively in their brand of inventive South Indian cuisine. We were then ushered into the kitchen to meet the team, and taunted by the most tantalising aromas even as we tried to concentrate on Chef Sri’s show-and-tell on the making of their astonishing rasam. I swear, that liquid is gold because Head of Operations and Mixologist Akshar Chalwadi followed right after with a demo on how it is used in Nadodi’s insanely delicious signature cocktail too.
Before dinner was served, Brand Director Kartik elaborated on the restaurant’s philosophy so we could better appreciate what we were about to have. Not that he needed to do that as the meal, ripe with a dizzyingly beautiful array of fragrances and flavours, was an innately wondrous journey of eleven exquisite courses. And priced at RM490+, it is a serious steal!
For their present menu, the culinary team dug deep into their roots to draw on memories of what they grew up eating for inspiration. That, coupled with their present geographic presence, were crystallised in edible incandescence of formidable complexity and finesse.
If you take alcohol, I highly recommend the cocktail pairing. That saying about the whole being greater than the sum of its parts applies here in spades.