These started out as stroke of marketing genius that was simply meant to encourage the French to get on the road and travel more often with their cars — which of course, meant wearing out their tyres faster— but receiving three Michelin stars are now regarded as the greatest honour that a restaurant can be bestowed with, known for having ‘exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.’
While sadly there aren’t any actual Michelin-starred restaurants in the country because Malaysia doesn’t have a Michelin guide, there are a handful of talented Malaysians around the world who currently lead Michelin-starred restaurants.
The next time you’re flying to one of these cities, you may want to make a reservation in advance and pay a visit to these restaurants that would satisfy any picky gastronome. Confirm sedap one!
Levin Lau, Executive Chef at Odette, Singapore
Your best bet would be travelling to visit our neighbours down South and visiting this swanky establishment with three Michelin Stars which is housed in the National Gallery, Singapore.
Lau delves into his Malaysian background to merge French fine dining with Asian spices, techniques, and flavours. Growing up in the East Coast in Terengganu, Lau came from humble roots, helping out with his father’s vegetable stall as well as his mother and grandmother in the kitchen.
Mano Thevar, Chef-owner at Thevar, Singapore
The eponymous two Michelin-starred restaurant is both owned and helmed by Penang-born Mano Thevar. Growing up on the island that is known as Malaysia’s food paradise, the self-taught chef fuses Indian cuisine with modern European techniques to create a dining experience at Thevar that has diverse flavours such as their signature dish, Crab Curry Rice made of decadent crab meat, spiced basmati rice, and shredded coconut.
Kwen Liew, Chef-owner at Pertinence, Paris
Liew shows off some serious girl power, being the first ever and only female Malaysian chef whose restaurant has been awarded with one Michelin star. She also impressively decided to set up shop with a former colleague Ryunosuke Naito right in the home country of the Michelin guide, as a way of challenging herself to excel in French dining.
Pertinence has a cosy seating of only 14, and no two meals here will probably be the same as each dish is curated with fresh produce that is carefully selected daily.
Andy Toh, Executive Chef at Hakkasan, Dubai
Assam curry fish and sambal dried shrimp are some of the signature dishes at the one-starred ornate Cantonese restaurant with eclectic dishes, which is housed in the iconic hotel Atlantis, the Palm.
Those were the favourite foods of 13 year old Andy Toh who worked at a Western food hawker stall and he would never have dreamed that these would go on to become his signature recipes as an Executive Chef. Like Mano Thevar, he also hails from Penang and had stints at Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Thailand before currently settling down at Dubai.
Bernard Yeoh, Owner of Kai, London
While most Malaysians love to visit the original Burger & Lobster in London or head to the Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant for their roast duck, you might want to add the restaurant Kai to your list instead.
First gaining its one Michelin star in 2009 as the first Chinese restaurant to do so in the city, the establishment has maintained its star for 13 consecutive years, no small feat due to the competitiveness of the industry. It is owned by Malaysian-born Bernard Yeoh who pays homage to his roots with dishes such as the Durian & Vanilla Soufflé with salted caramel. He takes pride in protecting his heritage whilst being unafraid of experimenting at the same time.
Image source: cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com, odetterestaurant.com, thevar.sg, facebook.com/Thevar-271488243705170, asianmoneyguide.com, archilovers.com, khaleejtimes.com, hakkasan.com, facebook.com/kaimayfair, tatlerasia.com