Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur presents Guest Chef Fransico Araya
Once again, the Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur is delighted to kick-off the highly anticipated Guest Chef Dinner Series 2018 at The Library with award-winning Guest Chef Francisco Araya, of Chilean descent and a maestro in the culinary scene is set to curate a stunning seven-course modern European cuisine showcasing a fine selection of seafood dishes.
Based in Shanghai, Chef Francisco has built a remarkable reputation in the industry with fine dining restaurant NAPA Wine Bar & Kitchen where he is presently the Executive Chef, Alegre restaurant in Chile and 81 Restaurant in Tokyo where he was awarded one Michelin star for the casual fine dining restaurant serving borderless cuisine with a mix of Latin American, European and Asian influences.
Adding on to his impressive wealth of experience, Chef Francisco has also spent a season at the legendary three Michelin-starred restaurants El Bulli in Spain under the tutelage of world-renowned Chef Ferran Adrià.
The five-day promotion at Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur will see Chef Francisco meticulously crafting seafood specialities starting with a fanciful Amuse-Bouche of Crispy Scallop and Herbs, Smoked Celeriac Hen Egg, Shrimp with tomato and watermelon and the Beetroot Tartelette San Feletto Prosecco Brut. With a multitude of texture from smooth to a firm, it is a real start to a lovely dinner surprise.
The first mains to be served is the Oyster Served With Caviar and Cauliflower which you can taste the natural salty flavours of the oysters and caviar.
The Scallop Ceviche with ginger and cilantro is another one of our favourite dishes. It is served with a sauce of ginger, cilantro and coriander.
Arroz Verde is our fourth dish which consists of a translucent slice of Carabinero Shrimp (Carabineros are a large deep-sea prawn species) which has a slightly raw texture and bedded with Arborio rice which is cooked with spinach and clam chowder. It is topped with a crispy prawn leg.
Our fifth course is the star of the night which is the Shrimp. The deshelled shrimp is lightly poached and have a very firm and bouncy texture that sits on top of a thinly Yuba (soya beancurd skin), and served with caramelised onion and dill sauce has a delicate taste.
The sixth course is the Japanese Orange Sea Bream with Calamari and Zucchini Blossom. This fish is lightly pan-fried with the meat portion still lingering with the soft firm juicy texture which is a real delight eating this last mains dish. There is 2 accompanying sauce which is the black squid ink sauce and the bisque sauce; both has its own distinct taste that went well with the white fish meat. What amazes us it the Zucchini Blossom which we are eating for the first time; as the Chef has wrapped in a special prawn paste which makes it a real treat.
Our final dish which is a dessert is aptly named the Pandan, two pieces of financier accompanied by the Pandan Ice Cream and Late Harvest Jelly which has a strong alcoholic aftertaste was the finale to end our lovely 7 courses dining experience.
Available from 6 to 10 March from 7pm until 11pm, the seven-course dinner is priced at MYR350 nett per person with an option of wine pairing at MYR500 nett per person. For reservations and enquiries, please call +60 3 2142 8000 or email dining@ritzcarlton.com.my.