Two Michelin-starred Chef Alex Dilling is making his Malaysian debut at Sabayon

Sabayon at EQ is prepared to welcome renowned chef Alex Dilling into its kitchens from 4 to 15 June. Dilling is Chef Patron at his two Michelin-starred eponymous restaurant, located at the prestigious Hotel Café Royal in London’s West End. With just 11 tables and 34 seats, the establishment is known for its exquisite French cuisine, executed with finesse and precision. The acclaimed chef’s residency at Sabayon will mark his first-ever visit to Malaysia and will present guests with his modern iterations of classic dishes on a tasting menu. Here’s everything you need to know about the chef himself and this special dining experience.

A DECORATED CHEF

London-born Dilling started his career on a high, working under the great Alain Ducasse—known as the godfather of French gastronomy—with direction from Didier Elena and Tony Esnault at Adour in New York City. During his tenure there, Dilling and the team earned two Michelin stars. He eventually moved on to Caviar Russe, where his love for the decadent ingredient blossomed. 

He then returned to the UK, where he joined the Hélène Darroz team as Executive Corporate Chef and maintained the two Michelin stars between its London and Paris locations. In 2018, he moved to become Executive Chef at The Greenhouse, located in London’s elite Mayfair neighbourhood. In this role, he impressed the city’s culinary elite and attracted a loyal fanbase who followed his menus wherever he went. 

On 1 September 2022, Dilling debuted his very own standalone restaurant at the Hotel Café Royal on Regent Street. The menus here showcase his unique and modern interpretations of classic French cuisine, using the season’s best produce and ingredients. Just seven months after opening its doors, the restaurant was awarded two Michelin stars and consistently named among the top restaurants in the country by publications and critics alike. 

WHAT TO EXPECT AT SABAYON

Dilling’s residency at Sabayon will see dinner services spread throughout his 10-day stint, limited to only 50 guests a night. This collaboration will also support the hotel’s current partnership with Champagne Barons de Rothschild. It will see the House’s Rare Collection Blanc de Blancs 2012 being offered exclusively at EQ. Better yet, each bottle will come in a bespoke presentation box as a nod to the hotel’s 50th anniversary. 

There will be two menus available, including a vegetarian option. Both menus spotlight the skilled chef’s mastery of cooking with tomatoes, wild mushrooms, courgettes, and English peas. 

On the main dinner menu, diners will start their meal with a selection of bread served with Bordier butter, followed by aged Kaluga caviar with a smoked Scottish salmon “rillette”. The third course will be a wild mushroom macaroni gratin with 36-month-aged parmesan and black truffles. The following course is an olive oil-poached black cod with smoked eel consommé. 

Then, the meal’s piéce de resistance will arrive: Dilling’s famous Hunter Chicken dish of corn-fed chicken with sauce Albufera. Dessert will be a Tainori chocolate with sourdough ice cream and Pedro Ximense sabayon. The vegetarian menu includes a Datterini tomato course, Trombetta courgette with ricotta, and a Vol-au-vent with English peas in place of the caviar, cod, and chicken courses respectively. 

“[This dinner] is about the modern aspects of what we do in the classics. The biggest inspiration in food is always the product – what’s in season, what we want to do with it, and how to challenge ourselves with techniques and different flavours,” says Dilling.

“There is immense potential in Malaysia as a culinary destination, with the favourability of its exchange rate, exciting F&B scene, and award-winning hotels and fine dining restaurants like Sabayon,” shares Gerard Walker, General Manager of EQ. “To have Alex with us portents well for a great year of exciting culinary discoveries.” 

The EQ x Alex Dilling will happen from 4 to 15 June 2024, with dinner services only. The main menu is priced at RM1,200+ per person, whereas the vegetarian menu is priced at RM850+. For reservations, WhatsApp +6012 278 9239 or email [email protected]. 

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