No.3 A  C U L T U R E  O F  F O D  &  F L A V O U R S J U L  ' 2 4
FROM CHEF MO Dear guests, To be invited to dine at someone's dinner table is perhaps one of the highest honour of camaraderie. It is a hearty welcome to one's dining traditions, offering priceless insight into the story of their family, roots and people. We hope to provide that sense of homecoming to every guest with our myriad of dining experiences that paint meaningful journeys of our respective properties. At Cameron Highlands Resort, return to nature with the Signature Picnic Experience, laid out with quintessentially British flair, true to the resort's early colonial inspirations. Enjoy your picnic at the break of dawn to a stunning sunrise or in the late afternoon in the tea garden for the classic high tea setup. Pangkor Laut Resort sizzles up a feast that brings seafood fans home to the freshest of the sea. The Teppanyaki Dinner Experience at Feast Village continues to source its freshest catch from local waters and producers, but now prepares it in a new, smoky and interactive cooking show, Japanese-style. Tanjong Jara Resort is being shaken up with a new concept-driven menu. Nelayan now transforms every evening into SHOOK! at Nelayan, where new flavours of East meets West, featuring the finest and choicest ingredients make up a diverse spread of gastronomic creations for dinner. Gaya Island Resort is all in for spoiling its guests looking for authentic Japanese flavours. Its Omakase restaurant lets the chefs do all the deciding, whether you’re in the mood for teppanyaki, shabu-shabu or nabe in the true Japanese omotenashi spirit of hospitality. In the port city of Malacca, The Majestic Malacca offers a chance to delve into the very roots of the Malaccan- Portugese people, the Kristangs, and their cuisine with a Kristang Cooking Class. Led by a chef who learnt generational recipes  from Kristangs you can cook, taste and nurture a sincere appreciation for the food traditions as kept alive by the Kristangs. With this issue, we invite you to dine and explore people and culture, all from the dinner table. Yours sincerely, Group Executive Chef YTL Hotels
picnic on the green
Verdant nature, sprawling tea valleys and quaint British traditions come to vivid life at Cameron Highlands Resort and its Signature Picnic Experience. Now offered in two time windows – at t the break of dawn to a stunning sunrise or in the late afternoon for the classic high tea – it continues the same ritual of an intimate stroll through lush tea bushes on a private appreciation tour on tea cultivation before a sumptuous picnic spread is laid out al fresco in the heart of the tea plantation. Discover first-hand the intricate process that transforms tea leaves into a delicate brew that tantalises the palate. As you sip on that cup in hand with a panoramic view of the lush tea valley, you are promised a travel back in time to when tea was gold, a commodity that launched aspirations of explorations among kingdoms.
sizzling up the sea
At Feast Village in Pangkor Laut Resort , a homecoming feast comes with the new Teppanyaki Dinner Experience, where choices of meats and fish are seared to perfection and with plenty of culinary theatre before your eyes. Amid the sound of waves and nature, watch as the chef skilfully tosses, flips, chops and cuts the ingredients into tender morsels of umami hits, with a host of complementary ingredients providing a real treat for the senses.
sparkling new flavours
Over at Tanjong Jara Resort , the seaside setting and romantic ambience, Nelayan  is now sparkling with new flavours thanks to the new SHOOK! at Nelayan dinner menu. Serving up a kaleidoscope of globally inspired gourmet experiences where East meets West, the freshest and choicest ingredients come together for a diverse spread of gastronomic creations. The house signature Dancing Prawns promise to be the talking point of any table featuring crispy hot wok’d prawns coated in a delectable citrusy sauce, finished off with crystallised walnuts, while Miso Lobster Linguine lends a Japanese flavour to lobster pasta for slurps that are out of the ordinary. From the sea, fish caught daily await to satisfy your char-grilled cravings while the land offers up meats, big and bold, like the Hills of Darling Lamb Rack. Finish things off with Pandan Crème Brûlée for a true amalgamation of European and Asian flavours.
leave things to the chef
Those seeking authentic Japanese flavours in East Malaysia will find it all at Omakase in Gaya Island Resort. The most classic of Japanese cuisine comes served with lashings of omotenashi – the Japanese spirit of wholeheartedly looking after guests – and breathtaking views of Borneo, making for dining experiences you won't soon forget. Surrounded by an ancient rainforest, this two-storey Japanese restaurant is perched on a hillside with a stunning view of Malohom Bay and Mount Kinabalu. Three Japanese omakase- style dining experiences are available under one roof ranging from teppanyaki, shabu-shabu and nabe. Spoilt for choice? That’s the beauty of it – you can literally leave things to the chef, as per the name of the restaurant.
COOKING UP TRADITION
If history is best traced through one's dining traditions, then the food of the Malaccan-Portuguese, or Kristang, reflects a 500-year-old history that has seen this small ethnic group evolve its own culture. Those looking to deepen their insight into the Malaccan-Portuguese experience can join the immersive Kristang Culinary Journey at The Majestic Malacca. Each journey begins with a visit to the local market led by a Kristang culinary Comprador whose passion for the cuisine was cultivated under the tutelage of Kristang exponents. Learn to make the hotel’s famous sugee (semolina) cakes and Fazeh de Casa, the Kristang version of Malaysia’s favourite kaya. Cooking these dishes is enough to whet the appetite – the tasting of these brings a new-found appreciation for Kristang cuisine. Treasured Places, Treasured Moments Food and Flavours – The Perennial Feast highlights exciting new gastronomic adventures introduced from our collection of Luxury Resorts and Hotels in Malaysia. Whet your appetite and prepare to savour all that the resorts have to offer, with ingredients, recipes and dishes that reflect the very best of the locale and people of each property, making each and every bite an indelible and delicious experience. YTL Hotels Travel Centre, Level 2, YTL Plaza, 55 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. travelcentre@ytlhotels.com | +60 3 2783 1000 ytlhotels.com