Romantic Dinner with a View of KLCC – THIRTY8, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur


[Romantic Dining Spots]

 
Some years ago, my partner in crime and I visited the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur for a review for their incredible buffet breakfast (read more about it here – https://timchew.net/2015/02/03/buffet-breakfast-review-at-thirty8-grand-hyatt-kuala-lumpur/) and we were so impressed by it that we were very excited to visit THIRTY8 again – this time for a dinner review of their new menu which was curated by Chef Stefan Beck, THIRTY8’s new Executive Sous Chef.
Executive Sous Chef Stefan Beck was born and raised in Germany, and specialises in classic European and Western fine-dining cuisine, which he prepares with a creative modern twist and the use of fresh ingredients. From young, Stefan had a keen interest in harvesting fresh fruit and vegetables from his home-garden and creating dishes from them. Recognizing his enthusiasm for food, his family encouraged him to pursue a career in cooking.
Prior to joining the Hyatt family, Stefan worked in several well-known hotels and restaurants within Germany as well as in the United Kingdom. His experience within the Hyatt family began with Hyatt Regency Mainz, Germany in 2008. Two years later, Stefan joined Park Hyatt Canberra, Australia and in 2011, he was part of the re-opening team for Park Hyatt Sydney, and, later on, led kitchen operations as the Chef de Cuisine. Today, Chef Stefan is the culinary expert who helms the kitchen at THIRTY8, bringing his creativity and experience to heighten Kuala Lumpur’s culinary scene. 
 
 Take the lift up to the Sky Lobby on the 39th floor, then walk down a floor to THIRTY8 and you’ll be greeted by the bar section
 THIRTY8 occupies three (3) sides of the floor hence you get a magnificent view of the Petronas Twin Towers and the Kuala Lumpur skyline
 Whenever possible, do request for a table facing the Petronas Twin Towers
 As it makes a lovely backdrop for photos!
 The sides not facing the Twin Towers also have a nice view of the KL skyline
 
 THIRTY8 has an open kitchen concept and you can watch the culinary team in action
 Executive Sous Chef Stefan Beck. Photo courtesy of Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur.
 Pastry Chef Ashutosh Kumar. Photo courtesy of Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur.
Since November 2016, Chef Ashutosh has been to be part of Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur’s culinary team as the new Pastry Chef, in charge of all bakery and pastry operations in the hotel’s food and beverage outlets, THIRTY8 and JP teres. Chef Ashutosh Kumar was born in India, where his passion for pastry began at the age of ten when his mother taught him how to make gajar halwa, or Indian carrot pudding. His interest in pastry grew during an internship at a five-star hotel in Bangalore, where he realised that pastry was a unique marriage of science and art. 
Bringing with him plenty of valuable experience from some of the finest luxury hotels in India, Chef Ashutosh joined the Hyatt™ family in November 2013 as an assistant pastry chef at Hyatt Regency Gurgaon, India. He was soon promoted to pastry chef, in charge of the bakery and pastry kitchen, as well as assisting the executive chef in running the hotel’s restaurants. His rich experience also includes being part of the preopening teams for a few five-star hotels in India.
Throughout his career, Chef Ashutosh has been featured in magazines thanks to his specialisation in contemporary French pastry combined with traditional Indian flavours using modern techniques. He draws inspiration from renowned pastry chefs such as Pierre Hermé, Paco Torreblanca and Christophe Michalak. He also constantly updates his skills and knowledge, combining his classic background with ideas from the new generation of pastry wizards. 
   
 Having an ice-cold pint of Stella Artois while waiting for my partner in crime to arrive. The bar at THIRTY8 is one of the few places in town which serves Stella Artois on tap!
 Finally my partner in crime arrived! OK let’s get to the food!

Tuna tartar, mango condiment, crunchy vegetables – RM74.00
We started off with the Tuna Tartar  which was a really elegant dish with flavours of fresh mangoes and vegetables complementing the lovely tuna! This appetiser looked really beautiful thanks to the bright and natural colours of the ingredients, and tasted even better than it looked! A really impressive start to the meal.
  

Roasted cauliflower soup, lobster tortellini, sumac – RM42.00
We went for the most exquisite soup on the menu, which turned out so good we finished every drop! I’m not a big fan of cauliflower, but this soup was well-balanced and not too creamy while the lobster tortellini with its sweet and flavourful lobster filling added a touch of extravagance. The addition of sumac was interesting, providing subtle hints of Middle Eastern and South Asian flavours.
  

Grilled scallops, capers, pomegranate, lemon – RM120.00
Both my partner in crime and I love scallops so ordering this dish was a no-brainer. It turned out to be an excellent choice as the scallops were beautifully cooked with lovely grill lines and all while maintaining the juiciness on the inside. She didn’t quite like pomegranate however I was fine with it and I do understand what the chef was trying to achieve with the mix of different textures and flavours on the plate. The capers provided some extra saltiness while the lemon juice (and to a certain extent the pomegranate too) added some tartness and piquant freshness to the dish. A MUST ORDER if you like scallops!
  

Slow cooked beef short ribs, crushed sweet potato, gremolata – RM105.00
The short ribs were slow cooked for many hours, then finished on the grill giving it a lovely crust. It was melt in the mouth tender, while still having the texture of meat (and not baby food!) and just incredibly flavourful! The surprise ingredient was parsley gremolata, an Italian condiment usually found accompanying Italian dishes. Not bad, added a herby dimension to the dish but to me the beef was so good it really didn’t need any other ingredients accompanying it besides the jus. Speaking of the jus, it had loads of flavour as well and the crushed sweet potato went well with it.
  

Pan-fried sustainable Alaskan black cod, tomato & corn salsa – RM120.00
Being an environmentalist, I was very happy to see that Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur obtained their fish from sustainable sources. My partner in crime had this one and she loved it (she’s more into fish whereas I’m more into red meat). The cod was fresh, flaky and cooked to perfection, while the tomato and corn salsa added a nice touch of acidity.
  

THIRTY8 Signature Cake – RM48.00
This is the famous cake that appears in so many posts in Instagram! Rich and decadent, the presentation was also impressive and we saw pretty much every table order one! I am not really into desserts, however I really liked the dark chocolate cake with the creamy ice cream. This might just be my dessert “Kryptonite”. 
  

Lavender cheesecake, marinated rhubarb and strawberries – RM40.00
THIRTY8 also specially prepared their Lavender Cheesecake with a candle, happy birthday sign and a birthday card signed by the staff! We noticed that THIRTY8 is a very popular spot to celebrate birthdays as we witnessed five (5) other couples celebrating birthdays, most with the THIRTY8 Signature Cake, however we wanted ours to be different and the staff was only too happy to assist! It was a nice sweet (and creamy!) end to a lovely and most memorable meal!
  
 If you did not manage to get a table facing the Twin Towers, the lift landing on the 39th floor is also a good spot for photos.
  
Since its opening some years back, THIRTY8 has remained a popular spot for couples to celebrate special occasions like birthdays and even wedding proposals and we could certainly see why! The service was fantastic, the food delicious and the ambience romantic! What more could you ask for?
  
THIRTY8 is located at:
38th Floor, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur,
12, Jalan Pinang,
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
 
Telephone: +60 3 2182 1234 extension 2340
Website: https://kualalumpur.grand.hyatt.com
Dresscode: Smart Casual – Daily from 6:00PM onwards, strictly no bermudas, slippers, sandals and singlet or sleeveless for gentlemen.
Operating Hours:
Breakfast:
Weekdays, 6:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Weekends & Public Holidays, 6:00AM – 11:00AM
Lunch: 12:00 Noon – 3:00 PM
Afternoon Tea: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Dinner: 6:00 PM – 11:00 PM
  
 Thanks for having us!
  
Photos (except the two of the chefs) were shot using the Panasonic Lumix LX10.
 Panasonic Lumix LX10
To find out more about the camera, head over to http://www.panasonic.com/my/consumer/cameras-camcorders/lumix-digital-cameras/advanced-creative/dmc-lx10.html