The lightly cured salmon alludes to Drageide’s Scandinavian roots and makes for a delicious meal opener. — Photos: ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
Located high up on the sparkling new Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is Merdeka Grill, indubitably one of the most naturally elegant restaurants to have emerged in the Klang Valley dining scene.
Located within the towering Merdeka 118, the eatery also has some of the most stunning, panoramic views of the city centre and the dense conurbation that surrounds it. Diners can appreciate this through the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows dotting the space.
At the centre of all the action in the restaurant is executive chef Stig Drageide, a Norway native who has had extensive experience working in kitchens all over the world, which in turn has expanded his global acumen.
“I worked in several Michelin-starred restaurants in Norway and Denmark before I began my hotel career with the opening of the prestigious Grand Hyatt Tokyo in 2003. Since then, I’ve worked in Singapore, China, India, Switzerland and back again in Norway before joining Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur,” he explains.
The restaurant has spectacular views of the city centre.
Drageide has a huge love for nature and the provenance of ingredients. When he is home in Norway, he says he spends countless hours in the forest or by fjords and lakes, which in turn has fuelled his love for Mother Nature’s bounty – no matter which part of the world he may be in.
Which is why prior to the opening of the restaurant, Drageide travelled all over Malaysia to source the best ingredients and familiarise himself with Malaysian food and culture.
“The culinary philosophy behind the Merdeka Grill is to offer an inviting dining experience and to showcase premium meats and sustainable seafood with a focus on local vegetables and fruits. Examples of this are the locally farmed red snapper, Malaysian sturgeon caviar, Cameron Highlands tomatoes and watermelon radish, and the Melaka MD2 pineapple. There’s a lot of incredible produce here in Malaysia,” he says.
Drageide is a huge fan of the bounty of nature and works hard to ensure the restaurant uses as many local ingredients as possible. — Merdeka Grill
The food at Merdeka Grill is developed both on Drageide’s ingredient-driven ethos as well as his own heritage.
“My love for fresh seafood, simplicity and clean flavours hails from my Norwegian heritage. At the restaurant, we now serve homemade smoked salmon with fresh horseradish and parsley and I have introduced Vendace Roe from Kalix, Sweden – served in a classic way with sour cream and toast,” he says.
As its name alludes, the restaurant focuses on grilling and has an in-house beech grill as a well as a two-deck oven. Drageide also does a lot of fermentation, pickling, curing, smoking and dry-ageing to elevate some of the ingredients.
If you’re here for lunch, look at indulging in the eatery’s two- or three-course set lunches, priced at RM158 and RM188 respectively.
Duck liver, cherries, fermented green peppers and croffles make for amiable companions in this stellar starter. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
Start your lunch with a starter in the form of the Duck Liver Waffle. The duck liver is mounted atop a “croffle” (a popular croissant-waffle hybrid) with cherries and fermented green peppers rounding out this configuration.
The dish is a heart-warming instant charmer whose seduction is built on every single component working together fluidly – from the rich umami notes of the duck liver to the funk of the green peppers, the tang of the cherries and the crisp, warm landing in the form of the croffle.
Another starter to consider is the Lightly Cured Salmon. The salmon is accompanied by apple, freshly pickled cucumber, horseradish and parsley – in a dish that pays tribute to Drageide’s roots.
The lightly cured salmon alludes to Drageide’s Scandinavian roots and makes for a delicious meal opener. — Photos: ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
The salmon has been smoked in-house and is phenomenally good – velvety, sumptuous and lightly smoky and this is juxtaposed against the acerbity of the cucumbers and the pungency of the horseradish in what proves to be a clever, yet light collusion of flavours.
For mains, definitely, definitely indulge in the Steak & Fries, which is essentially grilled hanger steak, mixed salad and green pepper butter.
The steak has been cooked to absolute perfection – retaining a light char on the surface which yields to florid pink succulent meat. The fries in this configuration are also good – crisp on the outside and pliant on the inside.
The hanger steak is tender and succulent while the green pepper butter is a temptress in its own right.
The green pepper butter is a vixen of some sort – because you will be under the spell of this oleaginous character from the get-go.
For maximum euphoria, slick some butter on the meat and enjoy the flavour fireworks that explode on your palate after.
If you’re after options that are outside the set lunch, definitely try the Variation of Tomatoes (RM115) with burrata, Thai basil and pistachio.
The burrata is creamy and cloud-like and this decadence is offset by the tanginess of the tomatoes in this amalgamation.
The burrata is delightfully creamy and gooey and this is countenanced by the tomatoes in this amalgamation, which provide tangy contrast. Overall, it’s a light, refreshing meal opener.
Another starter to indulge in is the Nordic Vendace Roe (RM188) which is another item on the menu that has ties to Drageide’s heritage.
Vendace roe is the roe of freshwater fish from the Salmonidae species. It is found in lakes in northern Europe and the Kalix vendace roe harvested from the Bothnian Bay archipelago of the Baltic Sea in northern Sweden even has a Protected Designation of Origin status (this is what is used at Merdeka Grill).
Nordic vendace roe is the star of this triumphant starter.
Here, the roe is paired with red onion, creme fraiche and lemon on shokupan bread in what proves to be a marvellous combination.
The roe offers tiny little pearls filled with rich, briny aquatic elements and this is accentuated by the creme fraiche and onions, which offer allium undertones and creamy satisfaction. It’s a small-bite wonder that truly packs a punch and will linger in your memory long after.
Moving forward, Drageide says there is plenty more to come at Merdeka Grill. “Oh, we’re hoping for blue skies and sunshine and for our guests to look forward to more food creations,” he says.
