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In the still-nascent fine-dining scene of the late 1970s and 1980s in Kuala Lumpur, one restaurant was the toast of the town. Chalet, located in the Equatorial Hotel, was among the few establishments where European cuisine was served, and food was prepared tableside. The experience was often the first venture into fine dining for many guests, with Chalet quickly gaining a reputation for its impeccable service and adherence to the minutiae of haute cuisine. It wasn’t just a dinner, it was a dining experience to remember.
Tableside prep with plenty of flair was the order of the evening at Chalet in the ’70s and ’80s
This July through August, EQ will bring back the Old World charm and grandeur of Chalet in a special pop-up event, recreating the venerable restaurant. Running from July 29 to August 17, 2024, the Chalet experience will take place nightly from 6pm, featuring a special menu with its most memorable offerings. These range from the famed raclette Valaisanne, an elegantly luxuriant dish of melted raclette cheese served with new potatoes and cornichons, to the classic Swiss cheese fondue with truffles for two (fondue au fromage), viande de grison (Swiss air-dried beef with pickles), freshly minced steak tartare, and pan-fried duck liver in port reduction. We were fortunate enough to be able to reserve a table last year during the Chalet pop-up’s very limited run and it was easily one of the most impressive culinary experiences of the entire year for us. If you have the opportunity to savour Chalet this year, we urge you to avail yourself – it’s an unforgettable evening, something worth dressing up for and turning into an occasion.
The modern Chalet pop-up is a fitting homage to the legend
A Swiss culinary icon, raclette Valaisanne
The classic Swiss fondue au fromage
In keeping with the restaurant’s history, only the finest imported ingredients will be used at the dinners, with entrées including Maine lobster, Norwegian salmon, Zuercher Veal Emince, New Zealand rack of lamb, and Australian wagyu. One of the most iconic of Chalet’s meat dishes, the canard a la presse (the classic whole roasted duck on the press for two), will also be available during the pop-up period, as will the cote de boeuf roti a la Anglaise (slow-roasted beef, baked potato, Yorkshire pudding, and bearnaise sauce in a tribute to the British roast).
Saumon fumé Norvégien
Cote de boeuf
A quintessential Chalet experience, the Crepes Suzette served tableside with a flambéed flourish, will also be recreated at the dinners. Other classic desserts on the menu include souffle glace au Grand Marnier, warm strawberry souffle, and sabayon, the voluptuous, velvety egg-yolk crème. Each order of the famed dessert will be prepared tableside, with waiters performing the ‘sabayon dance,’ allowing waiters to interact with guests as they whisk the egg yolks and sugar until a perfect sabayon is formed.
Crepes Suzette, a timeless classic
To end dinner with a European flourish, the beloved coffees from the original Chalet will also make a reappearance. These include the iconic Café Royale with its bracing cognac and whipped cream, Café Calypso with rum, coffee liqueur, and whipped cream, and the star of the after-dinner menu, Kafi Luz, the famed Swiss alcoholic coffee prepared with plum and Williams pear brandy (known as Träsch in Switzerland).
Café Calypso
EQ General Manager Gerard Walker is pleased at the response the Chalet pop-up has garnered. “Chalet is one of those places you never forget,” he said. “The Old World polish, and the gravitas of the dining experience is something many gourmets have cut their teeth on. The Chalet pop-up gives us a chance to offer this experience to a new crowd who are hungry for a taste of fine-dining done the traditional way. An experience like Chalet helps a food appreciator understand the tradition and evolution of cuisine, while for old-time guests of Equatorial Hotel, this pop-up will be akin to seeing a good old friend once more.”
Chalet pop-up at EQ
The Chalet experience is open for reservations. Enquiries and reservations can be emailed to dineateqkl@kul.equatorial.com, WhatsApp’d to +6012 278 9239, or made by calling +603 2789 7722.
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