Dewakan is a combination of two Malay words: “Dewa” (meaning “god” or “deity”) and “makan” (meaning “to eat” or “food”). Together, it can be loosely translated as “food of the gods.” This is the name of the restaurant we visited in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The entire menu serves as a tribute to the bounty provided by this land, and the dining experience aims to build connections with the people and culture reflected in every ingredient.
Dewakan is the only Malaysian restaurant to have been awarded two Michelin stars. It has also been recognized in the Asia’s Best Restaurants rankings in 2019, 2022, and 2023, highlighting its influence and prestige in the culinary world. The head chef and founder of the restaurant is Darren Teoh, who is fully committed to showcasing the beauty and diversity of his country’s culture through his culinary creations. The dishes draw inspiration from local culinary traditions, using local ingredients in a highly innovative way, which we found particularly captivating.
Dewakan is located on the 48th floor of the Naza Tower in Kuala Lumpur’s business district. To reach the restaurant, guests must check in at the ground floor reception and then take the elevator to the designated floor.
The entrance to the restaurant is located at the end of the corridor. We were first given a tour of the kitchen. We had the opportunity to see the hot kitchen, which frequently uses a charcoal grill for preparing dishes, and the cold kitchen. Our attention was drawn to the unusual countertops. Normally, restaurant countertops are made of stainless steel, but in Dewakan, they are wooden, made from a Malaysian variety of teak, to emphasize the local character of the cuisine.
An extraordinary basket of products was presented to us on the kitchen counter. We listened with great curiosity to the stories about local ingredients, such as Javanese pepper, buah kulim (referred to as jungle garlic with a garlic and truffle aroma), a local variety of starfruit, various types of nuts, ginger torch flower, and local fruits. We were delighted with this presentation, especially since it’s not every day that you get the chance to see, touch, and smell such unique ingredients.
Along the way, we also saw ceramic jars where fermented fruits and vegetables are stored, later used in various dishes, in line with the zero-waste philosophy.
When we arrived at our table, we were greeted with a breathtaking view of Kuala Lumpur’s business district, with a clear view of the twin Petronas Towers. In this part of the world, night falls quickly, so we had the chance to enjoy the evening and nighttime cityscape.
On the table, there were menus and hand sanitizer spray waiting for us. Before starting dinner, we had one more decision to make regarding drinks – we opted for the wine pairing, which included seven glasses of wine, including champagne.
The beginning of the dinner amazed us with the aromas and presentation of the amuse bouche. We were served a blue crab broth in a cup, seasoned with Javanese pepper, marigold flower, and ginger flower. The spices were placed in a special bag, resembling a tea bag, and steeped in the hot crab broth. After a short while, we had a fragrant, mildly spicy broth with a deep crab flavour, a distinct pepper note, and a subtle floral freshness.
Additionally, soursop skin was served on branches – not the actual skin, but a thin jelly-like slice, which, thanks to the drying process, gained an intense flavour while retaining the characteristic tartness of the fruit. The jelly was topped with banana essence and decorated with wild jungle flowers, including mint and cilantro. Its flavour was incredibly complex, fresh, fruity, and full of aromas – simply brilliant. The ability to combine so many well-balanced aromas in one small appetizer is, in our opinion, a form of culinary art at the highest level.
The next snack was an undeniable work of culinary art. We were served an origami frog on the plate. The “paper” for this origami was a crisp made from melinjo nuts (from the Gnetum gnemon plant native to Malaysia), visible as part of the plate’s decoration. It’s worth mentioning that these nuts are used to make the popular Indonesian snack emping. The frog was filled with a puree made from sour, fermented, and slow-cooked perah nuts (Elateriospermum). These nuts can contain a harmful substance, so they are cooked for 7 hours to neutralize it, then tested by the kitchen team to ensure they are safe and edible for guests. The dish was topped with Malaysian caviar. The whole snack was excellent, slightly sour in taste due to the nut paste. It will surely remain in our memory.
After the origami frog, it was time for seafood. The dish we were served was called Tatus Hitam Crayfish, which would suggest crayfish, but in taste, shape, and size, it resembled spiny lobster. It was slowly grilled over charcoal and glazed. It was accompanied by a noni emulsion – a fruit which taste is reminiscent of blue cheese or goat cheese – along with bamboo shoots and aromatic leaves, all served on a breadfruit flatbread. The combination of flavours was brilliant: the smoky grill taste and bold noni sauce on one side, and the refreshing herbal notes of ginger flower on the other. The dish was absolutely stunning!
The smoked Patin fish dish was assembled before our eyes, including the filleting, sauce pouring, and decoration. The fish was served alongside water chestnuts and a buttery sauce. The chestnuts added crunch and freshness, while the smoked fish and sauce provided creaminess and aroma. We can summarize it as another exquisite dish.
The smoked Patin fish dish was assembled before our eyes, including the filleting, sauce pouring, and decoration. The fish was served alongside water chestnuts and a buttery sauce. The chestnuts added crunch and freshness, while the smoked fish and sauce provided creaminess and aroma. We can summarize it as another exquisite dish.
The following dish was another surprise. It was a combination of egg, kelutut honey (a slightly tangy honey made by stingless bees in Malaysia), coconut oil, puffed black rice, ensabi leaf (similar in taste to wasabi), clams, and pesto. We were advised to mix everything before eating so the flavors and textures would blend together. The whole dish was creamy, slightly sweet, crunchy, and aromatic. Pure poetry!
After such a surprising dish, a dumpling appeared on the table. The dumpling was filled with a puree of local eggplant and rich umami petai miso, wrapped in salted kaduk leaves, and encased in thin slices of taro. The dumplings were freshly pan-seared and served with a salsa made from kacang bol nuts and chili. The dish was crispy, rich in umami, and flavourful thanks to the addition of chili sauce.
The main course was pigeon with rice. More sensitive diners might be surprised that the pigeons were served halved, including the head and feet, as some enjoy trying the pigeon brain. The meat was perfectly cooked, rich in flavour, and slightly smoky. Delicious. The rice was mixed before our eyes with seafood butter, accompanied by seven different side dishes, including candlenut tofu and a heart of palm roll with guava and mackerel paste. Once again, we were amazed by the discovery of flavours, textures, and ingredients.
As an intermezzo, we were served ice cream made from fermented rice, accompanied by tamarind jelly and sparkling toddy. Toddy is a coconut palm wine, but at Dewakan, the fermentation process is stopped before alcohol is produced, allowing guests who don’t drink alcohol to also enjoy it. After mixing all the components, we had a lightly cold mousse, similar to sorbet, with an incredibly refreshing taste.
The first dessert consisted of green banana leaf ice cream, slightly salty in flavour, served with banana pudding, pickled rose petals, and pickled nam nam fruit. The dessert was perfectly balanced, with savoury, sour, and sweet flavours, making it very enjoyable to eat. Despite the following sweet courses, we didn’t experience the feeling of over-sweetness that sometimes comes with too many desserts. At Dewakan, the balance was perfectly maintained. It’s worth mentioning because another dessert soon arrived!
This time, it was a tower of layers made from dehydrated chocolate mousse, with a texture resembling crunchy cookies, and three sorbets: mulberry, wild mango, and a fruit resembling jackfruit in both taste and texture. As suggested, we first ate the tower layer by layer, savouring each one, and then combined all the flavors, creating an extraordinary fruit-chocolate aroma. Interestingly, the small towers reminded us of the Petronas Towers we were admiring as we enjoyed our dinner.
The entire dinner concluded with the traditional Malaysian cake Kuih Sarang Semut, with a deep caramel or molasses flavour and an incredibly light texture, wonderfully sticky, served hot with whipped cream and lime marmalade. Its flavour reminded us a bit of sticky toffee pudding, but it was much lighter, bold in flavour, perfectly sweet, and absolutely delicious. We still remember that taste to this day.
We didn’t write much about the wines in our review, but we greatly enjoyed the wine pairing. It’s also worth mentioning the incredibly friendly service, who eagerly shared stories about the extraordinary ingredients that found their way onto our plates. Not only did we have a lovely evening and enjoy an outstanding dinner, but we also embarked on a wonderful journey through the flavours of Malaysia, learning a lot about the land and its treasures. Many of the dishes, as well as the entire dining experience, will definitely stay in our memory!