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Time Out: Indulging In Good Food At DC Restaurant

Chef Darren Chin's place is one to watch

A year-end celebration dinner at DC Restaurant turned out to be one of our best fine-dining experiences in Kuala Lumpur.

Bearing the initials of Chef-owner Darren Chin, DC is located within a 3-storey shophouse in Taman Tun Dr Ismail. The ground floor’s “Le Comptoir" offers counter seating for a more casual dinner, or where you may enjoy an aperitif before proceeding to "La Salle" on the second floor, a more formal dining room that’s simply but smartly decked out, dominated by warm hues to create a cosy ambience.

Diners can opt for the ala carte or one of three degustation menus, depending on your appetite. Our selection of the 7-course TASTE menu is superbly executed, showcasing the Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef's "le jeune cuisine" that is centred on bringing out the natural taste of fresh ingredients, combining classical French and modernist techniques with familiar Asian touches to bring out the best of what our land has to offer.

Appetizer

Once seated, we were served with an aromatic basket of freshly baked breads and croissants, additive with the savoury French butter; we struggled to contain ourselves from over stuffing. Fortunately, dinner commenced shortly, with flutes of luscious Larmandier Bernier Champagne, followed by the Prelude that titillated our palates with an assortment of light and appetising amuse bouches: a briny Belon Oyster, crispy Peby Carrot Tempura, slices of creamy Smoked Butterfish, and Beets, a tart beetroot cream.

Left: Crispy Peby Carrot Tempura; Right: Belon Oyster

You'll find French-inspired cuisine peppered with enchanting South-east Asian and Japanese influences, evident in the outstanding signature dish of the umami-filled chilled Takao Somen with Bafun Uni and Celeriac Truffle, a unanimous favourite around the table. Chef Chin’s restrained hands show in the fresh seared Sea Scallops that are simply paired with watermelon radish and verbena oil.

The Snow Crab Leg came next. It was served two ways: grilled, the sweetness of the meat beautifully juxtaposed with a savoury topping of Ossetra Caviar to create tiny explosions of flavours in your mouth; and steamed in a silky Egg Custard with Foie Gras. The fourth course continued to delight with a gamey and full-flavoured French Quail accompanied by burnt leeks and roasted beets tempered with a dollop of parsnip cream.

Main course

Australian Lamb Rack

Mains-wise, the Pave of Hake was delicate and moist, lightly steamed and served with sauce vin jaune; while the 16-hour slow-roasted Australian Lamb Rack was charred a juicy pink, the smoky and succulent meat mouthwatering. Gross as it may sound, the basic act of gnawing on the lamb ribs between sips of the red wine was so satisfying.

Desserts

Desserts fought hard not to play second fiddle here. The Meringue with black sesame Pannacotta, red cherries and crème fraiche sorbet was sinfully rich. Our taste buds were then refreshed by the citrusy Clementine Sherbet resting on a bed of Yuzu curd, topped with sesame wafer and a sprinkle of almond crumble that added a nice crunch.

Despite full tummies, we had to give justice to the Le Fromage dessert that offered a bewildering selection of predominantly French cheeses from the Cheese Trolley; our favourite was the creamy and fragrant Camerbert Truffle.

The cheese selection at DC

Wine pairing is available at RM115++ for 2 glasses from a small but respectable selection: the Small Valley Sauvignon Blanc from Adelaide is light and crisp, while the full-bodied Clare J.C Nebbiolo is perfect with the Lamb Rack and the cheeses.

DC Restaurant impresses. We love that Chef Darren Chin was hands-on in the kitchen as reflected in the high level of execution and presentation of our dinner. The young and humble chef came by to greet us and took time to explain the philosophy and inspiration behind his cooking style. Despite being already opened for three years in the highly competitive F&B space in Kuala Lumpur, the restaurant is still going strong — a testament to Chef Chin’s watchful eye over the kitchen to sustain the high standard. The degustation dinner doesn't come cheap at RM438++ per person, but certainly worth every cent, and highly recommended for that special occasion splurge. Chef Chin is certainly one to watch.

(Cover photo from: DC Restaurant)

Hungry for more good food? Check out our other Time Out stories.

23 Jan, 2018 by Roger Yuen

Read more on this topic: DC Restaurant, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Restaurant Review