Atelier Binchotan Early Lunch

Post by Chiefeater Susan Heng

Chiefeater Susan Heng led a squad of 4 Swat-Eaters to Atelier Binchotan – eating what was supposed to be a party of 9. Seats are precious! I had to book 2 to 3 months ahead and even then I could only snag an early lunch slot. Doesn’t help that Dua Lipa was recently spotted off-stage here! It was my treat to Chiefeater Susan for having hosted me in New York. This place was highlighted to me by Chiefeater Melissa Heng who has been there several times before. She thinks this is the closest thing to a Burnt Ends killer that she has come across in KL.

What we had
– Kaya toast on Sourdough with shaved frozen foie gras
– Shima-aji with smoked tomato butter
– Burnt Corn ( burrata in the middle)
– Mini Burger ( barbecue pork patty with Gribiche sauce )
– Daily Wild Winter melon with Fine de Claire Oyster over Horseradish & Caviar dressing
– NZ Lamb Rack
– Duck Breast Black beauty Watermelon/ Preserved Mandarin Peel

The Food

We started out with their famous “kaya toast” (RM 50 for 2 pieces) that’s perhaps the complete opposite of the humble Malaysian breakfast staple that we’re used to. What you get here is shredded, shaved (frozen) foie gras on a bed of toasted brioche. A very unique take on delivering the richness of foie gras, and one that works incredibly well.

The Shima-aji (RM60) is served with tomato jam and a sprinkle of kelp salt. This was a firm favourite – cooking fish over a naked flame is just how Binchotan chefs flex. The dish was carefully cooked on the grill, resulting in a lovely char around the edges but the centre remained raw.

The burnt corn was deftly seared and charred on the grill over a pillow of burrata. The based was made from fermenting all parts of a corn cooked to perfection reducing to a nutty flavor

The mini burger is a popular hit with most. The pork patty is so well cooked, juicily succulent that it tasted like foie gras to me. You could literally see the juices oozing stupendously out from the patty – the chef mentioned they only use local pork but with higher fat to lean meat ratio.

The oysters were home runs for the family. Fin de Claire’s are my all time faves – and this vey well paired with the horseradish (spicy-ish kick) and caviar dressing

The New Zealand barbecue lamb rack was a thing of beauty – perfectly, pinkishly cooked. This is what control of fire is all about. Binchotan earning its stripes right here. That green pea Chimichurri paired well with the lamb. We had expected it to taste like mushy peas (yucks), but it was almost like a stew and the peas were still whole in shape. This cut through the richness of the lamb, which we didn’t mind to begin with- lamb lovers the few of them

The duck breast was sourced from Penang and it came out smokishly decadent. We were actually trying for their ‘original’ duck offering with chocolate sauce (yes creative pairing), but this canard was just fine.

The restaurant is helmed by Chef Lau Ka Hong of the Joel Robuchon fame. He spent years honing his skills at RWS’s Joel Robuchon, Waku Ghin and Restaurant Andre just to name a few – cooked your order on binchotan-fuelled barbeque. Assisting him is his wife, Celine, who took care of the rest.

Overall, Atelier Binchotan is a simple setup with zero pretence. Come for great food. Come to see the dance of a naked flame – the chef like snake charmers except with fire. To us, it might not live up to its Burnt Ends killer misnomer – but we are asking the wrong question. We don’t need a Burnt Ends replacement – we need a unique perspective from Atelier Binchotan! Like all previous patrons – halfway through your meal and you’re pestering the chefs for your next slot (which unfortunately – no matter how sparkly your smile is – at least a couple of months down the road).

This place weighs in at a very strong 7.5/10 overall – and you just know that they will be consistent and eventually hit an 8 during your next few visits. Well done and congrats chef – and on a more personal note – these are the kind of talents we need to nurture, as these are the very able lot that continues to give Malaysia its shine!

Business Hours
Wednesday and Thursday
06:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Friday to Sunday
11:30 am to 03:30 pm
06:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Closed on Monday and Tuesday