The fourth edition of Kita Food Festival kicks off next week, much to the anticipation of dining gourmands and the culinary curious. Among the highlights on the respectable roster of Four-Hands Dinners and Kitchen Takeovers is a collaboration between Chef Johnson Ebenezer of Farmlore in Bangalore, India and Chef Shaun Ng of HIDE, Kuala Lumpur.
For the uninitiated, Chef Ebenezer formerly helmed the kitchen at Nadodi before returning to his home soil to start Farmlore, a fine dining restaurant that champions locavore (read: locally grown produce). The establishment was recognised as the Best Earth-Friendly Restaurant at the NDTV Food Awards 2024 and the Best Restaurant in South India by the ET Hospitality Awards 2023 for its commitment to sustainable dining.
Likewise, Chef Ng works closely with local farmers, fishermen, and producers to ensure the highest quality ingredients are served at HIDE. For their upcoming collaboration, the duo has meticulously crafted a menu that will take guests on a culinary journey across Malaysia. Each course will spotlight a high-quality ingredient from ethical producers around the nation, offering a taste of the land’s bounty.
Ahead of their four-hands dinner on 5-6 September, we caught up with Chef Ebenezer on his culinary ethos, his experience working with Chef Ng for Kita Food Festival, and his upcoming projects.
Hi Chef Johnson, we’re excited to welcome you back to Malaysia! How do you feel about the F&B scene in KL now versus the last time you were here?
Likewise, I am elated too to be welcomed back to Malaysia and all the more excited to be a part of Kita Food Festival. Surprisingly, there is a spooky coincidence – the very first time I came to Malaysia was on September 4, 2015, and it so happens that my four-hands collaboration with Chef Shaun falls around then.
However, I left Malaysia on the last day of 2018, and the F&B scene was very much different then. There was, of course, Dewakan, but it was still in KDU and I remember taking a ride out of the city to relish a meal by Chef Darren. There was no Michelin Guide either, but I briefly remember being interviewed on how it would be or what it takes for these global acclamations to set foot into KL. Of course, there were numerous new dining concepts and the scene was buzzing then too.
I have just seen it go from strength to strength, so it’s even more fulfilling to be back and to cook with the culinary family for friends in Malaysia.
You work a lot with natural farms and sustainable practices at Farmlore. How do you hope to bring that culinary philosophy to KL for your four-hands collaboration with Chef Shaun Ng at HIDE?
The sustainable practices at Farmlore are quite extensive. Although I won’t be able to teleport the whole philosophy, the core of using local produce and cooking in tune with seasonality are some of the philosophies which are already practiced by Chef Shaun at Hide so it’s just like finding myself another home away from my home.
Have you worked with Chef Ng before? Tell us more about the behind-the-scenes details of how you both developed the menu for the Kita Food Festival.
I haven’t worked with Chef Shaun but have heard and seen a lot of his work thanks to the growing age of digital media; and mostly, I have been thoroughly impressed with his contribution to KL culinary landscape. I’ve also heard a lot about him through peers and friends from the industry over his attention to detail and his approach in curating experiences.
As far as the collaboration menu goes, we blended in both of our styles and there are a couple of collaborative dishes that will be featured. It will bring in the flavours of the Indian subcontinent with produce from the region – we wish to tell our local stories through the produce of Malaysia. Chef Shaun was also kind enough to accommodate my requests in sourcing a few ingredients that sing in both cultures.
What unique ingredients, techniques, or stories are you excited to showcase in this collaboration?
It definitely isn’t the average Indian cuisine story. It is more so about the local flavours and pairings, some of which are unique to their geography, which tell their own story too. There is this local snack that is naturally sweet, called the Bun Butter Gulkand, created at the hyper local part of Bengaluru called Malleswaram. We will be bringing that same dish but using the national flower of Malaysia: the hibiscus.
Another one is the Mangalorean Gassi or the Kokum sauce, which is paired with a Gojju of tomatoes (local tomato chutney) and transformed into a veil of edible leather. Normally, we use prawns for this dish in India, but in KL, we are going to pair it with local spiny lobsters. There is even a millet or horse gram sauce, which serves as food for the farmers in places in rural India.
How does your culinary approach align or differ from Chef Ng’s, and how will this influence the dishes you create together?
I can only say that it aligns well! With his fresh approach to some of his acclaimed dishes combined with the robust nature of the few sauces and dishes that have been created by us collaboratively, I’m confident to say it will be a rollercoaster of flavour bombs, with some subtlety blended in too.
What is the greatest challenge for you when it comes to working on four-hands collaborations like this?
The one and only challenge is that I am coming out of our hideout of Farmlore and coming to an established place like Hide. Yes, it’s cooking for friends and guests who I know, but there has been a lull from my end too. But thankfully, Chef Shaun has filled me in and also advised me about things that have changed for the better.
What does participating in the Kita Food Festival mean to you, and how do you see it influencing the industry?
Kita Food Festival is slowly but gradually becoming the voice of Malaysian gastronomy and to be a part of it is actually a great honour. At the same time, it opens up industry and culinary philosophies which are ethical in nature – I am excited to showcase our ethical approach in cooking and showcase it to a wider audience through Kita.
If you could pick another four-hands dinner on the Kita Food Festival roster, which would you go for?
I’ll probably go for all of them – all seem equally exciting – but if you insist on me picking one, I’m excited to go for the Big Sunday BBQ.
Beyond this collaboration, are there any future projects or partnerships you’re excited about?
Farmlore to me is very exciting. Some exciting things are happening, like the new space we are coming up with. It’s our new extension, and it will have a theme called “Omnisense” – a private dining area where it’s not only about the food but also storytelling and communal dining, almost like game nights.
For more information or to buy tickets to Kita Food Festival, visit their official website. Keep up with Chef Johnson Ebenezer here or Farmlore here.
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