Akar: Modern Malaysian Restaurant With A Solid 1 Michelin Star

Akar, Kuala Lumpur

109 Jln Aminuddin Baki

Taman Tun Dr Ismail

60000 Kuala Lumpur

Wilayah Persekutuan

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Wow, that is a mouthful of an address. For the locals, Akar is tucked quietly along the shop houses of TTDI. Akar, wears its name, meaning "roots" in Malay like a statement of intent. Behind its calm, wood and stone minimalistic entrance, Chef Aidan Low showcases his passion project of stripping back fine dining to something more honest, a celebration of Malaysia' ingredients, culture and people. His kitchen sources exclusively from within Malaysia.

In our intro card, Chef Aidan shares that he draws on his influences from his time in Japan, bringing Japanese culinary sensibilities into his philosophy. Whilst these were mere words at the start of the meal, as the dinner progressed, we start to understand and share Chef Aidan's ethos. Akar is not your typical fine dining, but one that reminds me of Japanese restaurants that bring the focus back on the produce, with splendid execution.

Modern, Sleek and Aesthetically Pleasing Table Set Up

Upon our entrance, our bright and chirpy server brings us around the open kitchen and stops at the buffet table at the front and tells us all about the ingredients for the menu tonight as well as the sourcing of these ingredients in and around Malaysia - fish from local coasts, vanilla beans from Borneo, herbs from experimental farms in Pahang. It is not a show and tell, its an introduction to Malaysia's natural larder. This quiet but powerful gesture reinforces Akar's guiding belief that Malaysia is capable of producing everything a chef needs. The team talks openly about the challenges of sourcing locally, how climate, soil and humidity affect the produce, how new farms are experimenting with crops that traditionally didn't grow in Malaysian conditions and how seasons (though less defined in temperate countries), still bring their own rhythm of abundance and flavours. The menu changes every six months, reflecting Malaysia's two main seasons - wet and dry, adapting to the shifts in both ingredients and mood.

Our menu for tonight is large:

• A Trio of Snacks

  • Palm Sugar and Coconut

  • Monkfish Liver Rojak

  • Cuttlefish and Ensabi

• Ketupat: Silver Catfish, Fish Butter Emulsion

• Kabu Turnip: Caviar, Curry Leaf

• Cassava Noodles: Tomato Trinity, Sawtooth Coriander

• Marble Goby: Fisherman's Broth, Starfruit Jelly, Tepus Chilli Oil

• Mud Crab: Claypot Rice, Coconut Broth

• Apam Balik: Highland Corn, Toasted Soy Bean, Coconut Cream

• Pasir Putih Cacao: Aerated Chocolate, Soursop, Roselle

• Sweet Memories: A Selection of Childhood Desserts and Petit Fours

Akar's recent menu runs nine courses longe, beginning with a series of snacks that carry a distinct sense of place: palm sugar and coconut, monkfish liver rojak and cuttlefish with ensabi. The rojak in particular, was outstanding for me, with the rich monkfish liver paired with bright tangy notes from the fruit and paste that grounds that traditional rojak flavour. It is familiar yet new.

Further courses continue this dance between memory and innovation. Typically, my partner and I tend to have very similar preferences and our choices for the night are typically close. But tonight, it was a play of memories and we had very different best of dishes. For my partner, the ketupat of silver catfish that is rolled delicately and serviced with a fish butter emulsion was his stand out. It looked like a rice ketupat but tastes like otak otak.

My stand out dish was the Soon Hock or Marble Goby. The skin is astonishingly crispy while the flesh beneath remains juicy. The broth evokes the luxurious texture and taste memory of Shark Fin Soup, without any of its ethical baggage, finishing with a clarity that invites reflection more than indulgence. Our sommelier also did an amazing job recommending a rare vin jaune (Yellow Wine). The wine, aged under air for 4 years to allow light oxidation, mirrors the dish and finished with a note of aged vinegar, a precise, clean echo to the intention of this dish, a memory evoking shark fin soup dish with a splash of black vinegar. For me, this dish and pairing was absolutely perfect.

We continue with yet another one of my partner's favourite of the night. A mud crab claypot. A delightful char of the rice served with plenty of sweet mud crab tableside, bringing back the warmth of Malaysian communal meals. The dish is served with a broth made from coconut and blue swimmer crabs from the local coast. The broth is layered with exceptional flavours.

If Akar's kitchen celebrates the land, its wine program celebrates dialogue. There are 2 pairings available, the Anggur Pairing, which features wines and the Harum Pairing, a tribute to local rice wines and Japanese Sake. Both pairings are priced at 300 RM for a full 6 glass pairing. Continuing with the local produce theme, we went with the Harum Pairing

The sommelier - calm, perspective and deeply knowledgeable, reveals a side of Malaysia' dining scene that is often overlooked. She takes time to understand our preferences and explains through our dinner the nuances of glassware, guiding us through the difference between standard wine glasses and specialty sake glasses, letting us taste firsthand how each shape brings out different aromatics and textures. Notably, she shares that their glassware is designed by Malaysia's first certified sake sommelier, marking a milestone of local professional growth in a niche field.

The pairings - deliberate but never showy. Rather than matching intensity of the food with intensity of the rice wines, you chose rice wines that played against expectation - oxidative whites, mineral driven sake or skin contact bottles that teased out depth from layered local spices. Absolutely spectacular. At the end of the night, we had a greater appreciation of the Tuaks from Tuak Atelier from Miri, Sarawak amongst others.

The kitchen and service team are strikingly young, with an average age of under 26, as our server told us. But what they may lack in years of experience, they easily make it up with a clarity of purpose and sheer cheerfulness. You feel it so strongly in the dining room, a sense of bright, focused energy that runs through every interaction. Service is polished but personal, formal only when necessary. Conversations flow easily and the team is eager to share.

We end the night with a huge selection of desserts. Whilst the desserts may not seem to be a particularly strong suit at Akar, I understand the intent and after such a splendid meal, I did wonder whether my expectations for desserts were sky high after what was presented to us through the night. If there is one thing I hope Akar can improve on, it would be their desserts, which did not seem to come together.

Booking

At the time of writing, there are tables available on weekends 2 weeks out. The venue is compact, so I definitely recommend booking once you confirm your travel plans to prevent any disappointment.

Accessibility

Akar restaurant is located in TTDI, and can be connected to central KL within 20 mins. The weekend we were there, traffic in KL was a disaster, and it took us close to 45 mins to reach Akar. So do plan ahead! And Grab is the easiest option to get around.

The Damage

At ~ 1800 MYR for 2 including one wine pairing and an additional glass of wine, the experience feels like excellent value.

Would We Recommend?

Absolutely! Personally, I love writing reviews of restaurants where I can revisit the flavours and these reviews tend to be much longer as there is so much to recall and love about. As I write this piece, I am brought back to the night and I remember the flavours, the warmth of the service staff and how unpretentious Akar was. Akar delivered an exceptional experience that feels grounded, cohesive and resonantly human. It feels like a new movement in culinary fine dining in Malaysia and I am excited to see where Akar goes from here.