If you’re not doing afternoon tea, then you’re not doing life right - THIRTY8 at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur offers exquisite refreshments while bathed in daylight that enters through double-storey windowpanes. The Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur's all-day dining venue, THIRTY8, is located 38 stories high and offers a 360-degree city panorama and gorgeous dining settings that are ideal for any occasion. Whilst THIRTY8 offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, its well-known afternoon tea is the place to go. The high tea sets from THIRTY8 include a great assortment of both savoury and sweet delicacies with unlimited coffee and tea.
This newest tea set has a "Malaysian Voyage" concept that honours the states of Malaysia and their distinctive small-town allure. The food is diverse in a nation that blends many distinct cultures. The food in Malaysia combines sweet, sour, rich, and spicy flavours in a way that is distinct from the cuisine of any other nation. Tea enthusiasts are in for a cultural experience that will reveal traditional local flavours modernised and enhanced through a creative selection of sweets and savoury pastries that go beyond the traditional 3-tier afternoon tea. Unique options on the new menu include to name a few, Muar Otak-Otak Bun, Terung Sabah Crème brûlée, Sekinchan Kelapa Cheesecake, and Melaka Dodol Tart.
When we arrived at the Grand Hyatt hotel, the staff gave us a friendly greeting and were ready to offer any help. He guided us on how to get to the restaurant, which was reached by a lift that took us up to the 38th floor. They requested us to take a seat in the reception area after providing our reservation information so that the restaurant could prepare our table. They then showed us to our seats, where we were situated with the direct sight of the Petronas Twin Towers. A breath-taking view!
As soon as we sat down and throughout each dish of our meal, they served us water and could request any tea or coffee based on our preferences.
We started with some savoury delicacies like "Terung Sabah," a Crème brûlée cooked with locally harvested Sabah eggplant and homemade semi-dried tomatoes. Typically served as a sweet dessert, THIRTY8 has created an oddly original savoury twist on the classic. However, much to my surprise, it was rather delicate, with just a few ingredients that captured rich flavours.
The egg terrine with shrimp was the next item on the menu. They topped it with Tobiko, black garlic cream, and Sarawak Mupoh pepper. Although it appeared to be simple, it was very flavorful and delicious. When combined with the egg, the Tobiko had a nice salty, smoky flavour that was a touch sweeter than caviar or other varieties of roe.
We were eager to try the Phuture minced meat-filled tortilla roll loaded with Penang curry. Cumin and turmeric gave the curry a rich, earthy flavour. The fibrous "meat," which had an unexpectedly similar flavour to chicken, was soft and chewy and went nicely with the curry and a smidge of yoghurt. The Perak "Bunga Kantan," which was essentially salmon served with turmeric bread and chilli mayonnaise, on the other hand, could be a hit or miss. However, if you like salmon or sushi, you might enjoy this.
After finishing the first plate, we went on to a red basket with further savoury snacks with flavours inspired by Malaysia. We began by trying the Muar otak-otak buns, since we thought the idea of putting Otak-otak inside a steamed bun was quite original and out of the ordinary. Kudos to THIRTY8 for going above and beyond to combine two well-known Malaysian dishes into one. You could taste the Otak-otak, which was rich in coconut milk and flavourful with a variety of aromatic herbs and the steamed bun was equally soft, supple, and fluffy.
A bite-sized version of the Melaka nasi ayam served in a sushi-like presentation. As expected, the flavours of the chicken rice are discernible throughout the little "sushi." The chicken floss did a great job of resembling the roasted chicken served as part of a whole Nasi ayam meal. For those who have never had Nasi ayam, as my partner mentioned, you could experience the full package and taste what the dish would be in only one bite. Regarding the Bentong "Tofu pok," which was bean curd skin with additional vegan minced, we felt the flavouring was less, tasting more like typical tofu.
We started sampling the scones first because we were seeking some sweetness after having all the savoury meals. There were two different scones. The first was the classic brown sugar scone, which had a firm crust with a light, flaky centre. It was a subtle blend, and the flour's strength was clear, but when combined with clotted cream, strawberry jam, and kaya, it effectively countered the sweetness. The second scone was a special treat—chicken floss—and it was delicious. You couldn’t taste the chicken floss on your first bite, but once it lingers and melts in your mouth, you could feel and taste the fine chicken floss texture within the scones. It had a lovely sweet and savoury combination.
Finally, the awaited signature 3-tier dessert tower filled with sweetness we were waiting to indulge in. The tower comprised 6 types of dessert, 2 per tier. The ones that caught our eye were the Kelapa cheesecake with pecan cookie crumble topped with coconut jelly as the cheesecake was smooth and creamy, and the Melaka dodol tart which combines a Malaysian sweet that’s chewy, caramel-like, and sticky paired with a subtle hint of toffee Cremieux and the pavlova which was covered in strawberry confit and filled with orange ganache. The deep orange flavour of the ganache went throughout the chocolatey delight. It was velvety smooth and gave a refreshing taste to the dessert.
We continued the treats with a blend of citrus, zesty, bitter, or sour flavours. We later countered this once we tasted the Sarawak pineapple nougat, which was packed with flavours of roasted cashews, honey, pure vanilla and pineapple that gave a nice tangy hint. The Ipoh white coffee bavarois also gave us that bitterness we were looking for, thanks to the white coffee paired with dark chocolate and palm sugar jelly.
Our evening's high point came at the finale when we tried ice cream. Palm sugar, a natural Asian sweetener, which had a hint of butterscotch flavour and a soft caramel flavour made the ice cream exceptional. The cookie crumbs added crunch to the ice cream and enriched the taste. It was enjoyable for us, a perfect way to end the meal!
Overall, we had a superb dining experience at the Grand Hyatt that had our taste senses dancing. Trying distinct Malaysian flavours infused into little, contemporary delights was a genuinely unique experience. It brought our palates on a magical journey of sweet, spicy, sour and rich flavours. It’s amazing how THIRTY8 could deliver this in one seating! The staff remained attentive despite the heavy crowd and were always ready to assist us, which was splendid. However, don’t worry, the crowd was not too loud and it didn’t bother us. Hence, we would gladly make a return for another Afternoon Tea concept in the future.
THIRTY8's custom-crafted Malaysian Voyage afternoon tea is ideal for anyone who wishes to upgrade their palates and be astounded. The Afternoon Tea is available from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m, priced at RM188 for 2 pax. Since it can get very crowded during lunchtime and on the weekends, visiting during the weekdays between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m would allow a bit more intimacy. Or, if you prefer having afternoon tea at home, THIRTY8 also offers a bring-home version of the menu spread at RM188 per set, which must be pre-order at least 2 hours before collection time.
