Nomadic Trails – New Menu at Nadodi KL
Words: Karen Santosuosso
Photos: Monica Tindall
Nadodi has been on my list of places to try since moving to Malaysia. Earning a spot on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and selected by the Michelin guide, Nadodi highlights the melding of cultures and food traditions amongst the ancient nomads of Southern India and Sri Lanka. We’re here to see what the new seasonal tasting menu is all about – Nomadic Trails (RM 750++ per pax) and we arrive just in time to catch the sunset in the entrance lounge.
A Warm Welcome
We begin with fresh pineapple and coconut water – a tropical and refreshing start to our nomadic journey. It’s the perfect concoction for relaxing into the ten-course menu that’s to come. Rohait, Nadodi’s charming assistant manager, escorts us to the moody main dining area with bronze touches, brick, and sophisticated dark wood accents. We go on our own mini-nomadic journey through different parts of the restaurant. We’re introduced to a wall of spices, grains and produce from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and northern Sri Lanka. I hadn’t realised how many rice types could exist in one region. As a welcome bite, we’re treated to a sweet plantain cookie with clarified ghee for a savoury palate.
Nomadic Trails Degustation
Nadodi offers both a non-veg and vegetarian Nomadic Trails degustation. We’re trying the former but the meat-free option looks equally delicious.
One of the window-side booths with floor-to-ceiling windows gives us an excellent view of KLCC Park and the urban skyline. Feeling fancy, we opt for the Premium Wine Pairing (RM 420++ per pax) to accompany our meal. A glass of Bollinger Special Cuvée Champagne with velvety texture and pear and spice aromas is the ideal mate for our Welcome Trio.
Welcome Trio
The Paal Katti, inspired by “God’s Own Country” of Kerala, is a cottage cheese and truffle mixture coated with black rice and coriander powder. Adorned with bright marigold petals, it’s a pretty and scrumptious first bite. The Beetroot Curry comes on an activated charcoal tart with coconutty sambal and freshly pickled beetroot. This one is inspired by uttapam, or fermented rice lentil batter pancakes traditionally made in Sri Lanka. The last of the trio is personally my favourite – the uttapam inspired by Tamil Nadu in Southern India. A crisp fermented pancake is topped with lobster meat, premium caviar, and micro greens. It has a delicious smokiness to it and is one of the most satisfying bites of the evening.
Not a Bun!
The new menu at Nadodi is full of playful names for each dish. Not a Bun! is delivered like a gift—as you open it, there’s an exciting show of smoke. Using white lentil dough that is crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, foie gras, and warm spices from Chettinad, it’s a ‘party of flavours in one bite’, as Rohait describes it. The Not a Bun! is topped with pickled apricot for a bit of tartness, too.
Mango Muse
Having finished the last drops of our Champagne, we’re excited for the Mont De Milieu Chablis 1er Cru. Its complexity and light minerality pairs well with the Mango Muse. I’ve had a lot of scallops in my lifetime, but this one might take the cake. The Mango Muse comes with a juicy Aomori scallop that is gently sliced for diners to really savour each bite. Glazed with a young mango juice reduction and topped with Cemiti clams and fennel, the scallop is a delectable dish with a mango rassam broth to accompany it.
Grains Will Rule The World
I’m a happy gal when the bread course comes around: Grains Will Rule The World. The warm and chewy raagi millet bread comes with cultured butter topped with maasi sambal. Native to the Maldives, the massi sambal is an umami mixture of dry-aged tuna, coconut and curry, which eventually made its way to Sri Lanka via trade routes.
God’s Own Country
Mon and I receive a top tip to save some bread for the next course – God’s Own Country. A chunk of tiger grouper with burnt butter and spinach tempura on top is sprinkled with Nadodi’s housemade crumble of cumin seeds, coriander and spices. It’s sitting in a bright fish head curry sauce that is perfect for sopping up with our bread.
Spring Leaves
After that is Spring Leaves—a tender cut of three-week-old spring chicken with crispy chicken skin and black truffle. The young poultry is paired with a chilli plant leaf paste and is a truly well-balanced dish to be washed down with a glass of Intuition de Fleur Cardinale. It’s presented in an impressive magnum bottle, which allows the black fruit flavour profile to come through.
Hoggets & Merkels
Hoggets & Merkels sounds like a spell course in Harry Potter to me—and it does end up tasting like there might’ve been some magic involved. Two slices of tender lamb saddle are cooked over charcoal and served alongside seared morel mushrooms, pickled black lentils, and a sauce with toasty caramelised coconut. After this dish, I’m pleasantly satisfied. However, Nadodi’s signature biryani served in a dome tiffin is yet to come.
Nomad’s Globe
We’re presented with a glass of Whispering Angel – a premium smooth Provence rosé that will pair with the crab biryani and help to undercut the spiciness. Nomad’s Globe comes with a healthy portion of short-grain rice biryani with sweet Malaysian blue swimmer crab. On the side, there’s pomegranate yoghurt snow to cut the spice, as well as a curry sauce made with cashew and crab stock topped with potato crisps. Each element of Nomad’s Globe is well-balanced and showcases Nadodi’s commitment to melding traditional, familiar flavours with new and innovative techniques.
Sour Leaves
Could we really leave without dessert? The answer is no … definitely not. A dainty crystal goblet comes to us with Sour Leaves inside – a roselle ice cream with sour roselle granita and oil. It’s a tart palate cleanser that transitions us to the sweet conclusion.
Kithul
The final bite of the evening is the Kithul – a creme brulee custard with black pearl puffed rice, cashew butter, candied sponge and yoghurt ice cream. It’s drizzled with kithul, Sri Lanka’s ancient coconut palm syrup that is akin to honey, but here it’s concocted with a spiced rum for extra depth. It’s a sweet and sinful way to wrap up our Nomadic Trails journey, and the warmth, fruit and spice of the complementing glass of Delord Armagnac Napoleon is a fitting conclusion to our travels.
Reasons to try the Nomadic Trails menu at Nadodi: South Indian and Sri Lankan fine dining done in a beautifully creative way; learn about unique ingredients and get a ‘crash course’ on nomadic journeys that have shaped culinary history; impressive spot for a date night or celebration meal with friends; there’s a vegetarian menu, too!
Nadodi
Level 7A, Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur
145 Jalan Ampang, City Centre
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Link to Nadodi on Google MapsNadodi on Google
+60 17 296 9520 @nadodikl
*Vegetarian menu available
Nadodi Operating Hours
Monday to Saturday: 6-10 pm
Sunday: Closed
Find more restaurants for special occasions in Kuala Lumpur here and stay updated with the latest food and beverage happenings in KL with The Yum List on Facebook here and The Yum List Instagram here.