Our memories of food not only colours our impression of it, but also guides the way we taste. In this year’s Dine With Chef showcase, Hyatt’s culinary experts play in the gastronomic sandbox to present us a fantastical and wondrous take on beloved nostalgic foods.

This May, Hyatt Hotels in Kuala Lumpur come together for a spectacular culinary takeover celebrating heritage, artistry, and modern storytelling through food. Dine With Chef 2025 bears the theme Newstalgia: Memories Reinvented, drawing inspiration from the flavours of childhood, cultural icons, and nostalgic classics—each reborn through progressive culinary techniques and international collaboration.

Held at the renowned restaurants of Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur and Hyatt Centric City Centre, and featuring chefs from the upcoming Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur and Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown, this month-long celebration is set to be one of the city’s most ambitious and meaningful culinary showcases.

“Newstalgia” is not just a theme—it’s a sensory journey that taps into our emotional relationship with food. Through curated dining events, interactive chef experiences, and one-night-only collaborations, diners are invited to rediscover the past through the lens of contemporary culinary innovation.

“Dine With Chef is about honouring Malaysia’s vibrant culinary identity alongside the finest international culinary traditions while giving our chefs the freedom to play and collaborate,” shares Olivier Lenoir, General Manager of Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. Executive Chef Grzegorz Odolak adds, “This year, we’re not just serving meals—we’re curating moments that connect the past and future on a single plate.”

Familiar, Yet Fantastical

Our memories of food colour our impression of it and guide the way we taste. In this year’s showcase, Hyatt’s culinary experts play in the gastronomic sandbox to offer a fantastical take on beloved nostalgic dishes. The result is food that evokes emotion—familiar, yet fantastical.

The theme of Newstalgia truly comes alive in Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur‘s signature dishes like Chef Ayub’s Wagyu Beef Ribs Roti John, served with housemade JPteres chili sambal, which reimagines a Malaysian street staple with rich beef and bold local flavours. Chef Ramu’s Vegetable Galouti with Saffron Paratha and Pomegranate is a robust but refined interpretation of classic spice-forward comfort food.

ABOVE Chef Ayub’s Roti John (left), Chef Ramu’s Vegetable Galouti (right)

Other Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur classics were truly a delight, such as Chef Greg’s Smoked Beef Tartare with Confit Egg Yolk On Pickled Mushroom Sourdough, Chef Izmin’s Poolhouse Signature Saffron Seafood and Chicken Paella, and Chef Kang’s delectable cold desserts of Soursop Yuzu and Strawberry Balsamic Sorbet and unique ice cream flavours like Sugar-Free Double Chocolate Pandan Coconut and Mango Spicy.

From Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown, Chef Jonas Juchli rethinks kuih pie tee, adding liver mousse and chive caviar to the shredded chicken filling. While over at the newly opened Hyatt Centric City Centre Kuala Lumpur, Chef Enzo Carbone returns to his roots with a Neapolitan Pizza Fritta Montanara.

From the upcoming Park Hyatt KL, Chef Stig Drageide presented a torched scallop on the shell so refined it feels like a quiet conversation on a plate. Not to be outdone, Pastry Chef Holger Deh unveils an astonishing 5-metre-long Calamansi Chocolate Cake, an inspirational, decadent feat highlighting strong citrusy flavours with a unique texture, well-balanced by the smooth chocolate mousse and cake layers full of theatrics.

Dining Experiences To Remember With #DineWithChef

The event calendar spans a broad spectrum of experiences. From 1–4 May, The Spirit of Poland featuring Chefs Mariusz Olechno, Marcin Budynek, and Pawel Mieszala held in conjunction with the Embassy of Poland in Kuala Lumpur takes over THIRTY8 with dinners and an evocative high tea commemorating the Polish Constitution, featuring traditional bakes like the St. Martin’s Croissant.

ABOVE Polish Chefs Marcin Budynek (left) and Pawel Mieszala

On 11 May, Mother’s Day Brunch unfolds simultaneously at THIRTY8 and IL Forno, with heartfelt culinary tributes by chefs from Grand Hyatt x Park Hyatt, and Hyatt Centric x Hyatt Regency.

ABOVE Mother’s Day Brunches at Thirty8 and IL Forno

Malaysian Celebrity Chef Florence Tan returns to JPteres from 14–17 May with a Peranakan buffet featuring specials like Spicy Prawn Curry with Pineapple, Chicken Buah Keras, and Fish Chuan Chuan. On 17 May, Chef Florence will also be hosting an intimate Gerai session that pays homage to her Malaccan heritage.

ABOVE Chef Florence’s Peranakan Lunch Buffet

Meanwhile, Pastry Chef Ali Saleh of Park Hyatt Jakarta and Grand Hyatt KL’s Chef Kang collaborate on a visually inspired ARTÉnoon Tea from 16–18 May.

Chef Ramu and Tea Thambi highlight the flavours of Tamil Nadu from 19–23 May, and Chef Raj Kumar of Firangi Superstar, Singapore, arrives at THIRTY8 from 22–24 May with a provocative, sensory-rich interpretation of Indian cuisine that blends the imagined with the real.

The month concludes with two evenings of private dining by Nyonya Su Pei (29–30 May), followed by a final Gerai session on 31 May—each an ode to the quiet power of heirloom cooking.

ABOVE Nyonya Su Pei’s Private Dining

From 29–30 May, the mixology spotlight shifts to @21 Rooftop Bar, where WAX ON Berlin’s Sam Orrock joins Hyatt’s mixologists in a kinetic celebration of flavour and visual storytelling.

Recurring experiences at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur provide even more ways to engage. Le Petit Chef, the immersive dining show, continues its run from Thursday to Sunday with “How to Become the World’s Greatest Chef”. POOLHOUSE’s weekend Fun & Flames BBQ delivers relaxed al fresco dining, and a Sake, Uni & Caviar tasting every Friday & Saturday at Sushi Azabu, speaks to lovers of precision and opulence.

DineWithChef Event Calendar

Dine With Chef 2025 is more than a culinary campaign—it’s a celebration of culture, memory and reinvention. In repositioning food as both personal and performative, Hyatt reaffirms its place at the centre of Malaysia’s evolving gastronomic narrative.

There’s no shortage of dining opportunities for a wondrous gastronomic journey at any of the Hyatt restaurants at their various locations. Each featured chef in this campaign brings with them their own take on the food that shaped their lives, infused with culture, rich with memories, and full of their own stories.

For more information, visit Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur’s Dine With Chef page or follow @grandhyattkualalumpur on Instagram.

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Select excerpts adapted from writing by Anne Dorall.