Stepping out of the elevator into the sun-bathed Sky Lobby on the 38th floor, Thirty8 at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur set the scene for an art deco-themed ARTÉnoon Tea experience.
Priced at RM128 per guest on weekdays and RM158 on weekends with Chef’s Specials, this exclusive menu—available from 16 May—is specially designed by Chef Kang of Grand Hyatt KL and Chef Ali all the way from Park Hyatt Jakarta as part of the 2025 Dine With Chef series.
The menu is as impressive as one would expect from powerhouse chefs of the top hotels in KL and Jakarta. When I first skimmed through the list on Hyatt’s site, I was immediately enamoured by the descriptions of the sweets and savouries, and said to myself: I MUST be there.
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The ARTÉnoon Tea Experience
Thirty8 probably has the most scenic view of the city skyline with nigh-unobstructed views of the Petronas Twin Towers, KL Tower and Merdeka 118 through its ginormous floor-to-ceiling windows. The restaurant wraps around the entire hotel, with buffet counters and open kitchen stationed throughout. While being a seamless walk around, clever furnishing divided the dining space into an elegant tea room, relaxed lounge, and buffet-ready seating.
ARTÉnoon Tea began with a welcome drink beautifully called The Archipelago—a concoction of hibiscus tea, guava and citrus topped with an airy honey nutmeg espuma. The colour reminded me of an Aperol Spritz by the beach, with its sunset orange and foamy top like a breaking wave. On the palate, the drink was fruity and opened the tastebuds for the bites to come.
The Savoury Journey
We first journeyed through the savoury selection with a ramekin and a tart, foreshadowing the excellent lineup ahead.
The Poached Tasmanian Salmon came layered with mint and green pea puree, pickled radish, and a kale espuma. The inspiration: classic British fish and chips—the pairing of minty peas and flaky fish—elevated with modern techniques of poaching and nitrous-charged foaming. Even though this was my first bite, I already knew it was going to be one of my favourites and spent the rest of the afternoon wishing for another serving.
Also a highlight, the Organic Dry-Aged Pumpkin Mousse in Sarawak black pepper sable was also table-favourite. Garnished with beetroot pearls a la vegetarian caviar, the layers of flavour came through with time: first the sweet pumpkin, intensely aromatic mushrooms, nuttiness from sunflower seed praline, and finished with pepperiness from the tart shell that lingered till the next courses.
The next three dishes were inspired by Asian flavours and dimsum. Cameron Highlands White Corn was texturally somewhere between a chawanmushi and Chinese steamed eggs, the custard served as a light base to let the pearlescent corn sing with soy. I’m not the biggest fan of steamed egg dishes, so this admittedly excellent rendition was not my favourite of the day, especially among strong contenders.
Looking more homely than its siblings, the Steamed Potato Bun packed an enormous punch in its black bean sauce-laced chicken and vegetable filling. The kind of punch that had me pausing mid-bite with genuine surprise. My companions shared my sentiments.
Of the savouries, the Crispy Seafood Roll was the weakest link, falling short of my expectations. Wrapped in a crisp Vietnamese spring roll-esque rice paper, the shrimp and scallop filling felt a touch too compact and the Sichuan chilli sauce had much needed heat but leaned cloyingly sweet.
In between the savouries and sweets, my dining companions for the day asked if I prefer one or the other. To that I replied I enjoy both, but not so much sweet in savoury dishes (the other way round is great though).
The Sweet Gallery
The moment when a three-tier dessert selection is brought to the table is always a joyous one. From top to bottom, we move from snackable cake pops to intricate petit gateux and finally scones and tea cakes.
ABOVE Cherry Lollipop
Cherry Lollipops kicked off the foray into sweet territory with its chocolate cake base, sweet cherry filling and a layer of creamy namelaka. Biting it off the stick brought a moment of nostalgia, especially with the slightly medicinal flavour of cherry and almond.
ABOVE Kueh Pulut Hitam
An incredible second bite followed with the Kueh Pulut Hitam. Black glutinous rice takes up partial residence in its financier base, with a lovely pandan coconut custard sitting above and a layer of caramelised white chocolate in between. This little gem tasted better than it looked, which is hard to believe with its splatter art-inspired crown.
Putting this Experience into words made me realise just how much was packed into one afternoon—a total of sixteen different pieces! By now, I’ve already lost track and stopped keeping count of how much I’ve tasted. All I know is that I’m happy and so are my taste buds.
ABOVE Strawberry Cube
With its deep red exterior, Strawberry Cube was deceptively soft and spongey. Strawberry marmalade sandwiched in vanilla chiffon and encapsulated by a fluffy marshmallow-like layer. The flavours reminded me of an old-school strawberry shortcake in an air-brushed package.
ABOVE Dulce de Leche Mousse
Staying on theme, the Dulce de Leche Mousse put its artist’s cap (or palette) on and got to work. Beautifully presented but ultimately one-note—the salted caramel and nougat filling didn’t offer the depth its striking exterior suggested.
ABOVE Teh Tarik Cheesecake
The Teh Tarik Cheesecake, sadly, missed the mark. Its flavours were muted, lacking the robust flavour nuances essential to a good teh tarik reinterpretation.
ABOVE Rose Tea Cake
Things immediately returned to form with the Rose Tea Cake from the bottom tier. The texture was impeccably soft while remaining tight-crumbed and perfumed with the perfect amount of rose water. A fantastic raspberry jam and tart lemon glaze slingshotted this tea cake to the top of the dessert ranking.
Scones have never spoken to me intimately, so while everyone else sang praises of the buttery Almond Scones, I found myself pecking at the condiments more—I especially enjoyed the calamansi curd.
ARTÉnoon Tea was the first time I’ve been served a whole Citrus Pistachio ice cream cone at tea time. Pistachio is truly making waves across the world right now, and rounding out an impressive lineup of small bites. Perhaps satiety was to blame, or maybe the final course lacked the same spark: the ice cream had a lovely fragrance from orange and pistachio, but the strawberries and waffle cone were lighter than expected.
Lingering Notes from the Table
Overall, this collaborative afternoon tea experience was one of the best I’ve had in a while. Creative both in flavour and in design, there were many hits with a miss or two not unexpected from such an exhaustive roster. Chef Kang and Chef Ali both flexed their pastry chef muscles and brought excitement to tea time.
Personal highlights were The Archipelago mocktail, Poached Salmon, Pumpkin Mousse Tartlet, Kueh Pulut Hitam, Steamed Potato Bun, Rose Tea Cake and the coffee was surprisingly delicious. I would return to Grand Hyatt KL for afternoon tea if not for the excellent food then for the spectacular views.
For a tea experience that’s both elegant and inventive, ARTÉnoon Tea hits the right notes—and then some.
Dine With Chef’s ARTÉnoon Tea with Chef Ali of Park Hyatt Jakarta and Chef Kang of Grand Hyatt KL is available at Thirty8 from 16 May onwards, from 12–5PM.
Reserve your art-themed afternoon tea experience at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur via WhatsApp or Email.
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