18/01/2026

ON SUNDAY January 18, 2026 theSunday Special V

Beyond banana leaf

BY AQILAH NAJWA JAMALUDDIN

Gin Rik Sha This modern Indian restaurant in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, is known for putting creative spins on classic Indian ÀDYRXUV ZLWK DQ HPSKDVLV RQ IUHVK SUR duce and superfoods. Its menu blends dishes from across India rather than a single regional cuisine, with standout items including Kerala prawns, pani puri, lamb ribs, Kerala chick en biryani and inventive fusion dishes like jackfruit tacos. The restaurant also runs a brunch pro JUDPPH FDOOHG ³$ :HHNHQG $̆ DLU´ GXULQJ certain hours on weekends, featuring dishes that blend Indian and Western ele ments, from a vegetarian thali to creative toasties and fresh juice blends. 132, Jalan Kasah, Medan Damansara, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur.

I NDIAN cuisine holds a special place in Malaysia’s national soul. It LV IUDJUDQW ¿HU\ DQG IXOO RI IHHOLQJ and we adore it for good reason. It is the taste of a late-night mamak, a Friday banana leaf lunch, a wedding feast and a quiet weekday indulgence. But the banana leaf is only the beginning. Indian cuisine is vast, regional, layered and endlessly inventive. From the coastal seafood of Kerala to the royal richness of Coast by Kayra New, ambitious and unmistakably im pressive. Coast by Kayra is the younger sibling of Kayra Authentic Kerala Cuisine with a distinct sea-to-plate mission. It leans heavily on seafood EXW GRHV VR ZLWK WKH HOHJDQFH RI ¿QH dining, think oysters, bisques and seafood biryani, tempered by coconut and spice, subtle but potent. The décor echoes its menu: teal and seafoam, with water features and light

Awadhi biryanis, it is a culinary universe IDU WRR RIWHQ ÀDWWHQHG LQWR FXUU\ FOLFKpV Today, a new class of Indian restau rants in KL is elevating these traditions, reinterpreting them with finesse and restraint. Fewer street stalls, more silk napkins. If you are ready to go beyond the ba nana leaf, here are the most expensive Indian restaurants in KL and yes, they are worth every ringgit. ing that make everything feel more ocean breeze and less air-conditioned enclosure. The menu is pork-free and sources its meats from halal suppliers, which means high-end Indian food without compromising on religious dietary needs. Prices are steep, but every dish is crafted to justify a splurge. Lot G03-G05, Ground Floor, The Starhill, 181, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.

Passage Thru India W KLOH OHVV EUDQG QHZ RU ÀDVK\ WKDQ Nadodi or Coast by Kayra, Passage Thru India holds its place in the pan theon of upscale Indian dining in KL. ,W R̆ HUV ERWK 1RUWK DQG 6RXWK ,QGLDQ classics in beautifully styled spaces. &UDE PDVDOD UH¿QHG WDQGRRUL GLVKHV and biryani are given pride of place. The value here is in tradition done well. If you want opulence but also the FRPIRUW RI UHFRJQLVDEOH ÀDYRXUV WKLV is your middle ground. The design, WKH SODWLQJ DQG WKH VHUYLFH DOO UHÀHFW D price point you won’t feel mugged by, but you will feel indulgent. 4 -DODQ 'HOLPD 2ɣ -DODQ %XNLW Bintang, 50400 Kuala Lumpur. ingredients, maybe a twist here or there, plating like art pieces. This is the kind of place where you bring someone important or celebrate something rare. It’s pricey for sure, but every detail suggests thoughtfulness. 6HUYLFH DPELHQFH HYHU\WKLQJ OHDQV upscale. 1 -DODQ .DPXQLQJ 2ɣ -DODQ ,PEL 55100 Kuala Lumpur.

Flour Restaurant For those who want creativity along side authenticity, Flour is pushing boundaries. Fine dining meets in novative technique: traditional Indian flavour profiles are given a slightly unexpected twist through presenta tion, fusion touches and attention to texture. It’s not dusty classics only. You’ll find references to local Malaysian

Nadodi KL, Four Seasons Hotel If dining is theatre, Nadodi is the avant garde performance. Their cuisine tra YHUVHV VRXWKHUQ ,QGLDQ DQG 6UL /DQNDQ influences, reimagining traditional ÀDYRXUV ZLWK LQYHQWLYH WHFKQLTXHV 7KH degustation menus are labour and love, the ingredients thoughtful and the pre sentation is often surprising. O UGHU WKH ELU\DQL ³1RPDG¶V *OREH´ RU VFDOORSV ZLWK PDQJR DQG ¿UH NLVVHG ELWV and notes of chillies or curry leaves, the kind of complexity that hints at journeys across oceans and centuries. The ambience is polished and elegant, DQG WKH YLHZV RI ./ IURP )RXU 6HDVRQV at dusk give you the sense that you’ve escaped the city without leaving it. Level 7A, Four Seasons Hotel, Jalan Ampang, City Centre, 50450 Kuala Lumpur.