Grand Hyatt Is Serving Up Newstalgia—and It Tastes Like the Future #DineWithChef

What happens when you blend nostalgia with bold culinary rebellion? You get Dine With Chef 2025—a month-long food celebration that’s anything but ordinary. Back for its second year, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is turning up the heat this May with Newstalgia: Memories Reinvented, a culinary fever dream where the flavours you grew up with get a glow-up from some of the best chefs in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and beyond.

“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.

Think charred tandoori atop fluffy donburi. Polish croissants that double as cultural landmarks. Nyonya dishes passed down through generations—and now reinterpreted with finesse and flair. This isn't just dinner—it's a delicious reawakening of your food memories through fire, finesse, and flavour.

THIS YEAR’S MENU? A FEAST OF STORIES

Every plate comes with a past, and every bite is a story. From KL to Kraków, each chef brings a personal narrative, stitched together with heritage, identity, and boundary-smashing creativity.

“This year, we’re not just serving meals — we’re curating moments that connect the past and future on a single plate,” says Grzegorz Odolak, Executive Chef of Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur.

The event spans Hyatt hotels across Kuala Lumpur, including the new Hyatt Centric City Centre, soon-to-open Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, and the sleek Hyatt Regency at KL Midtown. Each location becomes a stage for sensory storytelling—complete with ambient theatrics, personal chef interactions, and carefully curated pairings.

WHO’S COOKING?

The guest chef lineup reads like a culinary Avengers squad—each hero repping their region with soul.

• From Poland: Chefs Mariusz Olechno, Marcin Budynek, and Paweł Mieszała serve up old-world Polish charm in partnership with the Embassy of Poland. You’ll find symbolic dishes that celebrate Poland’s 234th Constitution Day—including the famed St. Martin’s Croissant.

• Florence Tan (Malaysia): A legend in her own right, Chef Florence Tan gives Nyonya classics the white-tablecloth treatment. Expect bold flavours, delicately plated, and anchored in heritage.

• Nyonya Su Pei (Malaysia): The Penang-based private dining chef delivers soul-warming family recipes with modern refinement. Think: ancestral love letters, served hot.

• Chef Raj Kumar (Singapore): The brain behind Firangi Superstar spins Indian cuisine into a technicolour dreamscape. His food challenges norms, awakens palates, and refuses to be boxed in.

HERE’S HOW TO EAT YOUR WAY THROUGH MAY:

1 – 4 May | The Spirit of Poland at THIRTY8, Grand Hyatt KL
Three Polish masters. One explosive tribute. Includes à la carte dinner, exquisite afternoon tea, and the iconic St. Martin’s Croissant (MYR 158 nett).

11 May | Mother’s Day Brunch
Two locations, endless heart. At THIRTY8, expect a collaborative menu by Chef Greg, Chef Stig, and Chef Holger (MYR 248 nett). At IL Forno, Chef Enzo and Chef Jonas serve up maternal love on a plate (MYR 198+). Bonus: signature gin & tonic trolley and the cocktail “The Matriarch” (MYR 48+).

12 – 16 May | TanBuri Set Lunch at Hyatt Centric
Japanese donburi meets Indian tandoor. Fusion fire, secret sauces, and just MYR 40+.

14 – 17 May | Peranakan Perfection with Florence Tan at JPteres
Heritage on high: Buffet lunch (MYR 128 nett adults / MYR 64 nett kids) and an exclusive Gerai Session (MYR 158 nett).

16 – 18 May | ARTÉnoon Tea with Chef Ali & Chef Kang at THIRTY8
Art-inspired sweet and savoury creations crafted into edible gems (MYR 128 nett weekdays / MYR 158 nett weekends).

19 – 23 May | Southern Indian Soul with Chef Ramu & Tea Thambi at JPteres
Tamil Nadu’s heart on a plate. Lunch buffet (MYR 64 nett kids / MYR 128 nett adults).

22 – 24 May | India Reimagined with Raj Kumar at THIRTY8
Storytelling meets spice. Explore à la carte at your own rhythm.

29 – 31 May | Private Dining with Nyonya Su Pei at JPteres
Intimate dinners (MYR 248 nett for two) and a Gerai Session that serves nostalgia by the spoonful (MYR 158 nett).

29 – 30 May | Guest Shift with WAX ON Berlin
International mixology alert! KL’s top Hyatt bars link up with Berlin’s WAX ON for an all-star rooftop session @21 Bar, Hyatt Centric City Centre Kuala Lumpur.

THIS ISN’T JUST DINNER. THIS IS DINE WITH CHEF.

Expect flavour bombs. Emotional pull. Stories told through sambal and shortcrust. From sky-high rooftops to soul-steeped kitchens, Dine With Chef 2025 is your ticket to time travel—no passport required.

For more information about #DinewithChef2025, its main events and participating restaurants, click here or visit their website and follow them on Facebook or Instagram.

Feeling hungry yet?
Which of the events would you like to explore first?