Time Out KL Food Award 2010: Best Restaurants in Kuala Lumpur

A couple days ago, the winners of the Time Out KL Food Awards 2010 were unveiled as the F&B industry celebrates the best dining out experiences in the Klang Valley.

It is the first year that the Awards have been presented formally and the results were kept a closely guarded secret right up until they were announced in a ceremony akin to the Oscars. More than 400 restaurateurs, key players in the F&B industry, sponsors and local celebrities attended the glittering award ceremony at MAPKL where the MCs for the evening , noted local celebrities Will Quah and Joanne de Rozario, presented each of the delighted 67 shortlisted outlets with their certificates and iconic trophy for the winners. Guests were also treated to a musical showcase by local indie star, Yuna, at an afterparty.

Winners were chosen from shortlists in 18 categories, which were been selected after an initial round of voting, so every outlet involved in the awards was chosen by real KL-ites who nominated their favourites and then selected a winner from the shortlist during a three month voting period on www.timeoutkl.com.



I thought some of the results were deserving, some predictable, a few categories I was clueless about, while the rest were a little questionable and shocking. But hey, who am I to argue with the voice of the public. As the saying goes, one man's meat is another's poison. I just know I had a great time cheering for my favourites when the MCs read their names out.

However, the aim of such awards is not solely just to recognise the best. They exist to show that culinary excellence exist across the Klang Valley and how the dining scene can continue to grow and improve with the support of publications that place food at its heart and encourages its readers to eat out more often. And when KL-ites come to acknowledge, vote and choose the ultimate winner, it's an official 'Thank You' and a pat on the back for their outstanding contribution to our gastronomic enjoyment. In the end, everybody's a winner.

However, a winners have to be crowned in each category and below is the complete list:

Best Chinese | Chynna (Hilton KL)

[other nominees: A Little Dim Sum Place, Celestial Court (Sheraton Imperial KL), Li Yen (Ritz-Carlton KL) and Zuan Yuan (One World Hotel)]

Best Continental | La Bodega

Specially Commended | El Cerdo

[other nominees: The Apartment, Bijou, Cafe Cafe, Hakka Republic, and twentyone kitchen+bar]

Best Healthy Eating/Vegetarian | Marmalade

[other nominees: Annalakshimi, Country Farm Organics, FitFor2 and The Yogitree]

Best Indian | Bombay Palace

[other nominees: Kanna Curry House, Saravana Bhavan, Spice of India and Sri Nirwana Maju]

Best Italian | Prego (The Westin KL)

[other nominees: Bar Italia, La Risata, Nerofico, Sassarosso, Tatto and Villa Danieli (Sheraton Imperial KL)]

Best Japanese | Fukuharu (Terrace @ Hock Choon)

[other nominees: Gonbei, Hajime, Kampachi and Rakuzen]

Best Malay | Bijan

Specially Commended | Enak, Starhill Gallery

[other nominees: D'Cengkih, Makan Kitchen (Doubletree by Hilton), and Restauran Rebung Chef Ismail]

Best Middle Eastern | Al Amar

Specially Commended | Tarbush 

[other nominees: Al-Andalus, Al-Rawsha, and Hadramawt]

Best Seafood | High Tide

[other nominees: Bangsar Seafood Garden Restaurant, Fisherman's Cove, Restaurant Fatty Crab, and Restaurant Green View]

Best Steak House | Prime (Le Meridien KL)

Specially Commended | Qba, The Westin KL

[other nominees: Angus Steakhouse, DISH, Meatworks, and Tony Roma's]

Best Thai/Indochinese | Tamarind Springs

[other nominees: Basil Leaf, Kinnaree Thai Restaurant, MyThai, Rama V and Sao Nam]

Best Mamak/Hawker | Nasi Kandar Pelita

[other nominees: Hutong Lot 10, Murni's, Suzy's Corner and Yut Kee]

Best Pub Grub | Jarrod & Rawlins

Specially Commended | Sid's Pub

[other nominees: Finnegan's, George & The Dragon, and The Green Man]

Best Fine Dining | Lafite (Shangri-la)

[other nominees: Frangipani, High Tide, Sage (The Garden Hotel & Residence) and Senses (Hilton KL)]

Best New Restaurant | The Pressroom

[other nominees: Albion KL, Giovino, High Tide, Il Lido, and Mandrin Grill (Mandarin Oriental KL)

Best Independent Restaurant | Albion KL

Specially Commended | Rama V, Jalan U-Thant

[other nominees: A Little Dim Sum Place, Al-Amar, and Cafe Cafe]

Best Restaurateur | Edward Hyde (Gastrodome - La Bodega, the Pressroom, Espressamente Illy)

Specially Commended | Benj Conway of the Nero Group (Nerovivo, Neroteca, Nerofico, High Tide)

[other nominees: Werner Kuhn (El Cerdo, El Cerdito, Werner's), Rudy Stecca (Ciao, Ciccio, Cipolla) and Benjamin Yong (The Delicious Group)]

Outstanding Chef of the Year | Chef David King (Prego, The Westin KL)

[other nominees: Chef Nathalie Arbefeuille (Nathalie's Gourmet Studio), Chef Pierre Chahda (Al-Amar), Chef Cedric Darthial (Mandarin Grill), Chef Michael Elfwing (Senses Hilton KL), and Chef Evert Onderbeke (High Tide)

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees. If you haven't already eaten at any of the above, you may want to click on some of the restaurant's names to read my past reviews.