Dewakan located in KDU University in Shah Alam has been well received by independent reviewers and food bloggers although it's less than a year since its opening in April 2015. Darren Teoh who is the head chef and also the lecturer of KDU, has a vision of producing modern Malaysian cuisine with full emphasis of using Malaysian produce and ingredients. I am inspired with his creativity of using our local ingredients to enhance the flavour of main course. His effort to create modern Malaysian cuisine and highlight the usage of local produce to create such tasty cuisine is applaudable. Most of the fine dining in Malaysia are still dominated by European style of cooking and using imported ingredient. In Malaysian context, the word local does not sound good, but the chef at Dewakan has the bright mind of creativity to transform local ingredient dishes to higher standards. The service here were good and the staff here taking explaining the ingredient and the technique used on each dishes. I do recommend those who want to dine here to make a reservation as it's fully booked on almost every dinner.
Taste:10/10(Excellent. Impressive 10 course meal with additional snacks and dessert. It's a marathon dinner of almost 3 hours with variety of food items to try. Each dish is unique and burst of flavours. The chef uses local herbs and spices creatively in each meal. You will think that such a simple ingredient wouldn't be done it this way. Each meal is also an art by itself especially blue mackerel with raja ulam which the cured fish meat topped with edible flowers. Overall almost all the dishes were excellent except two which I don't quite like it. Details on the photos below. However, the food concept may not be for everyone. People who don't like the smell of ulam and spices may not like the overwhelming flavour of the dishes here. Also you also need to be patient and enjoying good time here of enduring 3 hours of eating session. The food here are even better than some of the Michelin star establishment).
Price:3/10(Expensive. Dewakan does not serve ala-carte meal. They only have 3 or 4 course meal during lunch or 5 or 10 course during dinner. Price starts at MYR80.00 for 3 course lunch and the dinner of 10 course at MYR209.00. I would say for fine dining, the price is actually quite reasonable with total of 10 course. However it's quite a challenge for Malaysian who are not foodie to fork out that amount of money for lunch or dinner. Malaysian is all about cheap eats and eat fast fast. Also do take note that they charges for mineral water at MYR21.00. Opt for other drinks in the menu if you don't want to be surprised. The wait staff didn't inform about that).
Dewakan located at basement of new KDU University in Shah Alam campus.
My dining table. Great location as it's the nearest to the kitchen. Can see all the action.
Nice table decoration.
Table decoration.
Roasted bread and butter. Their butter is so delicious. The leaf underneath the butter does enhance the flavour.
I am the first one for dinner. The restaurant is still empty.
Second snack is editable dehydrated sawi with seaweed. It comes with budu sauce. Its additive and delicious.
You must be wondering what is this. Its deep fried beef tendon with spinach with some spicy powder. Its taste better than keropok.
Frozen yoghurt with roselle wrap, cuttlefish bits, cumin and lime.
First meal. Blue mackerel. Cured mackerel, ulam raja, pomelo and local flowers. The texture is better than Japanese sashimi and the local flowers do complements very well with the fish and slight sourness of the lime juice.
Both chefs are very dedicated in preparing the meals. I can see that a lot of effort needed to prepare each meal.
Roast mushrooms. Mixture of raw and roasted king oyster mushrooms, green curry paste, yoghurt and dried mackerel flakes.
Raw mushroom with green curry paste with some bunga kantan.
Braised aubergine. Aubergine braised in mushroom stock, jackfruit seeds, black bean sauce and garlic emulsion. This is one of the dish which I don't quite like it. The green colour stuff which covered aubergine does not blend well and bored with the black bean sauce. This item is too dry and tend to stuck on throat.
Home made noodles. Steamed king prawns, brined radish, dried vegetables and cold prawn broth. The waiter pouring cold prawn broth into the noodles. I like the chewy prawn in the noodles.
Home made noodles.
Pike conger. Smoked pike conger, custard at the bottom, fermented long beans relish, roasted okra and clams foam. Delicious smoked fish.
They also put some salted egg flakes in pike conger dish.
Roast duck breast, duck leg rillette, beetroots and "blood" sauce. The blood sauce apparently made from duck liver. The rillette were delicious with some water chestnut in there.
Uncovered the rillette.
Lamb breast. Confit of lamb breast, spring onions, marsala and onion puree. The sauce make this dish taste like north Indian dish. Its good and the meat is very tender. First time eating rose petal.
Custard with some cinnamon.
The first dessert. Mulberry jam, cardamom ganache, cashew brittles, pucuk gajus and mulberry snow.
The white colour part is white chocolate.
Gula Melaka marquise, sour meringue and pulut ice cream. Brilliant use of pulut in making ice cream.
Smooth pulut ice cream.
Gula Melaka and some cookies underneath.
The food are prepared under the watchful eyes of Darren Teoh.
Warm chocolate tart, caramelised jackfruit and gandum ice cream.
Corn popsicle. I think the taste is rather blend without corn taste.
Menu book.
Environment in the restaurant after dinner.
Lounge area.
GPS/Coordinate: 3.092321, 101.559519
Address: Lower Ground Floor, KDU University College, Utropolis Glenmarie, Jalan Kontraktor U1/14, Seksyen U1, 40150 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
