KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 — Quarantine cooking just got more interesting with the launch of the Cook Like Dewakan Food Kit.

Fine dining restaurant Dewakan — the first Malaysian restaurant to make it to Asia's 50 Best Restaurants list — has morphed their menu during the Movement Control Order (MCO) into food kits.

"We wanted to do something that reflects what we do at Dewakan. As our food didn't fit deliveries, it gave us an opportunity to test out a different side of cooking with us," explained Chef Darren Teoh who helms Dewakan.

Teoh added, "We were also all going nuts not being productive at home!"

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Join the Cook Like Dewakan challenge and have fun at home (left). Every item is sealed in plastic bags with instructions on top while some items like delicate greens are placed in a container to prevent them being crushed (right)
Join the Cook Like Dewakan challenge and have fun at home (left). Every item is sealed in plastic bags with instructions on top while some items like delicate greens are placed in a container to prevent them being crushed (right)

The initiative was driven by Teoh's team, from the recipes down to the little details. "I gave them a structure and they ran with it," he said.

It was all hands on deck with this project that took over a week to prepare. "Everyone from our wait staff to our procurement person was doing various things that are not business as usual... from figuring out delivery, packing and sourcing," Teoh explained.

"I think Dewakan is successful only because we have a great team."

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Their creativity for this food kit was sparked by "the will to survive."

The restaurant will change its offerings depending on the availability of ingredients. Most items can be heated up and assembled using instructions on the packets. Some need deep frying and one dish requires you to pan or oven roast.

Get out your deep fryer and enjoy these stuffed chicken wings with budu mayonnaise  — Picture from Dewakan's Instagram
Get out your deep fryer and enjoy these stuffed chicken wings with budu mayonnaise — Picture from Dewakan's Instagram

You will also have fun watching their instructional videos that are peppered with a little humour. Remember to let your creative juices flow when it comes to plating up the food.

Don't forget to take a photo, of course, and tag #dewakanplatechallenge when you post the pictures later.

And, it's a steal; for RM50 you get a main (choice of confit chicken or braised baby goat) and two sides. Dewakan usually charges RM550 per person for their tasting menu.

Challenge your creativity by plating your root vegetable salad with charred cucumber sheets, pickled cucumbers, brined beetroot and roasted cucumber vinaigrette (left). Nothing hits the spot like a bowl of smoked chicken broth (right)
Challenge your creativity by plating your root vegetable salad with charred cucumber sheets, pickled cucumbers, brined beetroot and roasted cucumber vinaigrette (left). Nothing hits the spot like a bowl of smoked chicken broth (right)

You will notice they use similar ingredients to that used in their tasting menu. Like the baby goat. Or even their budu mayonnaise. This is usually served with vegetable crisps but is now paired with stuffed chicken wings.

There are also additional side dishes you can order to accompany your meal. There's a comforting crab curry served with rice and papadum, bergedil or their version of potato croquette. You can also include smoked chicken broth or a fresh salad composed of organic vegetables and edible flowers.

The menu also stretches to include condiments like tomato jam and an interesting ciku sambal. These versatile items can be used to create another meal.

The braised baby goat served with a tomato yoghurt sauce and a piquant pumpkin kimchi (left) Reward yourself with this poached plantains served with coconut caramel, mulberries and aerated milk crisp for dessert (right)
The braised baby goat served with a tomato yoghurt sauce and a piquant pumpkin kimchi (left) Reward yourself with this poached plantains served with coconut caramel, mulberries and aerated milk crisp for dessert (right)

One must not forget dessert. Their selection hits the sweet spot perfectly. Like the easy-to-assemble but gorgeous looking poached plantains paired with a luscious coconut caramel, mulberries and an aerated milk crisp.

You can also order their salted egg kaya mousse served with a tartlet shell or a decadent specially curated chocolate bar from Chocolate Concierge.

Drinks like the refreshing torch ginger and calamansi juice are also available to take the edge out of the humid weather, or try the unusual combination of papaya and asam gelugor juice.

One of the sides available is braised chickpeas that can just be heated up for 10 minutes and served straight away
One of the sides available is braised chickpeas that can just be heated up for 10 minutes and served straight away

​You can also help Dewakan out by purchasing their gift cards which can be redeemed for a meal or wine pairing to give them much-needed cash flow during this crisis.

"It's been something we wanted to introduce for a while." For instance, Teoh explained, the gift cards can be purchased by children who live overseas and want to treat their parents to an anniversary dinner. The gift cards will still be available after the MCO is lifted.

Purchase the Dewakan Food Kit at https://www.dewakan.my/cook-like-dewakan-food-kit and get it delivered to your doorstep. Cook and tag #dewakanplatechallenge to discover your inner chef. The service is only available within the Klang Valley area.