KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20 — There is a new kind of dining experience in town, introduced earlier this year. In case you are wondering, I’m talking about Pop Up Dining KL, a pop-up restaurant that serves up different dining experiences at various venues.
Started by Miki Maria Lie, Amanda Huang and Daniel Yap — all culinary arts graduates from KDU — Pop Up Dining KL serves a mix of various cuisines, fine dining style. The idea for the pop-up dining service was kickstarted by Yap who had just returned from Italy where he was working and studying.
Their first pop-up was at Jaslyn Cakes in Bangsar. They just asked the owner whether she was interested in hosting a supper club-like event and the rest is history. Averaging about two to three pop-ups a month, Pop Up Dining KL has three different types of dining experiences: brunch, dinner and dessert. “We have similarities to a supper club but we do different things. We are more creative in a way,” said Lie.
Since their inception, they have pitched up at more than 15 venues. The team comes up with their own menu with input from the cafes and restaurants.
“We are not ready for our own restaurant yet as that requires commitment. Pop Up Dining KL is something new and we get to practise doing our own thing and putting it out there in the market,” said Huang. They did not want to be limited to a fixed menu. Having a pop-up means they can have a new menu every time and it can be any type of cuisine, whether it is Italian, Asian or fusion.
Pop Up Dining KL is a part-time affair as the partners do other things. Huang is involved in a F&B business helping out her parents while Lie works as a baker in a cafe. Yap who graduated from ALMA International School of Cuisine in Italy is looking to work in a restaurant.
“This cannot be done every day. We do pop-ups whenever we have the free time. It is a surprise to our customers,” said Yap. When it comes to Pop Up Dining KL, the adage of “too many cooks spoil the broth” is not applicable here as they also host special guest chefs from time to time. Recently, Yap invited his Italian friends to be the guest chefs at a pop-up at Strangers at 47. The chefs decide what goes into the menu and they will exchange ideas. It takes about two to three weeks to plan and promote a pop-up but only a day to prepare the ingredients.
“Coming up with recipes and preparing is already part of our daily life so our recipes are inspired by our environment and also the kitchen we work in. We also work based on what kind of utensils the kitchen has,” said Yap.
After getting recognition from previous pop-ups, Pop Up Dining KL gets invitations from different cafes and restaurants to collaborate. Customers find out about the dining service through social media and word of mouth. “We get young people coming to try out and also families. There are college students and working adults too,” said Huang.
Not all their pop-ups are on weekends. It all depends on the cafe or restaurant’s days off. For Lie, the most memorable time for her in Pop Up Dining KL is when people celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. For Yap, he likes it when there are guest chefs such as the one where he had Italian friends helping out. “Seeing people enjoy the food I make is very rewarding,” said Huang.
Each restaurant and cafe gets a certain percentage of the sales when they host Pop Up Dining KL but different places have different arrangements. For interested diners, expect to fork out RM100 to RM200 for their dinners which consists of several courses. For dessert and brunch service, it is priced about RM80.
“Pop Up Dining KL is ideal for people who are looking for a new experience. We do get repeat customers, especially those who recommend to their friends,” said Huang.
As for future plans, the partners want to come up with more interesting ideas, something new and also collaborate with others. There are also plans to pop up outside of KL!
Check out https://www.facebook.com/PopUpDiningKL/, www.instagram.com/popupdiningkl or email [email protected] for more information.
