Sabayon x JAMPA Four-Hands Dinner

Some evenings linger long after they’re over - and the recent four-hands dinner by Sabayon and JAMPA was one of them. Hosted on the 51st floor of EQ Kuala Lumpur with the city skyline glowing beneath, this exclusive collaboration between Chef Steve Ariffin of Sabayon and Chef Rick Dingen of JAMPA Phuket was a gentle reminder that luxury doesn’t need to be flown in from thousands of kilometres away.

Instead, it can be locally grown, fire-cooked, and served with quiet elegance.

Read more: Japanese Fine-dining at Kampachi EQ Saturday Brunch Buffet

Table of Content

1. Sabayon EQ x JAMPA Phuket
2. Sustainable Fine Dining at EQ
3. Chef Steve Ariffin & Chef Rick Dingen
4. A Menu Rooted in the Region
5. Highlights From the Evening’s Menu
6. Kita Food Festival

Sabayon x JAMPA Four-Hands Dinner: Sustainable Fine Dining at EQ Kuala Lumpur

Sabayon x JAMPA Four-Hands Dinner: Sustainable Fine Dining at EQ Kuala Lumpur

Sabayon EQ x JAMPA Phuket

Sabayon needs no introduction. Elegant yet understated, it continues to set the bar for contemporary European dining in Malaysia. The night’s ambience was softened by golden-hour light pouring in through floor-to-ceiling windows, with views of the Twin Towers making their presence known without needing to steal the show.

It was the kind of space that didn’t demand attention but fully deserved it.

Sustainable Fine Dining at EQ

The seven-course menu at RM650 nett per person was built around produce that felt both familiar and entirely new. Malaysian caviar under the T’lur label made a quiet but proud appearance, as did harumanis mango - perfumed, creamy, and a world apart from the fruit’s usual reputation. There was also bael fruit, something I’ve only ever associated with herbal teas until this dinner.

Every course reflected a sense of place. It was less about luxury in the conventional sense, and more about appreciation - of provenance, of story, of restraint.

Chef Steve Ariffin & Chef Rick Dingen

Chef Steve Ariffin's precision and composure paired beautifully with Chef Rick Dingen's fire-forward cooking style, honed through years at Michelin-starred kitchens in the Netherlands and Thailand. Together, they presented dishes that were confident yet unpretentious, balanced not just in flavour but in intention.

Rick’s experience at Bangkok’s Haoma and his current role at JAMPA in Phuket brought a wild, earthy element to the night. JAMPA’s dishes are often shaped by the seasons, and you could taste that same fluidity here, like a conversation between the forest and the flame.

Chef Rick Dingen brought a wild, fire-forward energy to the night, blending Michelin-honed technique with seasonal, earth-driven flavours from JAMPA.

A Menu Rooted in the Region

The courses moved fluidly from land to sea. Fresh local seafood was elevated through smoke and acidity. Vegetables, often overlooked, were treated with the same reverence as protein - each dish built around what the ingredient wanted to become, rather than what the chef wanted to impose on it.

This wasn't a menu trying to impress. It didn’t have to. Instead, it invited you to rethink what fine dining could be in Southeast Asia.

What I appreciated most was the quiet shift in narrative. For years, the definition of fine dining has relied heavily on imported ingredients and European techniques. But this dinner gently challenged that. It asked: what if we turned our gaze inward? What if we celebrated what’s already around us?

And that’s exactly what this collaboration did.

A bold bite of flaxseed crisp with mushroom XO and T’lur caviar that was umami-rich and unapologetically local.

Crab, compressed apple and basil aioli:  a crisp, clean opener that danced between sweet and briny.

Chef Steve’s sea bream with clams and fennel was delicate yet deep in flavour, with a playful hint of masak lemak and a divine cabbage foam that anchored the dish

Highlights From the Evening’s Menu

If you’re someone who finds joy in produce that speaks for itself, this menu was made for you. It championed the farm-to-table philosophy with quiet confidence - as though the rawer, the better.

Seated with fellow journalists and members of the media, it was clear which dish stole the spotlight early on. The Heirloom Tomato, paired unexpectedly with strawberry, cucamelon and bael fruit, offered the kind of sweet, refreshing complexity that made each bite feel like a palate cleanser and a centrepiece all at once. It was bright, cooling, and deeply satisfying, like eating sunshine.

Another standout came in the form of an unassuming dish titled simply: Carrot. Chef Rick’s version elevated the humble root into something elegant and nuanced, using gooseberry, macadamia and fermented soybean to create layers of flavour that were earthy, tangy and ever so slightly nutty. It was confident in its simplicity, and rightly so.

A crowd favourite: the Heirloom Tomato, delicately layered with strawberry, cucamelon and bael fruit for a refreshingly raw and nuanced start.

Deceptively simple: Carrot by Chef Rick surprises with layers of gooseberry, macadamia, and fermented soybean - earthy, tangy, and unforgettable.

We also had the pleasure of tasting the latest rendition of Chef Steve’s signature Maccheroni with Truffle, this time reimagined with water chestnut. Each bite delivered a gentle crunch, releasing the subtle sweetness of the chestnut beneath a blanket of fragrant truffle. It was a thoughtful contrast of texture and aroma.

Maccheroni with Truffle by EQ's very own Chef Steve

As a pescatarian, I was offered a customised main: lobster, served in place of chicken, yet dressed in the same rich mushroom glaze, nutmeg emulsion and jus. The crustacean was sweet and tender, enveloped in umami, earthiness, and a touch of warmth from the nutmeg - a dish that didn’t feel like a substitute, but a natural fit.

To close the night, the Pistachio Cassis was a triumph of balance. Pistachio cremoux, jaconde sponge and cassis jelly came together in harmony - creamy, tart, and gently floral that brought the meal to a poised and memorable end.

A pescatarian swap that didn’t miss a beat. The lobster, glazed in mushroom, nutmeg emulsion and jus, was tender, umami-rich, and perfectly at home on the plate.

To end the evening on a high note, the Pistachio Cassis struck a perfect balance of texture and taste, with creamy pistachio cremoux, soft jaconde and tart cassis jelly in delicate harmony.

Kita Food Festival

It made perfect sense that this event was part of the Kita Food Festival, a platform dedicated to reshaping the region’s food identity. With names like Darren Teoh of Dewakan behind the movement, Kita has become more than just a festival but a conversation about where we’re headed next, both on and off the plate.

Some dinners are about indulgence. Others, like this one, are about clarity.

The Sabayon x JAMPA collaboration didn’t just deliver flavour. It delivered context. It reminded me that sustainability isn’t a buzzword but a quiet, determined way of cooking that honours both the land and the people who work it.

And from 51 floors up, with KL twinkling in the distance, it all made perfect sense.