Dewakan

25/04/2026

Working with Perah isn’t straightforward. It’s naturally bitter, dense with fat, and not immediately expressive. Instead of breaking it down, we started by roasting it slowly, trying to understand how the flavour changes with heat. As it takes on colour, the bitterness softens slightly and a nuttiness begins to come through, but it never fully lets go of its edge.

From there, it’s folded into a custard with honey and churned into an ice cream. Familiar form, unfamiliar flavour.

In it, the elements are simple. Bidara (Ziziphus mauritiana) is candied to bring a soft acidity and chew. Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is made into a gummy for a sharper contrast. The ice cream is then coated in a dough made from local chestnuts and shaped back into the form of the seed.

It’s less about transforming perah into something new, and more about understanding how far it can go when treated differently.

01/12/2025

On 13 December 2025, Dewakan welcomes Boragó (No.23 The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025) for a single evening collaboration grounded in a shared commitment to ingredients and origin. Boragó’s work in Chile is shaped by its endemic flora, Pacific coastline, and the narratives woven through its environment. Dewakan’s approach to Malaysia mirrors this spirit; exploring indigenous plants, and the flavour profiles that emerge from our own ecological diversity.

Both kitchens aim to articulate a culinary prose that honours the landscapes that sustain them. This dinner creates a space where these approaches intersect, presenting a menu that draws from two distinct territories while maintaining the integrity of each.

It is an exploration of how place defines taste; and how two restaurants, shaped by different worlds, can find common ground in philosophy and purpose.

21/11/2025

You want for your heart, and for your people, to follow the right God home.”
A line from Amsterdam.

My struggle has always been this: to be faithful in doing what is right, so that we may arrive at what is right. There are many days when the restaurant we aspire to be does not quite meet the restaurant we are. Perhaps that tension is necessary. It keeps us striving toward the version of the world we believe should exist.

We are thankful to have our work recognised again by the MICHELIN Guide. Not only for Dewakan, but also for our young restaurant, . And if we are truly the sum of the people around us, then I am grateful to be surrounded each day by individuals who carry the same stubborn hope and the same tireless will. I would like to be reminded of that every day.

We are honoured, yes. But we are also only a speck among countless others, individually small, collectively essential. The world around us shifts quickly, and all of us are simply trying to keep pace, doing our best with what we know now, and praying that the work of our hands is indeed the right thing.

Darren

Dewakan is a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur (KL). The restaurant's dining experience is designed to create meaningful connections with the people and culture represented in every ingredient.

09/10/2025

Every time we break another glass ceiling for a small country like ours, we are reminded of the giants whose shoulders we stand on.

We remember the cooks who wake before dawn to get dosas ready, the makcik and pakcik setting up their nasi lemak stalls from the trunks of their cars, the char koay teow stalls where the wok never stops cling-clanging, and the abang flipping burger specials under flickering lights late into the night.

We remember the cooks in schools, in hospitals, and in prisons. The ones in orphanages and boarding schools.

We remember the matriarchs and the custodians of our traditions, in our cities, towns, villages up and into our jungles who worry that this blessed knowledge may one day be lost.

We remember the chefs who came to this country 40, 50 years ago, full of hope and excitement for a new hotel in a new land; the ones who taught us so we could express our own hospitality.

We remember the chefs representing our country at the world stage, making bread or pastry competitions or having their own restaurants.

There is a mistake in how awards are often understood: they place the spotlight on a single chef, as if the work of a kitchen could ever belong to one person. In its very nature cooking is never solitary. A big idea is nothing without the discipline to execute it. And ex*****on is never the work of a lone hand.

These three knives are not mine alone. They belong as much to the cooks and servers, administration, management, stewards at Dewakan and Bidou as they do to me. They belong to the unique journey each one of us has had that has led us to this one point, like a trickle of water etching its way across the terrain into a mighty river.

There has never been a time when food and the people who make it are held in such high regard. Yet, at the heart of it all, sharing something to eat should still make us smile.

Even if it’s only from the inside.

Thank you

Congratulations to our fellow Malaysians 0 of
of
of .kl siri of
of .asia

Thank you

09/10/2025

Every time we break another glass ceiling for a small country like ours, we are reminded of the giants whose shoulders we stand on.

We remember the cooks who wake before dawn to get dosas ready, the makcik and pakcik setting up their nasi lemak stalls from the trunks of their cars, the char koay teow stalls where the wok never stops cling-clanging, and the abang flipping burger specials under flickering lights late into the night.

We remember the cooks in schools, in hospitals, and in prisons. The ones in orphanages and boarding schools.

We remember the matriarchs and the custodians of our traditions, in our cities, towns, villages up and into our jungles who worry that this blessed knowledge may one day be lost.

We remember the chefs who came to this country 40, 50 years ago, full of hope and excitement for a new hotel in a new land; the ones who taught us so we could express our own hospitality.

We remember the chefs representing our country at the world stage, making bread or pastry competitions or having their own restaurants.

There is a mistake in how awards are often understood: they place the spotlight on a single chef, as if the work of a kitchen could ever belong to one person. In its very nature cooking is never solitary. A big idea is nothing without the discipline to execute it. And ex*****on is never the work of a lone hand.

These three knives are not mine alone. They belong as much to the cooks and servers, administration, management stewards at Dewakan and Bidou as they do to me. They belong to the unique journey each one of us has had that has led us to this one point, like a trickle of water etching its way across the terrain into a mighty river.

There has never been a time when food and the people who make it are held in such high regard. Yet, at the heart of it all, sharing something to eat should still make us smile.

Even if it’s only from the inside.

Thank you .

Congratulations to our fellow Malaysians 0 of
of
of .kl siri of
of .asia

Thank you

03/10/2025

We are glad to share that Chef Darren Teoh has been recognised once again by this time for 2025. Honoured with three knives, the award celebrates his continued pursuit of ideas that push the boundaries of taste, culture and expression.

It is a reflection of not only his vision but also the dedication of everyone at Dewakan who makes these moments possible.

Thank you to for the recognition and to our guests for being part of the journey.

27/08/2025

Across seas and soil, two kitchens meet.
This September, Dewakan welcomes Chef Ben Devlin of Pipit , celebrated for his wood fire cooking, fermentation, and deep connection to the landscapes of Northern New South Wales.

For two nights only, Pipit and Dewakan come together in a dialogue of native ingredients and unexpected flavours. This is a meeting that resists the familiar and speaks in its own language.

17 & 18 September · Limited seats · RM950nett per guest
Reserve your table now.
Due to the curated menu, we are unable to adjust to dietary restrictions. Price not inclusive of beverages.

15/06/2024

Tatus Hitam slipper lobster slowly grilled and glazed over charcoal. Accompanied by a Noni(Morinda citrifolia L.) emulsion, bamboo shoots, and some fragrant leaves, it is served on our breadfruit flatbread.

24/02/2024

As we contemplate the possibilities for our next menu, we reflect on one of our preferred ways to begin any meal at Dewakan: with a broth.

The initial serving, presented after you have taken your seat, consists of two parts. The first, is an almost papyrus-like sheet of Soursop (Annona muricata) with banana syrup, and fragrant flowers that are available at the time. You are encouraged to hold the edges together and take it in a bite. Once you have finished chewing, you can sip on the crab broth, cooked with Javanese pepper (Piper retrofractum) and steeped with a bag of freshly cut aromatic leaves in your cup.

There’s something captivating about the floral fruitiness juxtaposed against sipping on that tonic with its crustacean like salinity and hints of pepper—warming yourself with this feels like the best way to start things.

22/06/2023

We love it when we get to meet people who think the same way we do. Ever wonder what that was?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Here are some qualities important to us that we look for in team members:

1. Wanting to make an impact in the world around you through food.
2. Unafraid to be doing something everyone else isn’t.
3. Keen to jump in and bring value with your skills.
4. Find it a priority to make and grow sincere relationships with people.
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Dewakan is looking for passionate and experienced team members to join us. Send us an email at [email protected].

Positions available:
Demi chef de partie
Chef de parties
Front of house

Positions are only available to Malaysian citizens.

15/06/2023

Kuih Bakar from the charcoal oven, steamed tapioca and jaggery with a Binjai curd, Noni Fudge.