Time Out KL Food Awards 2011

Flounder with autumn truffles from TOKL Best Fine Dining Winner Cilantro KL's Friday lunch menu




This year's Time Out KL (TOKL) Food Awards had less surprises up its sleeve compared to last year's shocking results. Held at KLPac and hosted by the two D's aka Dominic Lau and Daphne Iking, the award night saw some shake up in some categories that have been previously dominated by a few restaurants. That change could most possibly due to the fact that this year had a phenomenal 50% increase of votes to reach 50,000 votes (per TOKL's press release and not verified).




Some results though were a big surprise such as Hakka Republic picking up Best Continental Restaurant, a place I see more for the bar with their fine wines versus its dining room. The Japanese Restaurant category was so close that they had two specially commended awards for the first time in the awards history. This year also saw the first time there was a Bloggers Choice category. This went to Memoirs of a Chocoholic (congratulations J!) who recommended Village Park, that infamous place for nasi lemak.




The results are set out below. Feel free to voice out your discontent, surprise or congratulate the winners. I would love to hear what all of you have to say.




 

Honey glazed cod from TOKL's Best Chinese Winner Li Yen, Ritz Carlton KL




Best Chinese Restaurant 

2011 Winner - Li Yen, Ritz Carlton KL (Other nominees include Yut Kee, Shang Palace, Chynna, New Paris in SS2 and Grand Imperial)

2010 Winner - Chynna, Hilton KL

2009 Winner - Chynna, Hilton KL




Best Continental Restaurant

2011 Winner - Hakka Republic (Other nominees include The Press Room, Albion KL, twenty.one tables+terrace, Tanzini)

2011 Specially Commended - El Cerdo

2010 Winner - La Bodega

2010 Specially Commended - El Cerdo

Blue lotus dumplings from TOKL Best Thai/Indochine winner Rama V




Best Hawker/Mamak

2011 Winner - Devi's Corner (Other nominees include Lot 10's Hutong, Nagasari Curry House, Sri Nirwana Maju, Nasi Kandar Pelita)

2010 Winner - Nasi Kandar Pelita




Best Healthy Eating/Vegetarian Restaurant

2011 Winner - Marmalade (Other nominees include Haven, RAW, Yogitree and Annalakshmi)

2010 Winner - Marmalade




Best Indian Restaurant

2011 Winner - Kanna Curry House (Other nominees include Passage Thru India, Sri Nirwana Maju and Gill's)

2011 Specially Commended - Bombay Palace

2010 Winner - Bombay Palace

2009 Winner - Bombay Palace






risotto from Il Lido




Best Italian Restaurant

2011 Winner - La Risata (Other nominees include Nerovivo, Ciccio, Tatto and Sassorosso)

2011 Specially Commended - Il Lido

2010 Winner - Prego

2009 Winner - Prego




Best Japanese Restaurant

2011 Winner - Kampachi, Equatorial KL (Other nominees include Tatsu at Intercontinental Hotel, Gonbei San and Zipangu at Shangri-la Kuala Lumpur)

2011 Specially Commended - Fukuharu

2011 Specially Commended - Rakuzen

2010 Winner- Fukuharu

2009 Winner - Kampachi

2009 Specially Commended - Zipangu, Shangri-la Kuala Lumpur




Best Malay Restaurant

2011 Winner - Bijan (Other nominees include Songket, Rebung, Makan Kitchen at DoubleTree by Hilton)

2011 Specially Commended - Enak

2010 Winner - Bijan

2009 Winner - Bijan

2009 Specially Commended - Enak




Best Middle Eastern Restaurant

2011 Winner - Al-Amar (Other nominees include Al-Andalus, Tarbush, Al Rawsha, Laziz and Hadramawt)

2010 Winner - Al-Amar

2010 Specially Commended - Tarbush

2009 Winner - Tarbush

2009 Specially Commended - Al-Amar






strawberries compote with basil ice cream from Cilantro Kuala Lumpur




Best Thai/Indochine Restaurant

2011 Winner - Rama V (Other nominees include My Elephant, Sao Nam, Erawan and Tamarind Hill)

2010 Winner - Tamarind Springs

2009 Winner - Tamarind Hill




Best for Pub Grub

2011 Winner - Jarrod & Rawlins (Other nominees include Tom Dick & Harry's, Sid's Pub, Arthur's Bar & Grill and Hoofed)

2010 Winner - Jarrod & Rawlins

2010 Specially Commended - Sid's Pub

2009 Winner - Finnegans




Best place for Coffee (inaugural award)

2011 Winner - Espressemente Illy (Other nominees include RAW, Antipodean, Whisk and Chilla Cup)




Best place for Seafood

2011 Winner - Fatty Crab (Other nominees include Lala Chong, Pantai Seafood, Fisherman's Cove, Green View and Causeway Bay Spicy Crab)

2010 Winner - High Tide

2009 Winner - Fatty Crab

2009 Specially Commended - Magnificent Fish & Chips






Blackmore Wagyu steak from TOKL 2011 Best Place for Steak Winner, Prime from Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur




Best place for Steak

2011 Winner - Prime, Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur (Other nominees include Suzi's Corner, Meatworks, Jake's Charbroiled Steaks, QBA at Westin Kuala Lumpur)

2010 Winner - Prime, Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur

2010 Specially Commended, QBA, Westin Kuala Lumpur




Best Restaurant for fine dining

2011 Winner - Cilantro, Micasa KL (Other nominees include Sage, Lafite, Shook! and Chalet)

2011 Specially Commended - Lafite, Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur

2010 Winner - Lafite, Shangri-la Kuala Lumpur

2009 Winner - Lafite, Shangri-la Kuala Lumpur

Norwegian salmon poached egg from TOKL 2011 Outstanding Chef of the Year, Nathalie Arbefeuille at Nathalie's Gourmet Studio




Best New Restaurant

2011 Winner - Ben's (Other nominees include Cuisine Gourmet by Nathalie, Arthur's Bar & Grill, Shangri-la Kuala Lumpur, Antipodean, Brotzeit and Hoofed)

2010 Winner - The Pressroom

Restaurateur of the Year

2011 Winner - Benjamin Yong from BIG (other nominees include Edward Hyde from Gastrodome, Joseph Afaki from Al-Amar, Werner Kuhn from El Cerdo Group, and Holland & Thomspon from twenty.one)

2010 Winner - Edward Hyde from Gastrodome

2010 Specially Commended - Benji Conway from Nero Group

Outstanding Chef of the Year

2011 Winner - Chef Nathalie Arbefeuille, Nathalie's Gourmet Studio (Other nominees include Chef Adi Radzi from Hakka Republic, Chef Michael Karam from Al-Amr, Chef Saiful from The Press Room and Chef David King from Westin Kuala Lumpur)

2010 Winner - David King

2009 Winner - David King

2009 Specially Commended - Damon Campbell