As 2024 draws to a close, EQ – Kuala Lumpur’s number 1 hotel has planned a year-end of culinary experiences and opportunities for every level of get-togethers, from intimate festive teas for two to the opportunity to host a party within a party. The award-winning property which enjoyed an unprecedented year in the number of international accolades it has collected, is living up to its many plaudits in the lengths it has gone to curate extraordinary festive experiences while also carrying on a decades-long tradition of remembering the less privileged during the Christmas season.
The Angel Tree initiative has been an annual event since the inception of EQ’s predecessor, Hotel Equatorial. Each year alongside the property’s Christmas tree is a smaller one dedicated to the gifting programme. Tags bearing names and ages of children from Shelter Home are hung from the Angel Tree for guests to choose. A simple minimum cash donation can be made or purchase the gift for the child of the home, turning it into an EQ staff who will then deliver it during a hotel sponsored Christmas party for these children.
In the same spirit of festive cheer, EQ has also planned for visits from Santa in the hotel on 24 (7PM to 8.30PM) and 25 (12.30PM to 4PM) December 2024 alongside special carollers within the same time period who will charm guests and diners partaking of the hotel’s special Yuletide offerings.
DECEMBER DECADENCE
As a nod to the North American celebration of Thanksgiving, EQ will be preparing meal options at Etoile on 1 December 2024 with a Thanksgiving semi buffet lunch from 11.30AM to 2.30PM, featuring a buffet of appetisers and desserts and free flow of chilled juices and soft drinks. Patrons can order mains in the form of sharing platters priced at RM98+ per platter for two to three persons. Barbecue platters are also available from RM38+ per 100g.
The Thanksgiving semi buffet is priced at RM88+ per adult and RM44+ per child (6-12 years old). Etoile is also offering takeaway roast turkey, beef Wellington, salmon mayonnaise, and leg of lamb for the occasion.
Nipah, EQ’s famed all-day dining restaurant, will offer buffet lunch and dinner throughout December featuring festive specialties like wagyu beef hammer, roasted lamb leg, lobster thermidor and more. The Festive Buffet Lunch will take place every day except on 25 December 2024, priced at RM158+ per adult and RM79+ per child between the ages of 6 to 12. The Festive BBQ Weekend Buffet Dinner (RM178+ adults, RM89+ children) will run from Thursday to Sunday from 6.30PM to 10.30PM except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The chic Bottega Lounge will offer Festive Dolce Vita Afternoon Tea on Mondays through Saturdays in two flights, 12PM – 2.30PM and 3PM – 5PM for RM99+ per person or RM198 for two, with Christmas-themed dainties and exceptional imported Ronnefeldt teas and specialty coffee. The weekend Festive Dolce Vita Afternoon Tea Buffet every Sunday from 3PM to 5PM will feature an extended menu of tea time delights for RM128+ per person and RM64+ per child (6-12 years old), with the option of two glasses of Bottega Prosecco or cocktails for an extra RM88+.
Sabayon, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant which made it to the Best of the Best 2024 Awards by Tripadvisor is set to bring the year-end celebration to a whole new level with festive cuisine from the European Continental. Its Festive Dinner Course priced at RM588+ per person for the four-course menu, and RM888+ per person for the eight-course degustation will feature options such as Angus beef tartare with toast, Scottish salmon with sour cream, capers and dill, and cheese raclette with potato and cornichons.
For an exclusive EQ tradition, take advantage of the returning Chalet pop-up at Sabayon every Sunday in December where the Chalet Festive Sunday four-course lunch featuring signature dishes like Duck Breast à l’Orange, Filet de Saumon Norvégien, Crêpes Suzette, and more – a true delight for lovers of Continental cuisine. Priced at RM288+ per person and RM98+ per child (6-12 years old), guests can also dial up the luxury with the lobster thermidor upgrade or the add-on of an unlimited drinks trolley for RM288+ per person, which will make the meal even merrier with a free flow of sparkling wine, white or red wine, gin, trolley, juices, soft drinks and mocktails.
Finally, for hosts and hostesses who prefer to entertain in their own homes, EQ is offering a selection of festive foods made to order. These range from roasted turkey, chestnut stuffing, roasted potatoes, cranberry sauce, giblet gravy and vegetables priced at RM148 per kg of meat; lobster mayonnaise, Russian salad, romaine lettuce priced at RM438 per 700g, home-smoked Baltic salmon retailing at RM188 for 600g, and slow-roasted Christmas goose, cranberry and apple sauce and gravy at RM198 per kg. More options are available in the Holiday Spirit catalogue.
Guests can choose to host private events in one of EQ’s modern, luxuriously appointed function rooms. The hotel’s catering team can assist in the provision of a selection of festive set menus or a celebratory buffet, with unlimited signature festive drinks. Other perks include party favours, special centrepieces for the tables, dinner buffet vouchers for two winners for a lucky draw, and a night’s stay in a Deluxe Twin Tower room complete with breakfast for two
at Nipah. Prices start at RM388+ per person.
THE FLAVOURS OF CHRISTMAS
For sprinklings of Yuletide cheer visit the annual Christmas gift shop at the lobby of EQ for festive gifts of all sizes. From pretty Christmas cookies for an office gift exchange to bespoke hampers selected and packed for a specific person or organisation, the cheerful Christmas cottage will have it all.
All EQ’s restaurants will offer Christmas Eve and Christmas specials for both lunch and dinner, so that guests can celebrate with variety and convenience. Blue’s Sky High Celebration on 24 December 2024 offers late night revels leading up to Christmas. The party will have a live band and DJ for an exhilarating lead-up to Christmas, with a fantastic celebratory drinks menu of cocktails and mocktails crafted by EQ’s talented mixologist Boy Fazy. There is a minimum spend of RM138+ per person, based on different seating zones.
For a more exclusive lead-up to the 25th, Sabayon will offer a Christmas Eve six-course dinner with classic dishes from French and central European cuisine. For an extra special treat, opt for selections from the champagne trolley with prices starting from RM488+ per bottle. The six-course dinner is priced at RM788+ per person for the limited window seats, and RM688+ per person for regular seats.
Etoile, Kampachi and Nipah have Christmas Eve specials ranging from bistro-style sharing platters at Etoile with a sizzling grilled meat and seafood platter starting from RM118+ per platter and beverage package from RM88+ per person and five-course omakase dinner at Kampachi for RM508+ per person, with the option of a premium ala carte menu and sake buffet at RM158+ per person. Nipah’s Christmas eve buffet dinner begins at 6.30PM, with an international selection of food including seafood on ice, unlimited chilled juices and soft drinks for RM238+ per adult and RM119+ per child (6-12 years old).
Kampachi’s Christmas offering is a refined brunch buffet from 12PM to 2.30PM priced at RM268+ per adult, RM98+ per child with an optional sake buffet add-on at RM158+ per person. Nipah’s Christmas day buffet lunch will be a bountiful spread of traditional Christmas fare such as roasted Angus prime rib, Australian lamb rack, roasted duck and capon chicken, meatloaf with cranberry sauce, and a selection of German sausages priced at RM188+ per adult and RM94+ per child.
Sabayon will serve up a Continental Christmas with a special Chalet Christmas day buffet lunch. Chalet was the original fine dining establishment of EQ’s predecessor, Hotel Equatorial, and famed for its European food and presentation. The Christmas buffet, priced at RM308+ per person and RM154+ per child offers an upgrade to its famous lobster thermidor, with a further addition of free flow sparkling wine, white or red wine, gin trolley, juices, soft drinks and mocktails for RM288+ per person.
NEW YEAR’S EVE AND BEYOND
A variety of party and dining options await year-end revellers, with a choice of two Countdown events, each with its own flair. Blue’s New Year’s Eve Countdown Party is powered by a live band and DJ spinning the hottest current hits as guests enjoy a high-energy party at one of KL’s most coveted night spots. While reservations are highly recommended, walk-ins can expect a minimum spend of RM188+ at different seating zones from 9pm onwards. Guaranteed table packages start from RM488+ per person with a minimum of four persons per group.
For a night of retro excitement hyped up by a DJ spinning hits from the Seventies to Eighties, the New Year’s Eve Retro Party at the Diamond Ballroom is the place to be. The access fee of RM138+ per person will be inclusive of one drink and an entire night of fun. For a short and sweet welcome to 2025, guests can be part of the balloon drop in the lobby on New Year’s Eve and then adjourn to Bottega for snacks, beverages and live entertainment, or to Etoile for a New Year’s Eve supper buffet from 11PM to 2AM, priced at RM88+ per adult and RM44+ per child.
For more genteel New Year’s Eve celebrations, Sabayon offers an elegant New Year Countdown eight-course degustation from 7pm onwards on 31 December featuring duck consommé, foie gras, Canadian lobster or wagyu tenderloin and a petit four counter and cheese counter for RM1,788 per couple. For an oriental close to the year, Kampachi will offer a five-course omakase New Year’s Eve dinner at RM788+ per person, with an optional sake buffet add-on at RM128+ per person. Premium ala carte menu will also be available. The popular Japanese restaurant will offer a New Year’s Day brunch priced at RM268+ per adult, RM98+ per child on 1 January 2025. Sabayon’s Chalet New Year Day buffet lunch runs from 12PM to 3PM at RM308+ per person and RM154+ per child. A complimentary bottle of champagne will be offered to parties with a booking of five adults and above.
General Manager of EQ, Gerard Walker notes that the hotel is one of the first in Kuala Lumpur to roll out its year-end offerings. This, he says, is because the pace of city life necessitates longer range planning, especially when taking in consideration the differing schedules of guests. “The pace of city life is hectic, and many things can slip one’s mind. Having all our options out early helps our guests to plan their holiday meals and get togethers so that everything has been squared away before the year-end rush at work hits. As people in hospitality we know how important this festive period is to many, and EQ wants to assure guests that we are happy to take on the role of ‘Santa’s little helpers’ when it comes to planning something special,” shares the Australian hotelier. EQ’s annual holiday catalogue Holiday Spirit is available for download from the hotel website for easy reference to the dining promotions, food gift options and on-property events.
