Graze, Hilton, Kuala Lumpur

October marks the start of white truffle season.

White truffles, or “Edible Diamonds” as they are called, are rare. The white ones are only available a couple of months of the year, and there are fewer of them, and of lesser quality, every year. Among the white truffles found in various places such as Molise, Abruzzo, San Miniato, the white truffles from Alba in the Piedmont region in the northern Italy are the most prized and most expensive. While the inferior black or Périgord truffle can be cultivated, right now there is no other way to get white ones except to set pigs (and, in recent years, dogs) loose on the hills of the Italian piedmont to sniff them out. On the other hand, the global appetite for white truffles, especially the ones from around Alba, Italy, has utterly outstripped the harvest. From Macau to Dubai to Chicago, there are never enough to go around. In other words, white truffles are the perfect luxury commodity, precious and getting more so all the time.

Graze, an unpretentious, contemporary brasserie at Hilton Kuala Lumpur, has brought luxury to the palates of discerning diners by having a White Truffle promotional menu. As white truffles are seasonal and in limited quantity, this promotional menu is “while stocks last.” The Hilton KL offers 2 options each for the appetizer and main course.

Appetizer

Egg en cocotte with spinach, mushroom and white truffle RM78++

Steak Tartare with French fries and white truffle RM98++

Main Course

Parpadelle pasta with Jumbo Asparagus and shaved white truffle RM$88++

Saffron Risotto with shaved white truffle RM$98++

As white truffles cost around RM$11,000 per kg, Hilton KL offers edible luxury at very affordable prices.

As white truffles are so rare and carry such a distinctive flavour and aroma, the dishes which carry white truffles must have very simple, natural ingredients so as not to cover up the white truffles’ flavour. Indeed, Graze adheres to this principle and offers extremely simple dishes, such as steak tartare, egg en cocotte, whose ingredients get their flavour from the white truffle. On the other hand, the white truffle lends its distinctive flavour to these simple ingredients and gives them a great boost. It’s like the natural flavours of these dishes are much heightened and intensified. With the distinctive flavour of white truffle, each bite felt a simple piece of divine heaven. Whoever said simplicity can’t be beautiful? Who said a humble egg cannot be divine?

White truffles are generally served raw, and shaved over steaming buttered pasta or salads or fried eggs. At Graze, the dishes arrive at your table and the precious white truffle is carefully shaved (with an immaculate, spotless white glove) over your dish. Because of their high price and their unique taste, truffles are used sparingly. Each dish has around 2 shavings (3-4 grams or around RM$40) of white truffle.