JHOL brings the extraordinary diversity of India’s coastal kitchens to Kuala Lumpur in a beautifully considered tasting experience, pairing ambitious food, polished service, and a surprisingly serious wine programme.
Additional text and photos by David Bowden
Every so often, you must pinch yourself to be reminded that there are still dining experiences yet to be had. While wondering whether it was Jhol by Hari Nayak or JHOL, what it meant, and just how it was pronounced, we were surprised while dining here for many reasons, but especially the quality of the dishes, the surroundings, the service, and the wine list.
Having now spent an evening at JHOL Kuala Lumpur, the name is considerably less important than what happens once you sit down.
Located at The MET Corporate Towers in Mont Kiara, JHOL is the Kuala Lumpur outpost of Chef Hari Nayak’s coastal Indian concept, which also has a well-regarded (and Michelin-recognized) Bangkok restaurant. Chef Hari, who was born and raised in Udupi on India’s southwestern coast, has built the restaurant around the extraordinary culinary diversity of India’s coastal regions.
The coastal distinction is worth making because JHOL is not strictly a northern Indian restaurant, as one might initially assume from the broad category of “Indian fine dining.” Its food draws from places including Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Bengal, Goa, Konkan, Pondicherry, and Chettinad, taking diners on a journey along both the western and eastern shores of India.
And that journey is precisely what makes the restaurant so interesting.
At the helm of JHOL Kuala Lumpur, and tasked with bringing that journey to life for diners, is Executive Chef Gaurav Gupta, a seasoned chef and restaurateur whose career spans more than a decade across some of India and Southeast Asia’s most respected hospitality destinations. Born and raised between Delhi and Kolkata, Gupta developed an early appreciation for India’s extraordinary regional food traditions before moving through kitchens including Indian Accent in New Delhi, Taj Hotels in Bengaluru, and leading establishments in Bangkok. His journey eventually brought him to JHOL Bangkok, where he began his long-standing creative partnership with Chef Hari Nayak.
Now leading the Kuala Lumpur kitchen, Gupta works closely with Chef Hari to translate JHOL’s culinary architecture into a Malaysian setting, drawing on coastal traditions stretching from Gujarat and Goa through Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Bengal, and beyond. His approach is thoughtful and ingredient-driven, with an emphasis on authenticity, contemporary technique, and the stories behind the food. For the entire culinary team at JHOL Kuala Lumpur, it was explained to us that each dish is an opportunity to connect diners with the people, places, histories, and centuries of cultural exchange that have shaped India’s remarkably diverse coastal cuisine.
A COAST-TO-COAST CULINARY JOURNEY
Our evening was built around the Coast to Coast dégustation menu, priced at RM350++, which moves through a succession of dishes inspired by India’s vast coastal geography. The menu itself provides a useful roadmap, beginning with a Prelude of Avocado Acchappam, Mushroom Dhokla, and Crab Urundai before moving through Kokum Hamachi, Bhapa Maach, Kundapura Ghee Roast Crab, BFC, Chettinad Lamb Rib, and the Surf ’N’ Turf pairing of Butter Garlic Grouper and Kuttanad Duck Mappas.
The “BFC” on the list might be easy to gloss over, but if any dish on the menu jolted us – in a good way, mind you – it was this one. The unassuming acronym here stands for Berhampur Fried Chicken, and it’s a remarkably tasty rendering of what appears to be just an ordinary fried chicken wing. Trust us, it’s anything but!
There is no need to give away every detail. In fact, doing so would rather spoil the fun. And to be honest, we aren’t practised experts in Indian cuisine, so this was a real experience in discovery for us… and it was delicious!
Suffice to say that the food is excellent. Presentation is meticulous without ever becoming precious, flavours are layered and confident, and there is a lovely sense of progression as the meal moves from one region and style to another. The Kundapura Ghee Roast Crab, accompanied by Kanchipuram Idli and coconut chutney, was particularly memorable, while the combination of grouper and duck in the Surf ’N’ Turf course provided one of those pleasantly unexpected moments that make a tasting menu worthwhile.
The desserts – Shrikhand with mango yoghurt and saffron, followed by Apple Chiroti with chena cheesecake and gula Melaka – provide a suitably gentle landing after what is, inevitably, a spice-forward meal. (No surprise that we enjoyed the chiroti: it would be a rare dish indeed that featured gula Melaka and didn’t find our favour.)
This is where JHOL compares interestingly with Kuala Lumpur’s well-known NADODI. Both restaurants treat cuisine as a journey rather than a collection of familiar dishes, and both place considerable emphasis on storytelling, technique, presentation, and progression. But where NADODI focuses more heavily on Sri Lankan and southern Indian influences, JHOL’s remit is broader and explicitly coastal, encompassing a remarkable range of India’s shoreline cultures. The restaurant’s own description emphasizes the Konkan and Malabar coasts, Chettinad, Pondicherry, and the Bay of Bengal, and the result feels less like a single regional cuisine than a carefully edited culinary expedition.
The service also deserves a mention. Our service experience was attentive, knowledgeable, and well-paced, with the staff contributing to the experience without hovering over it. There was just enough personality mixed in with the practised to make it feel like it wasn’t overly rehearsed, which is something we always like. The setting is sophisticated and contemporary, too, although there is enough Indian character subtly woven into the design to stop it from feeling like another anonymous luxury restaurant. We admittedly did not love the intense spotlights over some of the tables, as they led to harsh shadows and over-brightness, but not all tables suffer from this, and we adapted quickly enough in any case.
THE WINE LIST IS A VERY PLEASANT SURPRISE
The wine list at JHOL is quite impressive, and we were surprised to learn that there wasn’t a sommelier to curate a list of such quality. We believe that one is being sought. However, any apprehension about the wine service was soon dismissed when the existing table staff stepped up and confidently organized a selection of wine for us.
Spicy food presents challenges for wine pairing; not impossible, but not easy either. A glance at the first page of the comprehensive wine list impresses immediately with two sparkling wines, three whites, three reds, a rosé, and a sweet dessert wine by the glass. Ten wines-by-the-glass ensure there is wine to pair with all the dishes. Listed prices exclude the service charge (10%) and the current alcoholic beverage tax (8%).
Bollinger Brut Special Cuvée (RM110) and Serenitatis FM333 Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut Millesimato (RM56) await those who need a bubbly to cleanse their palate before setting off on the evening’s dining. This superior Italian sparkling wine is produced by Montelvini in Italy’s Veneto region to more demanding criteria than many other sparkling wines from the region.
White wine drinkers by the glass can choose from two French wines and one Spanish. The Spanish wine from Familia Torres Viña Esmeralda (RM48) is from the Catalunya region and is a blend of two lesser-seen grape varieties: Moscatel and Gewürztraminer. Diners can also choose from a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley (RM56) and a classic Chablis from Burgundy (RM60). The Sauvignon Blanc Attitude 2023 from Pascal Jolivet is known for its delicate aromas of citrus fruits, lime, green apples, and kiwi. La Chablisienne Chablis Grande Cuvée LC 2022 (RM60) is the other white wine offered.
There are two French reds and one Italian red by the glass. The Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône Reserve Rouge (RM48) is a cuvée of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, a typical GSM as produced in other wine regions, especially Australia. The Pascal Jolivet Attitude Pinot Noir 2023 (RM56) is from the Loire. Frescobaldi Tenuta Perano Chianti 2023 (RM60), brimming with Sangiovese grapes, is the other red.
The last two wines by the glass are a Château Roubine La Vie en Rose 2023 from Provence (RM48) and Bava Moscato d’Asti 2023 (RM42), a sweet, light wine for dessert.
Within minutes of being seated, we were asked if we would care for a glass of Champagne. It’s just that sort of venue. The Bollinger Brut Special Cuvée poured was impressive for its refreshing and distinctive brioche-forward nose and yeasty notes on the palate. Bollinger doesn’t do anything by half measures, and with its Special Cuvée, the wine is cellared for twice as long as required under the region’s strict winemaking guidelines.
We tried two other wines with our meal. Both were French; one from the Loire Valley, one from Burgundy, and both impressed. The white wine was a Domaine Chanson 2022 Chardonnay, while the red was a Pascal Jolivet Attitude Pinot Noir. Breaking from French traditions, both wines are named by the grape variety rather than just the region.
Domaine Chanson 2022 Chardonnay, from the renowned Chablis region in Burgundy, is famous for wines made from this grape variety. Its subtle fruitiness and flinty notes were most refreshing and paired well with the crab and fish dish served.
Pinot Noir is a delicate red variety, and we started to check the food offering with which it was to be paired. It was a butter garlic grouper and a duck dish – yes, we too were surprised to learn that in parts of southern India, duck is a speciality dish. The Pascal Jolivet Attitude Pinot Noir was served too warm, but after a little time on ice to bring its temperature down, it too was a most agreeable wine.
Attitude, a 100% Pinot Noir, boasts a brilliant ruby colour with elegant aromas of red berries, cherries, and blackcurrants. Spicy notes lead to a very elegant finish where balance and finesse, fruit, and subtly oaked flavours blend well. We found it light and approachable and were not overpowered by the inevitable spices in the dishes.
JHOL also offers a curated classic wine pairing with the Coast to Coast dégustation menu. This four-glass offering (RM250) includes Mater& Filii Cuvée Crescendo Champagne, Angelica Zapata Alta Argentine Chardonnay, Clos de Gamot Malbec, and Maculan Torcolato, an Italian dessert wine made from 100% Vespaiola grapes. Wines by the bottle are just as impressive, with a strong bias toward Old World wines. Prices per bottle start from RM208 and extend up into the stratosphere with the sommelier selection (RM3,000 for a Vieux Château Certan 2000).
Ultimately, we left the table feeling that JHOL succeeds because it understands that a great tasting menu should be more than a parade of technically accomplished dishes. There needs to be a story, a sense of movement, and enough surprises along the way to keep diners curious. JHOL has all three, and to our delight, was underpinned by good, knowledgeable, and friendly service.
The combination of excellent food, polished presentation, fine service, and an unusually serious wine programme makes this one of the more compelling additions to Kuala Lumpur’s increasingly sophisticated Indian dining scene.
JHOL’s price points, particularly for the tasting menu and especially when paired with wine, place the restaurant firmly in the “destination dining” category, but the experience also delivers the quality and value one expects when ponying up this much for a meal. We came away thoroughly delighted, and were very much pleased to see such a meaningful emphasis placed on wine pairing that genuinely enhances the experience. JHOL provides a most enjoyable coastal journey around India, and while we could tell you exactly which dish stole the show, which wine worked best with which course, and what comes next, perhaps it is better to leave a few discoveries for your own table.
Location and Details
JHOL Kuala Lumpur
The MET Corporate Towers, G-01, 20
Jalan Dutamas 2, Kompleks Kerajaan
51200 Kuala Lumpur
W: https://jholrestaurantkl.com/
T: 012-502 4528
