The story of how Molina came into being is also the story of a fever dream that began in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and culminated in Malaysia. The story begins with epicurean Datuk Alex Tan traversing the globe to eat at some of the best restaurants in the world. Tan is a passionate foodie whose enjoyment of food is so immense that he has evolved from gourmet traveller to a man determined to bring top international culinary talent to his own homeland.
“I’ve enjoyed fine dining for 25 years. In the past decade, I have been going to Europe every year and eating at restaurants with two and three Michelin stars. “I have been to Spectrum in Amsterdam, which is Sidney Schutte’s restaurant, and I found the food so good.
Last year, I went there again and wanted to try my luck (connecting with Schutte). I have a hotel and wanted to establish a good high-end restaurant. “I asked Sidney if he was interested in expanding his business to Asia and I am so lucky that he said ‘Yes’,” says Tan.
Schutte is a culinary veteran from Amsterdam. And so began a collaboration and journey that resulted in the opening of Molina, Schutte’s first restaurant in Kuala Lumpur that celebrates his European roots. Schutte is a culinary veteran who has been the executive chef of Amsterdam’s Waldorf Astoria for the past decade.
He was instrumental in catapulting the hotel’s fine-dining eatery – Spectrum – onto the international stage, and the restaurant earned two Michelin stars just s.
