The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi Welcomes Taz Sarhane of London’s Michelin-Starred Cycene, 6-7th August
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, a coveted hideaway on the south west coast of Malaysia’s Jewel of Kedah, is to welcome Taz Sarhane, Head Chef of London’s one Michelin-starred Cycene, as it launches its new Threads of Taste culinary series. In a two-day takeover from 6-7 August, Sarhane joins The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi in curating two exclusive dinner events, fusing Cycene’s hallmark dining concept with a celebration of regional influences from the island of Langkawi.
Threads of Taste dining experiences at The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi are set to celebrate the culinary time capsule of Malaysian cuisine and its richly layered food scene formed by centuries of migration and trade. From Peranakan traditions to the enduring legacies of China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and the Middle East, the series will explore how cultures, ingredients and techniques have intertwined to shape one of the world’s most vibrant gastronomic landscapes. Food beyond sustenance, this is a series to educate, celebrate and explore kinship and identity, to unravel food stories through history as a marker of familial and tribal affiliations.
Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy both an intimate chef’s table experience at the resort’s Beach Grill, with its iconic design inspired by Malay ‘Bubu’ fish traps on the shore of the Andaman Sea, and an evening of gastronomic delights, for a limited number of guests, at Langkawi Kitchen. From the temple-like serenity of Cycene to a kitchen of a different kind, the venue stood atop 30-foot stilts flanked by ancient rainforest and inspired by the longhouses of Bornean tribes, sets a dramatic stage for Taz’s culinary theatre.
Created exclusively for The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, the menus will take inspiration from the island’s coastal bounty, tropical produce and rich food heritage, interpreted through Sarhane’s contemporary lens. Reflecting the ethos that has earned Cycene its Michelin star, each dish explores the relationship between place, memory and seasonality, while highlighting ingredients sourced from local fishermen, growers, artisans and the resort’s own Nibong Garden. With an element of spontaneity woven throughout, select dishes will evolve according to the day’s catch, foraged ingredients and the finest produce available.
Across both menus, guests can expect a thoughtful progression of flavours balancing refinement with a sense of discovery. Dishes of raw chopped prawn with shredded green mango, crab rendang with coconut and peppercorn, and lobster paired with lemongrass, reference regional ingredients while presenting them through unexpected techniques of smoked hay and contemporary storytelling. Desserts continue the journey with notes of calamansi, toasted rice, mango and kefir lime, celebrating the tropical flavours synonymous with Langkawi and the wider region.
For the more intimate dining event, Sarhane expands the narrative further through a multi-course menu that showcases his signature approach to preservation, fermentation and fire-led cooking. From savoury green banana custard and lobster smoked tableside, to coal-cooked beef with coffee and cucumber sauce, each course reflects a dialogue between British culinary craftsmanship and the ingredients, flavours and traditions of Malaysia.
Under Taz’s direction, London’s Cycene, meaning “kitchen” in Old English, is distinguished by its uniquely immersive dining experience. An architectural masterpiece designed to emulate a private home at the heart of the iconic multidisciplinary space of Blue Mountain School, the restaurant presents Michelin-star magic where Taz is both chef and host. Drawing on his British-Moroccan heritage and early adventures foraging with family in the Atlas Mountains, Taz’s approach is strongly dictated by landscape and seasonality. Foraging, fermentation, pickling, dry-ageing and preservation are employed to “capture moments in time”, expressed within an intimate, home-like setting that reinforces Cycene’s conceptual link to the kitchen as both place and origin. Cycene’s tasting menu connects the precision of contemporary fine dining with ancient, instinctive forms of British culinary practice.
Born and raised in South East London to English-Moroccan parents, Sarhane fell in love with food and nature during time spent with family in North Africa. Fond memories of foraging trips in the mountains and visits to bustling local markets, all culminating in shared meals with friends and family, taught him the importance of connection — to ingredients, their origins and the sense of togetherness created through preparing and enjoying food with others.
This philosophy finds a natural home within Threads of Taste, a series marrying world-class talent and global perspectives to celebrate the stories, traditions and cultural exchanges that continue to define Malaysian cuisine. Through collaboration the events seek to spark new conversations around heritage, kinship, identity and the enduring imprint of travel, trade and migration on the foods we enjoy today.
Not only one of the island’s most perfectly situated retreats, The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi is home to a vibrant culinary scene celebrating the region’s multicultural lineage and Nyonya roots. Nestled within Malaysia’s 10-million-year-old rainforest on the shores of the Andaman Sea and flanked by ancient forest in the shadow of Mount Machinchang, the resort provides a magical setting in which to explore the hyper-regional influences of Malaysia’s beautiful and complex cuisine.
For more information and reservation enquiries, please visit ritzcarlton.com/Langkawi and for real-time updates, Instagram and Facebook
