Markus Kúhni

Signature

Markus’s signature dishes sketch out a playful but deliberate range, moving from the familiar to the unexpected without losing the thread of his style. Negroni Jell-O with Castelvetrano olives takes a classic cocktail cue and reframes it with a wink, pairing its bitter-edged personality with the green, buttery richness of Castelvetrano olives. Garlic knot monkey bread with Parmesan butter turns comfort into theater: pull-apart, fragrant, and gilded with the savory depth of cheese and butter. Bucatini naporitan sits firmly in the heart of the repertoire, a dish whose name alone suggests a comforting, satisfying plate with ample room for richness and structure. And then there is marble olive cake, which brings the savory elegance of olive into a dessert context, lending the list a final note of intrigue and polish. Taken together, these dishes hint at a chef who enjoys contrast—sweet against bitter, soft against structured, nostalgic against surprising—while still keeping one foot planted in the robust, ingredient-forward sensibility associated with Southern Italian style cooking. They are not just signatures in the sense of being memorable; they also trace the contours of a kitchen personality that is unafraid of a little flourish, so long as the flavors remain clear and confident.

In Their Words “I decided to come here as I've never worked in Malaysia. It was always on the map but I never had the opportunity.” In that sentence, Kúhni reveals both intent and patience. The phrasing is direct, but what lingers is the sense of a place long imagined and finally reached. Malaysia, once simply a point of interest on the map, becomes the setting for a new chapter—one chosen not for novelty alone, but because the opportunity at last aligned with a long-held desire to work there.