Cilantro

Verdict

Cilantro is worth booking if you want formal French dining in Kuala Lumpur and care about ingredient quality. The kitchen's use of first-rate Japanese produce inside a classical French framework is a genuinely distinctive approach in this city, and two consecutive Michelin Plate recognitions (2024 and 2025) confirm that the food holds to a consistent standard. Book for Friday lunch if you want the full experience at a pace that lets you actually appreciate what's on the plate. Dinner works for occasions, but Friday lunch is where Cilantro makes the strongest case for itself.

The Experience

Cilantro sits inside the Micasa All Suite Hotel on Jalan Tun Razak, which means the setting is hotel-formal without being anonymous. The room reads as a composed, considered space — the kind of environment that signals this is a kitchen that takes plating seriously before the first course arrives. For a returning visitor, the visual rhythm of the table is part of the deal: precise presentations that reflect the kitchen's French training and Japanese ingredient sensibility.

The menu spans classic French technique and more adventurous Japanese-French fusion territory. The Japanese chef proposes several set menus and prix-fixe options alongside à la carte, which gives you meaningful choices depending on how much time and appetite you have. If you've been once and ordered à la carte, a return visit is a good opportunity to commit to one of the set formats — you'll get a more cohesive read on what the kitchen is actually capable of at its own pace.

The cold capellini is the dish most worth ordering. The sauces and accompaniments change with the seasons, which means it reads differently across visits. It's the kind of signature that rewards repeat attention rather than checking a box.

Lunch vs Dinner: Where the Value Lands

This is the most practical question for anyone deciding when to go. Cilantro opens for lunch on Fridays only , the rest of the week, lunch is not available. That constraint is actually useful information: Friday lunch here is a considered occasion, not a quick weekday slot. If your schedule allows it, this is the format to prioritise.

For returning visitors specifically, the Friday lunch window is where Cilantro's price-to-experience ratio makes the most sense. At the $$$$ price tier, you are paying for precision and ingredient quality rather than volume or theatrical pacing. A Friday lunch lets you move through that at a tempo suited to appreciation. Dinner at Cilantro is a legitimate choice for a special occasion or a business dinner where formality matters, but lunch delivers the same kitchen at arguably better conditions: lighter room energy, more attentive service pacing, and the seasonal capellini in its natural midday context.

If you're comparing across Kuala Lumpur's formal French options, note that DC. by Darren Chin operates with a similar formality and price point but with a different weekly rhythm. Cilantro's Friday lunch is genuinely unusual in the city's fine dining calendar and worth treating as the anchor format.

Ratings and Trust Signals

• Michelin Plate , 2024 and 2025
• Google rating , 4.2 out of 5 (48 reviews)
• Recognised as one of Kuala Lumpur's favourite formal dining destinations

The Michelin Plate designation doesn't carry the same weight as a star, but in KL's Michelin context it is a meaningful quality signal , it means the Guide's inspectors consider this a kitchen producing food worth eating, consistently enough to recognise it across two consecutive years. For French Contemporary dining in this city, that matters.

Booking

Booking difficulty is rated Hard. Cilantro has a limited seat count in a hotel setting and a restricted lunch service (Fridays only), which means weekend competition for the Friday slot is real. Book as far ahead as your plans allow. If you have a specific Friday in mind, don't assume availability will hold. The phone number and online booking details are not published in Pearl's current data , contact the Micasa All Suite Hotel directly to confirm reservation options.

Practical Details

How It Compares

At the $$$$ tier in Kuala Lumpur, Cilantro competes directly with DC. by Darren Chin and Molina. DC. by Darren Chin is the closer comparison: both operate at formal French Contemporary price points, both require advance booking, and both reward visitors who come with some preparation. The differentiator at Cilantro is the Japanese ingredient influence , if that fusion direction appeals, Cilantro is the clearer choice. If you want a purer French Contemporary experience with strong local critical recognition, DC. by Darren Chin is the alternative to weigh.

Dewakan is a different proposition entirely: Malaysian cuisine at $$$$ with a focus on indigenous ingredients and local narrative. If your priority is understanding Kuala Lumpur's food identity through fine dining, Dewakan makes a stronger case. Cilantro is the better call when you want European technical rigour applied to premium Japanese produce in a KL setting.

For diners who want fine dining without the $$$$ commitment, Beta at $$$ offers a route into Kuala Lumpur's serious restaurant scene at a lower price point, though the cuisine and style are different. Aliyaa at $$ is not a comparison venue for Cilantro , the Sri Lankan format and price are entirely separate territory. Within the French Contemporary category specifically, Cilantro's Michelin Plate recognition gives it a verifiable quality floor that justifies the price for a considered occasion meal.

Pearl Picks and Further Reading

If you're building a Kuala Lumpur dining itinerary around Cilantro, use these resources to fill the rest of the trip: our full Kuala Lumpur restaurants guide, our full Kuala Lumpur hotels guide, and our full Kuala Lumpur bars guide. For day trips or regional comparisons, see Auntie Gaik Lean's Old School Eatery in George Town and The Dining Room at The Datai Langkawi for a sense of what Malaysia's broader fine dining range looks like outside the capital. For French Contemporary benchmarks elsewhere in the region, Odette in Singapore and Amber in Hong Kong are the reference points worth knowing. Other KL French options worth exploring include Dominic, Potager, and The Brasserie. For more Malaysian dining across the country, see Christoph's in Penang, Lavo and Lavo Gallery in Petaling Jaya, and BM Cathay Pancake in Seberang Perai. For more to do beyond the table, our full Kuala Lumpur experiences guide covers the wider city.

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