WHAT DOES EL CERDO, THE WHISKY BAR AND DINING IN THE DARK HAVE IN COMMON..

What Does TripAdvisors No 1 Restaurant in KL- Dining in the Dark , El Cerdo (ranked 17) and The Whisky Bar (ranked 8) have in Common? It's all owned by Entrepreneur & Gastronomy guru Chef Werner J Kuhn, a German who came to Malaysia 25 years ago as a Chef of the Mutiara Hotel in Penang and never left since.

He has opened hundreds of restaurants in his time and now operates his own stable of restaurants and bar all situated at Jalan Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. His establishments all rank in the top 10 of the TripAdvisor's Kuala Lumpur best restaurant list. His establishments are a major reason why Changkat is a must visit place for all tourist who comes to Kuala Lumpur the capital of Malaysia.

Werner’s love for Malaysia and the people is evident when you see the passion and pride he has in wanting to give his customers a memorable dining experience. The passion shows in the food he serves and the outlets he has opened. He loves talking about how he can tantalise his guests and invites all his guest whether new or old to take a gastronomical journey with him when at one of his restaurants. He opened his restaurants right beside each other so that he can hop from one place to another to welcome his guest personally.

After his stint in Penang, he ventured into various businesses, starting by providing the catering for over 20,000 workers who were involved in the building of the KLIA airport. He then went on to consult KLIA on the best practices of running the food and beverage operations at the airport. He then partnered with a London based International Catering company providing in-flight dining services for airlines for a couple of years until he sold off his shares there to his partner.

He took a break for 5 year and played golf every single day, so it was no surprise to see his handicap improve from 24 to 18. His passion for food and drinks took over his dream to be the German Tiger Woods and so he opened El Cerdo (literally means The Pig in Spanish) Restaurant Changkat Bukit Bintang. 

Werner was of the opinion that there were too many Italian restaurants in Kuala Lumpur already, as such he wanted to find a niche market for his restaurant

The theme that El Cerdo emphasizes is the” Head to Tail eating Experience”. The restaurant serves mainly European style pork dishes. The suckling pig is their house best seller. One can order a whole pig or half a pig, but really it is not the taste that attracts order for this dish but rather because of its unique presentation and cutting ceremony including the breaking of plates in the bucket, that makes this dish special.The over roasted glazes pork ribs and the seafood cataplana and paela is a must have too.

As business grew he moved few steps away to where his current outlet is at present. Werner also owns "Dining in The Dark", "The Whisky Bar" and Werner's Steak House" all located opposite El Cerdo. He also owns the Black Forest German Restaurant located just next door to El Cerdo.

Most of Werner's customers are regular guests while new customers keep on coming in through the doors, especially when almost all his outlets are in the top 10 of TripAdvisors best restaurants list in KL. 

"Dining in the Dark" is No 1 on the TripAdvisor list. It’s fully booked and reservations have to be made weeks in advance. It's not surprising  to see his places do so well as despite his success he still takes the time to make sure he is there every night to mingle with his guests and move around to all his outlets keeping an eye to detail to make sure everything is perfect for his guests.

Werner explains the Dining in the Dark KL's concept: Dining in the Dark is a restaurant in total darkness. It provides guest a completely new sensory experience. DINING in the DARK KL, is the very first of such restaurant in Malaysia.

The optic nerve is overridden – your other senses take over. Every sound, every movement, every taste, every breath is an adventure!

A Thoughtfully designed and carefully prepared menu fit for a fine dining restaurant menu is offered—Starter, Main, Dessert—with varying flavours to give guest palate a wonderful experience!

One may think it a challenge, or simply a unique experience of learning and discovery. All you need to do is step in with an open heart (with some excitement of course) and, trust our expert guides to lead you through the whole dining experience.

Guided by our "Darkness Experts”, all you have to do is relax and trust. Then, enjoy (and maybe wonder, guess, even speculate) the great tasting food specially designed by our team. Our service staff consists of visually impaired and blind persons who lead their daily life without or with minimal light. Why do you think we call them "experts”?

The rave reviews earned by this restaurant has made it No 1 on TripAdvisors  Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur listing.

"The Whisky Bar" was born to fullfill Werner dream to open up a whisky bar with the most brands of whisky in Asia. His stock of whisky comes from all over the world. He has amassed a collection of Whisky that is extremely rare and exclusive, some going for RM34,000 ++ a bottle  The Japanese award winning Yamakazi 18 years seems to be a hot favourite of many guests and Werner himself.

Their current selection includes over 275 labels from around the world. They have some of the rarest Single Malt as well as Scotch, Irish Whisky, Japanese Whisky and American bourbon. True Whisky connoisseurs can indulge with his/her favourite blends while exploring other blends by having a various range of selected whisky flights. The flights are presented in specially made trays and glasses.

The whisky bar has a nice ambiance and although the doors and windows are open it's surprisingly very cooling inside. They do serve other beverages to cater for the non whisky drinkers.The gentleman's club decor is matched by the excellent service. The staff are well trained to guide you on how to truly appreciate this distinctive drink. If you are lucky you will get Werner himself guiding you.  

One can see how proud he is when listening to his staff guide the guest on how they should drink whisky and showing off a gadget they have, which cuts a small block of ice, making it into an "ice ball" as big as a tennis ball in less than a minute.

Whatever said and done, the man behind all these great restaurants and bars continues to surprise his guests with new concepts and experiences. 

His passion to serve in Gastronomy has contributed tremendously to making Changkat, a major must visit place for all tourist coming to Kuala Lumpur. 

There are many foreigners like him who have adopted Malaysia as their home and contributed to the growing Tourism industry.

*************

The Government of Malaysia has a program for foreigners who want to reside in Malaysia without changing their citizenship called Malaysia My Second Home Program.  Malaysia My Second Home Programme is promoted by the Government of Malaysia to allow foreigners who fulfill certain criteria, to stay in Malaysia for as long as possible on a multiple-entry social visit pass. The Social Visit Pass is initially for a period of ten (10) years, and is renewable. 
DDFor full information please go the website: http://www.mm2h.gov.my/