Le Café Marcel, Plaza Damas

With a French founder at its helm and an Algerian chef in the kitchen, Le Café Marcel is an intriguing destination for fans of diverse fare, delving into the cuisine of former French-occupied territories in North Africa like Algeria and Tunisia. 

Our best bet here might be the Algerian Couscous (RM36.10), a hearty one-pot meal of fluffy couscous layered with lots of ultra-tender chicken, lamb, carrots, turnips, zucchini and chickpeas - as comfortingly soulful as a feast in Constantine.

The Marcel Sandwich (RM18.90) showcases the Maghrebi speciality of merguez, the fresh lamb-based sausage that's rustically textured and remarkably spiced, grilled and gorgeous in a sandwich of house-baked flatbread stuffed with fries and vegetables - as terrifically satisfying as a street snack in Tunis.

Into offal? Le Cafe Marcel serves intriguing seasonal set lunches that might include beef tripe with rice, beautiful in its bovine richness, balanced with the sweet tang of a natural tomato sauce (RM20.90), and sautéed lamb brains with capers and mashed potatoes, perhaps a bit too gamy for most of us (RM33.90). All set lunches come with a cream soup to start with and a chocolate crepe for dessert.

Le Café Marcel 
G0-11, Plaza Damas, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, 50480 Kuala Lumpur.
Open Mon-Wed, 8am-9pm, Thurs-Sunm 8am-11pm. Tel: 013-356-6882

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com