Le Gourmandin, Solaris Dutamas

With a Toulouse-born chef toiling in the kitchen, a Paris-loving picture of the Seine on the wall, and the 1979 classic Ma Reverence by Veronique Sanson playing on the speakers, Le Gourmandin brings Malaysians closer to France than most of us will get this year. Run by a French-and-Malaysian husband-and-wife team, this new restaurant takes pride in classic brasserie-style cooking, honoured through slow, meticulous preparations that result in sumptuous, memorable flavours.

Le Gourmandin's founders, Fermin Rieu and Fadhilah Joni, are only in their mid-twenties, but they've worked hard in recent years in order to launch their own restaurant. Fermin helms the kitchen, while Fadhilah runs the front of house, a dynamic duo who ensured we enjoyed a very pleasant evening.

Duck dominates the menu: Order the locally sourced duck breast, distinctively cooked medium, as full-fleshed as a steak but unmistakably poultry, with a smooth, firm bite and succulent chew, robust in the pure, clean flavour of duck, sliced in a hearty, boneless serving that two light eaters can share, buoyed by a softly tangy sweet-sour sauce aigre douce (RM50).

Duck devotees, take note of the leg confit too, a far cry from the despicably dry and overly salty renditions elsewhere - this is a rich but not cloying confit with achingly tender meat, splashed with a gorgeously aromatic garlic sauce that makes it even more memorable (RM50). These main courses come with a choice of mashed potatoes or hand-cut fries - we love both!

Chef Fermin is no quack - the success of these recipes rests not only in his French heritage but his drive to offer top-quality fare, prepared from scratch whenever possible. Three-kilogram ducks are delivered whole to the restaurant, so he uses the bones to make stock for his sauces, for example. He also air-dries the meat for a month to make magret seche, the cured duck equivalent of prosciutto, punchy protein for the salade gersoise with mustard sauce (RM27). 

One of Fermin and Fadhilah's collaborators, Francesco, is Italian (the three met in Malaysia), so it makes sense to serve lovely, luscious tagliatelle that marries French and Italian comfort cooking, with plenty of duck slices in mushroom sauce (RM45). Also try the truffled duck burger, layered with slivers of foie gras for a little luxury (RM45; with a RM10 foie surcharge).

We'd be happy to waddle out after all that duck, but desserts proved irresistible, from choux classics like profiteroles and the Paris-Brest to lemon and strawberry tarts. Note that wine is currently unavailable.

Le Gourmandin

D4-G4-01, Solaris Dutamas (behind Publika), Jalan Dutamas 1, Solaris Dutamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. 

Open Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-1030pm. Kitchen opens for lunch and dinner; the menu is more extensive in the evening. Tel: 011-6970-7473

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Akar Dining, Taman Tun Dr Ismail

Rooted in French philosophies, branching out with an Asian perspective, Akar Dining offers an enjoyable experience for customers who feel comfortable returning to restaurants. An evening here promises recipes that can't be replicated at home or by meal deliveries, fortified by frills that have long been taken for granted, from the sight and sound of a culinary brigade cooking with a polished poise in the open kitchen to the patient warmth of a service team that takes pride in every plate.

With fewer patrons for now, it makes sense that only a 'carte blanche' menu is currently available - a prix fixe selection conceived by the chef, omakase-style - to curb the potential wastage of a larger, a la carte repertoire. Five courses, plus a bread starter and a palate cleanser, clock in at RM150, really reasonable by the measure by these creations.

Ciabatta and rye slices surface hot and toasty, with a dense crunch and deep maltiness, smoothly soothed by sun-dried tomato butter that's gently tangy - if you love loaves and savour spreads, a reassuring prelude to the ceviche and confit that ensue.

The ceviche of scallops lined with paper-thin cucumber, ikura and sago crackers comes with a mandarin orange sauce, textbook-precise in its interplay of tastes and textures. It's blamelessly balanced but could benefit from a livelier buoyance to make the delicate brininess of the scallops genuinely sing and soar with the citrus sweetness.

The thought and effort poured into the next seafood-centred ensemble mark Akar as a restaurant of merit - confit of Spanish mackerel, its inherently pronounced fishiness finding a refreshing counterpoint in a foam of fennel and espuma of asparagus-like celtuce, with morsels of clam layered with slivers of charred onions and a slender julienne of juicy apple, brightened by the herbaceuousness of basil oil. Mackerel might not be our first choice for this (its outer bands remain marred by a less-than-mild salinity), but it's a more-than-respectable confit, flaky and sleek.

Our favourite dish follows: Cornish chicken, indulgently fleshy-chunky, grilled to a light but nectarous caramelisation that evokes the most lip-smacking yakitori, a delight with Asian-inflected accompaniments of okoge - scorched, crusty rice with a short-grained starchiness - showered with salted sawi and a thick, rich sauce of crown daisy, better known as chrysanthemum greens. Protein, carbs and fibre, in a combination of components that work well both independently and in unison.

Akar Dining does justice to the provenance of its poultry with its IGP-certified foie gras as well, by France's much-respected Jean Larnaudie, its ravishing creaminess intact in every mouthful, presented reminiscent of a Hestonesque meat fruit, like a parfait coated in a sugary beetroot-syrup glaze, capped with succulent heirloom cherry tomatoes and crusted with almond nibs.

Even the palate-cleanser isn't just a mere granita, featuring more labour, intent and resolve than typical, sprightly with mint, cucumber and calamansi. It could be its own dessert in a more substantial size, but we're thankful for the even-better conclusion - Akar's decadent take on Neslo, weaving together Belgian chocolate, Milo and coffee in a chilled mousse, silky jelly, snappy tuile and milk powder-like soil, rebooting a nostalgic childhood pleasure as a newborn, young-at-heart charmer.

With five courses, customers might be pleased to know that five French wines are available by the mindfully curated glass, from a light-bodied Riesling of the Rhine to a lush rose and lusty reds, also not busting the budget at around RM30 each.

Akar Dining

109, Jalan Aminuddin Baki, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Dinner service, 6pm-10pm. Tel: 018-2770597

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Cata, Bukit Damansara

Cata brings a Mediterranean mood to Bukit Damansara, revelling in inspirations from the osterias of Italy, France's bistros and Spanish tabernas.

This could soon deservedly be a neighbourhood favourite - the pizzas crackle with pizzazz, thanks to the synergy of a crust that lacks neither flavour nor texture, shored up by toppings that nod to the legacies of Calabria, Sardinia and beyond, including 'nduja salume, pecorino cheese, pancetta and San Marzano tomato sauce (RM42 for the meat lover's Carne pizza).

The rest of the menu struts out hot and cold tapas; the potato gnocchi could nonetheless be a full meal on its own - convincingly done, not mushy or stodgy, complete with brown butter, baby artichokes, anchovies, sage and capers, pretty much as good as gnocchi can get in the Klang Valley (RM38).

Other temptations span French-style escargot to moules marinieres, crab meat croquettes to duck confit with roasted radicchio and cannellini beans, Spanish charred padron peppers to patatas bravas, best washed down perhaps with a satisfying Sangria (RM25) or Catalan wine (RM28).

Cata Restaurant

50-G, Plaza Damansara, Jalan Medan Setia 2, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur. Open Tues-Sun, 5pm-12am.

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com

Nam, Republik Damansara Heights

Weaving together Vietnamese, French and Chinese inspirations into a tapestry of pho, pâté, poached chicken rice and more, Nam finally launches this month - one of our most-anticipated restaurants at Damansara Heights' Republik F&B enclave, this is another dynamic destination by the founders of Kenny Hills Bakers, Kenny Hills Bistro and Nourish, who continue to craft some of KL's most worthwhile fare, skilfully turning top-drawer produce into terrifically enjoyable recipes.

Nam's repertoire is extensive enough to merit multiple visits; consider starting with the smoked salmon pâté, which showcases thick, tender slices of sourdough bread, meant to be slathered with a luscious spread of fresh-textured, clean-tasting salmon, studded with trout roe for an amplifying punch of flavour, a beautiful representative of why Kenny Hills Bakers and its spin-offs have become so beloved throughout nearly five years now.

Onion soups and crêpes Suzette also beckon for Francophiles, but save space for the Chinese selection, spanning Sichuan salt-and-pepper squid to roast duck and poached free-range organic chicken - the truffle egg noodles with braised mushrooms make for a soulful vegetarian meal, featuring firm noodles saturated with sumptuous earthiness in each slick strand (RM32); alternatively, the egg noodles can also be coupled with Nam's house-made char siew lamb, which we somehow missed on the menu but would certainly have otherwise ordered.

Ultimately, true to the restaurant's name, it's the Vietnamese variety that makes Nam most distinctive (considering the influence of French colonialism and Chinese domination on Vietnam, this makes for a coherent trio of cuisines for the restaurant to serve).

The beef pho is ph-abulous, thanks to the triumphantly supple beef short ribs and brisket that take centre stage in a bowl of sweetly mellow broth (RM32). And while the grilled chicken banh mi with duck liver pate might not instantly transport customers to the streets of Saigon, it's still a sandwich to savour, a pleasure to sink the teeth into (RM24; a soft-shell crab banh mi is also available).

Nam's twists on familiar favourites might pull patrons in for the first time - its meat-free take on bun chay is a tangy, toss-everything-together temptation of caramelised tofu with vermicelli, lively herbs and pickled vegetables (RM28), while its bahn xeo pancake comes plumply packed with a rich stuffing of aromatic crispy duck, watercress, pomelo and burnt orange aioli (RM36) - but its kitchen's capable, confident execution will keep them coming back. Wash it all down with revivingly hot Vietnamese coffee (RM15; cortados and cappuccinos are also offered, prepared with an Italian-constructed, copper-plated espresso machine) or a refreshingly cool water chestnut beverage (RM15).

Nam
G-02-02, Republik, Jalan Medan Setia 1, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur. Daily, 11am-11pm. Tel: 03-2011-2992

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com