NEW CHEF DEBUTS AT MAISON FRANÇAISE

Once upon a time, in October 2011, Maison Française entered Klang Valley’s intensely competitive restaurant scene. Defying the odds, it succeeded in establishing a foothold as a fine French dining outpost. 

Tucked away in a quiet cul-de-sac amidst existing posh condos and upcoming skyscrapers within the Golden Triangle, the restaurant is now the domain of Brittany-born Chef Florent Lescouezec. His culinary creations should bestow fresh shine to Maison's menu; be it a la carte, a 4-course Menu Gourmand (RM280++ per person) or a 6-course Menu Degustation (RM390++ per person).

 

Although ghastly construction goings-on nearby aren’t complementary to Maison’s elegant, monochromatic ambience, those unseemly sights can be kept at bay once the dining space’s drapes are drawn.   

Chef Florent’s exquisite opener of Larnaudie Duck Foie Gras Custard with Smoked Eel, Green Apple Emulsion and Artichoke (RM90++) should serve as an apt distraction. The feather-light custard is made from foie gras de canard (duck liver) from Jean Larnaudie, a French foie gras specialist with a long history dating back to 1950. A fleeting hint of smokiness was discernible in mouthfuls of the lush custard; its cloud-like texture enlivened by a frothy green apple emulsion.

Quinoa — once a humble, poor man’s grain now food of choice for health-conscious urbanites — made its presence felt in the subsequent offering of Gamberro Rosso Tartare with Kristal caviar, crustecean oil and quinoa taboule (RM110++). The collusion of tastes and textures: from the natural sweetness of the red prawn to the coy nuttiness of the quinoa grains was delicate, almost playful on the palate.

A key staple since Maison’s opened its doors, the Signature Lobster Bisque (RM75++) remained something to write home about. The flavour-rich broth’s unabashed umami profile simply reinforced its long-standing appeal.

Escargot fans rejoice! Snail-pace is the way to savour the sumptuous French Organic Farm Snails in Fricassée, Garlic Butter and Porcini Mushrooms (RM90++). Sautéed in garlic butter and earthy porcini, the deliciously tender morsels came encased in a crisp golden brown breaded golf ball-size ‘shell’.

Like the proverbial ‘the devil’s in the details’ saying, we were reminded why a seemingly simple appetiser such as House Smoked Duck Breast, Shredded Confit of Duck Leg, 64.5 degrees Egg & Buttered Kale (RM80++) command such a high price. Before it hit the table, the chef and his team had put in hours of painstaking labour and sometimes, days of prep work in their quest to get the various components ready. To say the speciality was quackingly good won’t do it justice as the yummilicious ducky duet took to the sous vide egg like...well, ducks to water.

New mains in the spotlight ranged from extravagant Butter Poached Lobster (RM320++), French-aged Sirloin On The Grill and Slow-cooked Rump of Lamb (RM140++) to more rustic Butter Poached Wild French Cod (RM140++) and Poultry Breast Blanquette (RM160++).

The chef’s culinary artistry and technical competence came to the fore in ensuring the lobster creation looked good and tasted even better. Never mind its pared-down preso; put it down to the French respect for letting quality ingredients shine minus the frills.

Likewise, the medium, aged beef held its own; a pivotal lead touched by wisps of mesquite wood on the grill. With a convivial coterie of anchovy, horseradish, celeriac puree and onion tart in attendance, it left our hearts and tummies thoroughly smitten.

Also deserving of applause was the lamb. Slow cooked to blush pink doneness, its tenderness provided nice contrasting textural interplay with the soft eggplant confit and buttered broad beans.

Personally, I was reeled in by the Butter Poached Wild French Cod, Pea and Basil Velouté, Sauce Vierge (RM140++). Sauce vierge or virgin sauce in French is a blend of olive oil, lemon juice, chopped basil and tomato – presumably a trick of the trade to lighten the classical velouté, a mother sauce. In this instance, the resultant liquidy mixture made quite a splash when sampled with the fab fish.

Musky aroma of truffle juice whetted our appetite for the Poultry Breast Blanquette (RM160++). Akin to a ‘white-out’ ragout (French stew), this speciality also comprised truffle white pudding sausage and black trumpet mushrooms injecting their tasteful characters into the equation.

Happily ever-afters to wrap up your dining foray to Maison should cover the alluring

Valrhona Dark Chocolate & Pistachio Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream (RM40++). Thumbs up to the green, nutty and bittersweet slant.

Chocoholics may find sweet succour in the delightful Chocolate Pear, Quince Paste, Jivara and Dulcey Chocolate Mousse (RM40++). A dreamy platter of distinctive Valrhona chocolates: Jivara 40% caramel-vanilla notes with a touch of malt meets Dulcey 32% blond chocolate with buttery and toasty notes, accented by a hint of salt, guaranteed to lift choc-loving diners to new highs.

Prefer returning to basics? Chef Florent tricked up Classic Tatin Apple Pie with a scoop of Bourbon Vanilla Cream Cheese, a grown-up, boozy uptake of old-school apple pie a la mode.

For reservations at Maison Francaise, call tel: 03 2144 1474. The homey colonial bungalow-based dining enclave is located at 5, Jalan Changkat Kia Peng, Kuala Lumpur.

TASTES OF NOBU DUBAI IN KL

It isn't every day we get an invitation to lunch at posh dining outposts like Nobu KL. Especially when there's a guest chef flown in from Dubai from 2 - 7 July so I was thankful for the chance to partake in the notable dining experience at Nobu KL.

Along with Nobu KL's Executive Chef Philip Leong, Chef Hervé Courtot, Corporate Chef and Chef de Cuisine of Nobu Dubai will conjure up a specially curated menu of popular dishes from Nobu Dubai, showcasing his signature flair and rustling up new creations using selected local produce such as tofu skin (foo pei or yuba) and pisang emas.

This is the first time Nobu Kuala Lumpur is holding a distinct Chef’s Table dining experience in which guests will meet with Chef Hervé together with Chef Philip to curate their own 8-course dinner. A promising journey of true artistry, complete with one-of-a-kind dishes, for a personalised culinary experience no gourmand can resist.

As the Corporate Chef of Nobu Restaurant, Chef Hervé is responsible for the operations of Nobu franchises in Riyadh, Monte Carlo, Moscow, Cape Town, Doha, Marbella and Ibiza. With extensive global culinary experience in kitchen operations of fine-dining restaurants and five star hotels, Chef Hervé joined Nobu Restaurant by the globally–renowned Chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa in Dubai as of July 2008. Starting in the position of Chef de Cuisine, he helms the overall management of the said outpost.

Known for its creative mixology concoctions, Nobu KL has created three tipples including the Thai Mandarin Martini (RM45++). On that humid afternoon, I took an instant liking to the tangy and refreshingly cool Absolut Mandarin & Vanilla with passionfruit and lychee puree, and kaffir lime syrup.

 

The headliner of Pan-fried Scallops with Yuba grabbed our attention from the get-go. Presented tapas-style, the plump scallops came enrobed in crunchy deep-fried tofu skin with a slight drizzling of tangy tonkatsu sauce. The clever textural contrast and melding of delicate flavours went down a storm with us.

 

Hot on its heels came Foie Gras Pumpkin Chips with Mustard Miso (RM95++). Pretty as a picture, the slivers of pumpkin chips had an unctuous square of lightly seared foie gras sandwiched in between. A touch of zingy mustardy miso lent the morsel delectable savouriness.

We also munched on Truffled Edamame, boiled young green soya beans elevated to epicurean heights with a generous splash of musky truffle oil on them. The tender beans tasted utterly sublime and were incredibly addictive.

More playful textural compositions tickled our tastebuds from the inventive dish of Konbu Tacos with Beef, Dry Miso and Ikura (RM80++). The only minor downside was the use of konbu (kelp seaweed), miso and ikura (salmon roe) probably tripled the umami quotient hence some may find the morsels too briny for their liking.

In keeping with its glitzy and glamourous image, Nobu collaborated with Swarovski to create a gilded caviar tin embellished with black and gold Swarovski crystals forming the Nobu logo on the lid. Inside it contained luxurious Caviar with Wasabi Mashed Potato (RM260++). We felt like wannabe tycoons, savouring the precious black pearls using the diminutive mother of pearl spoons provided.

Dark as the night and bewitchingly lush on the palate, the smooth and nutty goma (black sesame) dressing nearly eclipsed the chilled succulence of the fish slices in the dish of Salmon Tataki with Black Sesame Dressing & Jalapeno Jelly (RM220++). Still, the faint burst of heat from the jalapeno-accented jelly makes this a on-point crowd-pleaser.

 

A key signature dish from Chef Hervé's repertoire is Chilean Sea Bass with Yuzu White Chocolate Sauce (RM175++). It was a bold, unconventional move on the chef's part as rarely do we encounter white chocolate as a complementing sauce for fish. Although the inclusion of yuzu was meant to blunt the saucy, sweet richness, I personally reckon it wasn't discernible enough to make any difference. A sharper, more acidic 'bite' to temper the cloying aftertaste would have been great but this is merely my preference.

So I resorted to piling on the greens to refresh the palate. Simple but delicious, the Baby Spinach with Dry Miso was a godsend and a noteworthy offering in its own right. Lightly and evenly coated in dressing with crumbled yuba added for subtle crunch, the irresistible serving spurred us to make quick work of it.

Prior marination with a myriad of ingredients ensured the Yellowtail Jalapeno Sushi sumptuous enough to be eaten on its own. Spiked with jalapeno and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds, the maki rolls with yellowtail at its core had us hooked at first bite.

 

A symphony of briny, tart and fresh sea nuances suffused our tastebuds when we devoured Nobu's hallmark Salmon Nu-style Sushi. On the surface, the speciality looked deceptively simple but when Nobu KL's General Manager Gopi Kanala reeled off the litany of stuff gone into making it, I only managed to grasp garlic puree, yuzu juice, grapeseed oil and edible flowers amongst them. According to Gopi, "this sushi serving style is distinct to Nobu - it's perfect for diners who balk at eating raw fish."

I was delighted to find my fave hijiki seaweed starring alongside the speciality of Wagyu Hobayaki with Anticucho Den Miso (RM280++). Unfamiliar with anticucho, I learn it refers to Peruvian grilled meat skewers akin to yakitori brushed with a tantalising aji amarillo (bright, yellow chilli pepper native to Peru) sauce. It makes sense since founder and chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa spent years in that part of the world honing his craft. The anticucho and miso sauce brought a vivacious dimension and nice acidity to balance the indulgent beefy notes against the velvety canvas of pumpkin puree.

 

A big fan of everything lemony, the first dessert of Yuzu Lemon Tart with Shiso Jelly (RM50++) really hit the spot for me. Presented as a deconstructed lemon tart, the minimalist treat consists of buttery almond shortbread sandwiched with lemon custard. Airy-light meringue shards and dots of herbaceous-citrusy shiso (perilla leaf) jelly completed this artistic platter.

Our local humble pisang emas was given a starring role in the second creation of Zinzli Banana Passion (RM50++). The sweet zinzli (Mauritian for dwarf bananas) mash formed a captivating on-song symphony with chocolate-covered almond crumble, passionfruit gel and Venezuelan chocolate mousse.

 

Die-hard chocolate lovers will find ample succour from the heavenly Guanaja Pineapple Tartar with Coconut Lime Szechuan (RM50++). Peruvian and Venezuelan chocolates went into the making of the decadent chocolate mousse and coating of the delicious slab of coconut and chocolate sponge. To even out the expectant richness, the chef paired it with diced pineapple tartar flecked with lime citron zest.

If you prefer liquid dessert, I suggest sipping on Tiramisu Martini (RM45++) or Espresso Martini (RM45++). Frankly, the first is decidedly for the sweet-toothed as the creamy tipple had Kahlua, Frangelico (Italina hazelnut and herb liqueur), coconut puree, fresh cream and vanilla syrup in it. For a boozier and caffeinated 'kick', the latter should do the trick thanks to the heady combination of Absolut Vanilla with Patron XO tequila, Kahlua, espresso and vanilla syrup.

The Chef’s Table with Chef Hervé Courtot is priced at RM695++ per person with 8 courses customised to each table. Catch him today and tomorrow! For inquiries and reservations, call NOBU KL, tel: 03-2164 5084 or Whatsapp 019-389 5085.