Le Bouchon - Dining with a French flair

Thanks to BigBoysOven, I was given the opportunity to do my maiden food review in KL. It was truly an eye-opening experience, to share the dining room with fellow bloggers as well as the press community.

Arriving at Le Bouchon's quaint restaurant required some level of alertness since it's located at the corner with a not-so-distinct signboard. Even Xin missed this place though she passed by. I was lucky because a friend had once shown me this place before when we happened to drive around so I knew where to look at.

Le Bouchon at Changkat Bukit Bintang

Perfectly set table

Stepping into the restaurant, one would be welcomed by the rustic surroundings and furniture. The theme of interior decoration was of wood and there was even a fireplace! Not to mention the large array of wines that was placed in the reception area. However, walk further in and you'd be charmed by the dining area which was tastefully decorated with homely French interior, giving you the much needed coziness away from the hustle and bustle of city life. The numerous Tatler's awards hanging on the wall gave reassurance that this restaurant was a-cut-above the rest.

Fancy a table for two?

Fireplace

Wine array

Tatler awards

The dining tables were perfectly set with complete cutlery and meticulous arrangement. The small bouquet of white roses (my favourite) in the middle of the table gave it a personal touch.

White roses centrepiece

Impeccable table setting

After snapping pictures around the restaurant to our hearts' content, we finally settled down and waited for our meals to be served. We began our culinary voyage with these small and delicate cookies that whetted our appetite. No information was given on what those cookies were made of, but there was a hint of foie gras somewhere in between the layers, I'm sure. :) The rolls of bread were fresh from the oven, slightly firm on the outside but warm and fluffy inside. If I wasn't saving my tummy for the next courses, I would have taken two of these rolls.

Cookies

Warm bread

Done with the tidbits, we were served with the first appetizer for the night, Terrine de Foie Gras maison (Homemade Goose liver terrine served with fig jam and grilled sour dough bread) RM50++. We were told to eat the foie gras with the freshly toasted bread but I took my first bite just on the foie gras alone. It was sublime! The texture was soft and smooth, unlike that of peanut butter, and it literally melted in my mouth. It was very flavourful without being overpowering. Add that onto the bread and an equilibrium was reached. Rich, smooth and flavourful foie gras with warm, toasted bread. Do not be fooled by the modest size of the foie gras for after a few more mouthfuls, the richness began to kick in. I highly recommend this dish to be shared by two persons, not to mention the intimacy that it would bring by scooping foie gras onto each other's bread. :)

Foie gras terrine

Sour dough toasted bread

Foie gras terrine and fig jam on sour dough bread

Second on our list was the Soupe de moules noires au safran et légumes aromatiques (Black mussels and saffron soup with aromatique vegetables) RM20++, something lighter that provided a much needed contrast compared to the aforementioned rich starter. The soup was creamy but never thick, and each mouthful was packed with the goodness of fresh mussels. It definitely cleared our palate and left us in anticipation for the next course.

Black mussels soup

Creamy but light

Continuing on our culinary adventure, the Filet de morue rôti au sirop d’érable et piment, asperges vertes à l’ail, beurre blanc de betterave (Roasted cod fillet with chilli-maple glaze, green asparagus with garlic, beetroot beurre blanc sauce) RM62++ was served. I was blown away by the absolute thickness of the piece of fish, not to mention its amazingly smooth and flaky texture. Kudos to Chef Jerome for bringing out the best of this fish and for doing it the justice that it very much deserved. The meat was firm without being hard, and every bite was just a pure delight. The beetroot-induced sauce gave it the unique pink colour and provided the refreshing twist to the otherwise ordinary taste of fish. Simply genius.

Cod fish fillet

Fresh cod fish

White wine to be paired with white meat

Taking a break from our 5-course dinner, I took a stroll outside of the restaurant to note that there was an area for al fresco dining, if you wish. As expected, more wooden furniture that complemented the French homely theme of the restaurant. There was even a mini fish pond for your viewing pleasure.

Al fresco dining

Fish pond

Following our cod fish was the Pavé de bœuf rôti , sauce Bordelaise, ratatouille et pommes sautées aux lardons de canard fumé (Roasted beef tenderloin, Bordeaux wine sauce, ratatouille vegetables and sautéed potatoes with smoked duck bacon) RM98++ . This, my friends, is the epitome of steaks. The pinnacle of culinary art. The steak was done to perfection, never a minute over- or under-cooked. Best of all, no signs of bloody streaks at all (sigh of relief), and yet never tough. Each bite of the exquisite steak was savoury and left us desiring for more. At this point of time, after going through 3 courses and already feeling full, desiring for more of the steak spoke millions for the quality of it. Worry not about the waistline nor the cholesterol meter for that matter, for one never gets to eat steak as good as this very much in a lifetime. Make no mistake, I declare this the best steak that I have ever had.

Best steak (Credit: www.foodpoi.com)

Steak done perfectly

Finally, to end our beyond-satisfying meal, was the Crème brulée aux framboises (Crème brulée with raspberries) RM18++. Creme brulee on its own, is nothing to boast about, but the ingenious Chef Jerome combined it with raspberries hidden at the bottom that would tantalize your taste buds with its strong soury tang. The top layer was sweet and hard, followed by the soft and smooth custard and ending with the sour raspberries. The effect was a decadent 3-in-1 experience when one eats the 3 layers together. Definitely a twist compared to the more commonly found sweet desserts that might leave you feeling too full for good.

Creme brulee

Soft and smooth creme brulee

Some camwhoring ensued:

witch and Chef Jerome

Chef Jerome presenting the new menu

witch with Sidney from BigBoysOven

Clockwise from top left: Louis, witch, Xin, Ken and Jessica

This was an additional dish of lamb and asparagus that were presented for photography purposes. Carre d’agneau à la croute de fromage de chèvre, courgettes à la fleur de thym, pommes dauphines épicées, sauce au Cabernet sauvignon (Rack of lamb with goat’s cheese crust, roasted zucchinis with thyme flowers, spiced dauphine potatoes, Cabernet Sauvignon sauce) RM82++. My, even the name is a mouthful itself.

Rack of lamb

Asparagus

Once again, may I present to you:

Le Bouchon's New Menu by Chef Jerome Carrouee

APPETIZERS
Terrine de Foie Gras maison
Homemade Goose liver terrine served with fig jam and grilled sour dough bread
RM50++
*****

SOUP
Soupe de moules noires au safran et légumes aromatiques
Black mussels and saffron soup with aromatique vegetables
RM20++
*****

SEAFOOD
Filet de morue rôti au sirop d’érable et piment, asperges vertes à l’ail, beurre blanc de betterave
Roasted cod fillet with chilli-maple glaze, green asparagus with garlic, beetroot beurre blanc sauce
RM62++
*****

MEAT
Pavé de bœuf rôti , sauce Bordelaise, ratatouille et pommes sautées aux lardons de canard fumé
Roasted beef tenderloin, Bordeaux wine sauce, ratatouille vegetables and sautéed potatoes with smoked duck bacon
RM98++
*****

DESSERT
Crème brulée aux framboises
Crème brulée with raspberries
RM18++

Chef Jerome has really brought my senses to a brand new degree, setting outrageous standards which would be hard to beat by other restaurants. It was indeed a great honour to have tasted the works of art from the chef himself, while opening my eyes to what French cuisine had to over. This is definitely a must-visit for food critics and food lovers alike. A well-deserved 8-time Tatler award-winning restaurant.

Le Bouchon Restaurant
14 & 16, Changkat Bukit Bintang,
50200 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
Tel. no.: 03-2142 7633

Fatty meaty crabs

*Updated with prices

Time for seafood! Actually, just crabs! :) Due to the rare occasion that the four of us sickawans got together in KL, we decided to go celebrate with big fat juicy crabs at none other than Fatty Crab in Taman Megah. It was my first time being there and the notion that I wasn't aware of this restaurant's existence was showered with "What do you mean you don't know Fatty Crab???" coupled with gasps and stares from the rest of the gang. *LOL* Seriously, I was never aware of this place before that, and I don't know why is that a big deal. :P

Anyway, after much searching and rounding the neighbourhood of Taman Megah, we found the place located in the smack of the pasar malam (night market) on that Sunday. Bad idea. Traffic was congested and finding a parking was no easy task. All in the name of fatty crabs. We reached there about at about 6-ish and thank goodness we had a table without having to wait. The first thing that attracted me upon reaching was this very strong aroma, even from outside of the shop. No, it's not the smell of crabs at all. It's the smell of chicken wings! Seriously the scent stretched all the way out and opened up my appetite in no time. *LOL*

Without further ado, we ordered chicken wings! In fact, we ordered the wings TWICE, because the first plate was polished off in no time and everyone was craving for more. :) The chicken wings (RM2/pc) had to be eaten while they're hot to experience the slightly crispy layer of skin on the outside and the warm and smooth meat inside. Albeit oily, the taste was just gorgeous, especially on empty stomachs like ours.

Chicken wings (RM2/pc)

We also ordered the signature fried rice (RM4 for serving of 1 person), which was apparently also well-known in this restaurant. The fried rice was fried with traces of carrot bits, green peas and eggs. Though there was not much ingredient or meat used, the rice was still delicious due to the 'wok hei' and sufficient seasoning used. Good for filling the tummy while waiting for the crabs to arrive. :)

Signature fried rice (serving for 2 persons)

Fatty Crab used the unique way of eating crabs with toasted home made bread (RM0.30/pc), instead of the common mantou, which I found very refreshing and creative. I mean, this is how normal families would eat their leftover curry with at home, but no one actually popularized this idea in restaurants. The bread, with the toasted texture, was slightly crispy without being hard. Almost perfect combination with the sauce of the crabs. But beware, once they're left too long, the bread became cold and tough.

Toasted bread to go with crabby sauce (RM0.30/pc)

And the star of the evening finally arrived, crabs done spicy and sour style (RM28/600gm). The crabs were huge and meaty, unlike the ones I had before in Penang's seafood restaurants. Most of the crabs I had back in Penang had big shells but were almost hollow internally with little meat to spare. These, however, really stood up to their name. Fatty and meaty. :) It was the first time I didn't mind the trouble of peeling crabs because I knew they had so much to offer. The sauce was sour and slightly spicy, and it went extremely well with the toasted bread. The crab meat, though meaty, was not exactly fresh from the sea. It didn't have that texture of springy and flaky meat, however, it was definitely much better than the average crabs elsewhere. The sauce was absorbed everywhere inside the crabs, making every bite a juicy and yummy one.

Spicy and sour fatty crabs (RM28/600gm)

The gluttons we were ordered satays as well! We really have extra big stomachs, you'd be surprised. The satays (RM0.70/pc) were nothing to shout about though. I guess once I had the satay at Teluk Kumbar Good Friend Seafood restaurant, other satays would be difficult to claim the no. 1 spot in my heart. :) These satays were not bad, to give it due credit. Just that the meat wasn't really marinated well and you have to eat it with the satay sauce or risk it being bland.

Chicken Satay

Satay sauce

Overall, the meal at Fatty Crab was indeed a satisfying one. The bill came to about RM27/person for everything I mentioned including sugar cane drinks. Oh sugar cane drink is a must! Cooling down your palate after eating the hot and spicy crabs.

Fatty Crab Restaurant in Taman Megah

When we left the restaurant, not surprisingly, there was already a long queue in front. We counted our blessings for reaching there early and avoiding the crowd. So everyone, do go there early if you don't want to wait in line.

Fatty Crab Restaurant
No 2, Jln SS 24/13 ,
Taman Megah,
47301 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.
Tel. no.: 603-78045758

Convocation at Nikko Hotel

This post is dedicated to my very good friend and fellow sickawan Chiaoju. She is now a proud graduate of an MBA. *applause* Stan, Yen and I went to her convocation in Nikko Hotel, since her university doesn't really have a campus in Malaysia (I think). Before that, why is it that my stupid university is taking so very long to approve my thesis! She started before me and finished earlier than me. *sigh* Anyway, we bought her a bouquet of white roses, coincidentally my favourites too! :) The hotel lobby was filled with parents and friends bearing flowers on that day, waiting for the graduation ceremony to be over.

Nikko Hotel lobby

Such high ceiling

On and off, I was texting Chiaoju to make sure we're at the right place at the right time. :)

Dimly lit chandelier

While waiting, of course I didn't miss out the chance to camwhore, this time with the University of South Australia poster! There was plenty of food lined up outside the ballroom, but they were reserved until the ceremony was over, of course. So we could only wait and smell. *LOL*

My shirt matched with the poster!

Finally, the doors of the grand ballroom opened and people starting streaming out in a line. I quickly ran over to the side with my camera ready. Tadaa! Managed to capture a shot of her while walking. :) Congrats dear!

Chiaoju emerging from the ballroom

After another while of waiting, she joined us again for more camwhoring. :)

Chiaoju and witch

with the sickawans

The area outside the ballroom was starting to get really hot and stuffy with people crowding around and walking to and fro the buffet spread. We noticed that the ballroom was now empty and it was so very cooling! Off we went inside to enjoy the comfort of silence and aircon. :)

A happy Chiaoju

The grand ballroom

Chiaoju and Stan

Chiaoju and yen

Oh I love this picture! It's like Do-Re-Me-Fa! In terms of height, I mean. I think I'm actually taller than Stan, but somehow, I wasn't really standing straight so I looked short in the picture. *LOL*

The sickawans

Before we left, Chiaoju's sis asked us to pose with our legs up, and be comfortable in it. However, we were so rigid and serious that we looked funny with the pose! Gosh we probably have turned too old for candid poses like this.

Playing the fool

We proceeded to have super yummy crabs after that, which I will blog about later on. And once again, congratulations to you, dear Chiaoju! We're very proud of you. *hugs*