Redefining Sunday Brunch ala French style at Maison Francaise

Who would have thought that in the heart of the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur lies a stylish mansion,   defined by its simple yet elegant black and white appearance, but serves one of the finest French cuisine from its kitchen?
Surrounded by a serene environment filled with greenery in an idyllic setting, the mansion is indeed an attractive place for one to enjoy peace and tranquility while indulging in the exquisite tastes of the food served here.

Maison Francaise (translated to mean French House) is where the art of French fine dining resides. The sophisticated design of the mansion is just a glimpse of what they have to offer, and the best is to be served on the tables, with pride from their kitchen.

There are many reasons for Maison Francaise to be proud; for besides the beautiful setting of their restaurant, they have their own home Executive Chef; Chef Franck Lamache, who hailed from France and has had many years of experiences and track record under his belt.

From 3-Star Michelin restaurants to renowned hotels and restaurants in Paris, Chef Franck is definitely a top notch name in the industry, to say the least and his passion in culinary arts is displayed through his handcrafted menu and presentation of the food at this very place.

Known for his style in serving the tastes of simplicity filled with natural flavors but with a representation of elegance and artistry, Chef Franck's work has impressed many who have tasted his crafts.

It was an honor and a privilege to be invited to Maison Francaise on a Sunday afternoon to sample the works of the famous Chef Franck, in his presentation of a Sunday Brunch.

The interior of Maison Francaise; bar counter on the left and wine cellar facing the main entrance


The general dining area; spruced up with a cheerful twist with the sweet floral prints on the tablecloth



French Lace curtains adorn the windows in the restaurant; permitting the natural sunlight to light up the entire place

Classic table setting with fresh flowers 


Sunday Brunch started with Bread Basket
We were first served this simple white bread; Ciabatta (an Italian style white bread; also known as slipper bread, made of purely wheat flour and yeast)


Though simple, the bread was indeed a work of perfection as the texture of the bread was soft yet crispy at the edges where the outer crust is; giving it that chewy in the middle yet crunchy at the end quality. It was simply irresistible and if you are not careful, you will find yourself reaching for one helping after another.





This was more for our personal enjoyment, but I couldn't resist to post on this load of mixed bread and pastries, which again were some of the best I have tried.
From left; the same bread from above, chic-filled danish, and light toasts.



First Serving

La soupe de cigale de mer
Slipper Lobster Soup

As its name suggests, the soup was made with the slipper lobster (a type of spiny and furry lobster) and is a tantalizing mix with its rich flavors, not to mention the thick finishing of the soup.

It was a tempting start to tease the palates with this decadent soup.

Les ceufs brouilles et champignons
Scramble eggs with mushrooms

While this sounds and looks seemingly simple, the ordinary breakfast/brunch dish is transformed into more than the ordinary with the inclusion of cheese to smoothen the texture of the scrambled eggs and at the same time gives it that rich taste with a momentary lapse in acknowledging the existence of the eggs in them. It is truly a work of art, to blend such simple flavors and tastes of eggs with cheese to give it that exquisite feel to the combination.



A Special presentation by Chef Franck is this

Vegetable Macedoine Langoustine 
Poached diced Langoustine with fennel, celery root, diced tomato and smoked barramundi shallot in avocado dressing



The presentation of the langoustine made it almost impossible to take a bite; and once a bite is taken, I was tempted by the exotic mix of the tastes which combined the creamy avocado dressing lightly masking the integration of the fresh and crunchy bits of the vegetables with the saltish specks of barramundi shallots. This is truly an eccletic mingling of the unique individual tastes; all put together in harmony to give it that appetizing flavor.

Second Serving

Le filet de vivaneau, sauce poivron rouge
Seared red snapper with red capsicum sauce


I was starting to be mesmerized by the presentation of each of Chef Franck's dish, and looked forward to his distinctive way of displaying his food on the dish to be served.
He truly did not disappoint each time; and the appearance of the dish would be a sure start to seduce one's appetite through the visual artistic work cleverly giving an attractive cosmetic impression of the underlying great tastes of his food. It is truly art and gourmet at their best.




Le poulet roti aux thym et tomate
Roasted chicken with tomato and thyme sauce







Roasted Green Bean
Even simple tastes from the green bean was spruced up with a refreshing light blend of butter in this vegetable dish, which made it more appealing to the palates.


Cheese Course, assiette de fromage



Cheese lovers would be delighted with the presentation of an assortment of cheese in this course.

Desserts

Be enticed by the delightful platter of sweet temptations which include the following:-



L'entremet pina colada
Frozen pina colada entremet





Le mille-feuille chocolat et noisette
Napoleon with hazelnut and chocolate





Glace et sorbet
Ice cream and sorbet



A special and recommended one to look out for in the Desserts menu has got to be this

La rosace d'agrumes et sabayon au champagne
Gratineted citrus with champagne sabayon



This is truly a gratifying mix of bittersweet tastes flourished with the lightly melting texture in your mouth that gives one a sensation of pleasure with just a taste.




I do not need further testimonials to attest to the culinary skills and expertise of Chef Franck Lamache; as my Sunday Brunch will never be the same again after enjoying the finest tastes from Maison Francaise.

Chef Franck has lived up to his reputation and identity with his unique skills in transforming and intermarrying the tastes of simplicity with unique elegance and visual sophistication, to bring us an art of French fine dining at its best.

The Sunday Brunch at Maison Francaise KL is available on every Sundays; and Maison Francaise opens its doors from 11am onwards.

Priced at RM188++, the brunch includes alcohol (Red and white wine) and a glass of champagne
Alternatively, the non-alcoholic set is priced at RM148++ with soft drinks or chilled juices.

For further information, do check out Maison Francaise's website here
Private functions and events can be organized at their premises which house a private function area at the lower ground, with a swimming pool and a view of the city of Kuala Lumpur.


*Special thanks to Maison Francaise for extending the invitation, and to Chef Franck Lamache for serving us an unforgettable dining experience*



More photos on Maison Francaise

    

A romantic evening in Ferringhi Garden

Dimly lit with man-made waterfalls amidst the white table clothed oak tables with lighted candles in glass lamps and fresh stalks of orchids surrounded by lush greenery, Ferringhi Garden is set as one of the most romantic (outdoor) venues to grace the shores of Penang.

The place has been around for the past few years, and I have personally visited and dined here in its earlier days (read about it here).

Recently I have revisited the place for a little celebration, and the place, to both my surprise and delight has not changed over the years, (perhaps a change in the staff or the cooks) and everything still looks the same as before. I was here a little later in the evening to experience the night atmosphere and ambiance, said to be really romantic and beautiful as darkness falls.

I was definitely not disappointed, as the place did come to life with the meticulously placed lights in the right spots, and the amount of lighting used to create that sentimental environment.
Everything did seem right here, from the ambiance to the service which was superb by the way as the staff went out of their way to attend to each of our requests, and there is always a smile on their faces.
There is no such thing as an odd request to them, nor did we sense that there was any form of judgment towards their customers. It was truly service with a smile, and I am impressed :-)

Peach Smoothie (MYR16) was a delightful and flavorful treat, with its fragrant peachy scent filling the entire drink.
I was figuring if they used fresh peaches or concentrate for this, as it did taste a little puree-like and was tad a bit too sweet for my liking, but in general, still a pleasant drink and I am a fan of peach, so yes, I am biased :-)

Seafood Carbonara with Spaghetti (MYR22)
Rich and creamy, the spaghetti was accompanied by an abundance and assortment of fresh seafood; from juicy prawns to mussels and squids, and generously portioned chunks of salmon too.






Grilled Norwegian Salmon (MYR56)
Air flown salmon grilled to perfection and as I have been craving for salmon for quite a while, this was the taste that fits the bill of what I wanted.
(I also love salmon, but I favor only perfection when it comes to my favorite fish, and I am extremely picky when it comes to fish).






I personally find that the quality of the food has improved over the years, and I am happy to add this to my list of favorite restaurants for fine dining.
The prices are on the higher side, but still reasonable for fine dining and the ambiance and service made up the whole package.



I think I know where to recommend for romantic dining; especially for the outdoorsy folks the next time anyone asks me.
As for me, I definitely have my dibs on the salmon....

Invited Review: Sesame + Soy Restaurant, G Hotel

It has been a busy quarter for me, and I have been rushing for meetings and business trips for the past two months now. My calendar still continues to be booked for the next month; in fact it even looks packed and work is probably the only thing that is on my mind these days.
Writing has taken a back seat for a short while, and it saddens me (even bothers me!) that I could not update my blogs with the limited time I have left after responding to work emails, attending meetings and finding time to sleep!

I was surprised with two invitations this month; and I was quite excited about it as I always viewed it as an honor to be invited to any launch/review event although I had no choice but to turn down one of them due to a clash with my schedule.
However, I was delighted that I was able to make it to the other invitation and I responded immediately!



It was a pleasant experience interacting with the PR from G Hotel, and I must say I was impressed with their attentiveness and thoughtfulness in arranging the event with us bloggers. In fact, it was superb and every minute detail was taken into consideration prior to the lunch review; including accommodating to our special dietary needs!
(This did not come from the sponsor and it is based on my personal experience/impression).

Moving onto the review:

Sesame + Soy Restaurant is one of the very first Chinese restaurants in Penang offering fine Pan Asian Chinese cuisines served with a twist of fusion style to redefine the classic menu one can find in a typical Chinese restaurant.
Taking a bold step in this, Sesame + Soy promises something different for the adventurous and yet at the same time, maintain the authentic flavors of much loved Chinese dishes.

Warm hospitality and the inviting ambience made us settle comfortably while engaging in a lively banter with each other as we await the promising dishes from the kitchen.

We selected a variety of drinks from their beverages menu prior to the meal; to try out a few of their signature drinks.








For starters, we had the Sesame's treasure combination with smoked duck breast, baked mashed sweet potato and fresh scallop skewer.

The first thing that caught my eye was the style of presentation; for the dish, though designed with an Oriental theme in mind was presented in a distinguished pattern which one would usually associate with Western fine dining.

The treasure combination was rather an exotic notion; throwing the zesty flavours of fruits along with tiny chunks of smoked duck breast in one concoction.

Since scallop is one of my favorite, I need not elaborate much.
The baked mashed sweet potato, however, I must comment; as frankly, if you have been following my blog, you know I am never fond of potatoes in any form. I was skeptical to take a bite but honestly, had I not read the menu beforehand, I would not have guessed that this was mashed potato.

It was pleasant and smooth to taste and retained the original flavours (not to mention goodness) of the sweet potato.

I was told that the new Chef Chiam particularly dotes on the presentation of his dishes, and would spend time to ensure that each dish is decorated to his liking; using themes of flowers and fruits.

The next dish won my vote for the best presentation of a dish; and a soup dish nevertheless.

Braised Golden Superior Broth with Seafood Dumpling was definitely a golden dish; in my opinion as the vibrant colors of the broth just caught everyone's attention.
However, the placing of the seafood dumpling right in the middle of the golden broth made it look like it was themed with the sun in mind, don't you think?


I had expected the seafood dumpling to be crispy with the fried wanton skin; but no, to my surprise, it was actually made of soft egg crepe!
That was definitely an unexpected surprise, and shows that looks can be deceiving!

This dish did not disappoint and I found myself enjoying the rich flavors from the soup seeping into the stuffed dumpling; which was filled with crab meat and sea treasures.


The next dish; Pan-seared Chicken with Xi Shi Sauce and Asparagus in cream sauce with baby carrot and edible flower



Grilled Blue River Prawn in Korean Spice accompanied by Marmite Sauce



Wok Fried Diced Salmon with Brown Bean Sauce with Crispy Corn Cake

I must comment on this dish, because it is my favorite dish from the whole menu.
Well, of course, seeing that I am a big fan of salmon (or fish in general), I was quite hooked onto the style of dicing the salmon then wok frying it before serving it with such a enticing sauce.
It gave a whole new flavorful perspective to the salmon; which many would perceive as an oily or fishy type of fish but seriously, if you were to take a bite of this, it would be one of the most relishing taste of salmon and it is really addictive, I tell you.


Finally, the dessert; Crunchy Jack Fruit Kataifi Roll with Honey and Chinese Herbal Jelly with Jamoca Almond Fudge Ice Cream


I must say though the dessert seemed like nothing unusual; I beg to differ with my own interpretation of the dessert which revealed the yin yang theory infused with the concepts from both east and west.
For instance, the crunchy jack fruit kataifi roll was deep fried but had the concept of 'hot' but it was balanced with the chinese herbal jelly which was perceived as 'cool'. The Jamoca Almond Fudge ice cream and also the honey was rather in-between or towards the cool element.
Now, isn't that an interesting concept, mixing and matching the heat and cool elements from both east and west?

The chef himself, after an exhausting stint in the kitchen; whipping up meals for two reviewer groups at the same time!


While many may have the perception that Sesame + Soy is a fine dining Chinese restaurant, and therefore must be highly priced, you will be surprised to learn that is not truly the case.
For daily business set lunches, prices start from MYR30++ per pax, which includes a soup of the day, a main course and dessert. Please kindly refer to the G Hotel website for more details.

For those interested in organizing business functions/events or even intimate wedding dinners, Sesame + Soy can accommodate up to a total of 50+ pax in its conducive environment..

For more details, do visit G Hotel's official website: www.ghotel.com.mny
Email: g4u@ghotel.com.my
G Hotel Sdn Bhd is located at 168A Persiaran Gurney, 10250 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 604-238 0000  Fax: 604-238 0088