Tucked at the corner between Jalan Maarof and Lorong Maarof in Bangsar Kuala Lumpur is Rendez-vous, a new French restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. I went about two weeks ago to check out the place with two friends and here's the result:
Asked the owner why such a "kitsch" (tacky in French) decor (with a tourist Eiffel tower) and he replied to break away from the association of fine dining and French food, which tends to drive the more common crowd away. I agreed on one thing: it doesn't have to be fine dining (cost on service and decor) but the food needs to be good...
Then again it need not be borrowing concepts from gourmet restaurants: tasters or amuse-gueule. In this case tiny crostinis in huge dinner plates. For me, wrong foot in using cheap gimmicks...
Ordered a strawberry daquiri - no complains
I came for this: oysters. Though the presentation was interesting, I find it cumbersome. Oysters are reasonably fresh for the distance they have to travel from France to Malaysia but they are not exactly "plump" (They tend to shrink a bit in volume once they are kept longer than they should alive. That also explains why certain places freeze their oysters -easy to open and no risk of shrinking). At RM40plus half a dozen (minus tax), it was not that expensive...
Here's how fresh oysters should look like...
If the oysters are not alive, eg look "shrunk" or lifeless, don't consume - in this photos they tend to spread out well over the shell and look plump. They also should have nice translucent colour and smell freshly of the ocean. Those featured here are fin de claire, one of the most consumed type in France.
I always enjoy a good moules frites (mussels served with fries) but helas, this was a disappointment: there is way too much "soup" in the bowl and that drowns the sweetness of the mussels (can't taste the wine at all), and they were way overcooked and too salty. I actually had better ones from cheap unknown bistros in France, way better ones.
Result: paid close to RM110 for 2 dishes and a drink (non alcoholic). You be the judge of its worthiness...
My friends had these:
A RM53++ menu:
a cheese quiche for starter
A salted cod brandade, bane of the uninitiated diner as my friend had chosen two things that were way too close in taste to each other. Had a small bite to figure out the flavour. Needs more work. I was transported back to my university canteen in France...
Île flottante or floating island, encore something which is sooo classically canteen dessert...or it reminds me of supermarket desserts from the cold sections...I would say dump the cumbersome and oversized dinner wares and improve on the taste. I agreed with the owner, fine dining it is not.
Another menu at RM89++
Duck confit...
Pan fried cod with asparagus - still reminds me of cheap bistro food...too much thick sauce everywhere.
The cheese was actually star of the show but way too skimpy (and yeah, drop that ugly tacky cheese board with the toy cleaver too)
This three course was served with a dessert of choice...
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