MIGF 2015 Review – Maison Francaise

[MIGF Special Feature]

My final Malaysia International Gourmet Festival (MIGF) 2015 review was at Maison Francaise in Kuala Lumpur, and accompanying me for this review was Nicole Fu. As we went on a Sunday afternoon, there was ample parking along the roadside.

I’m no stranger to this French restaurant as I have previously visited Maison Francaise a couple of times for events over the past few years including the House of Haagen Daz party (read more at https://timchew.net/2013/07/16/house-of-haagen-daz-party/) as well as the Polignac Cognac Extra Grande Champagne event (read more at https://timchew.net/2013/09/15/polignac-cognac-extra-grande-champagne-launch-290813/) and the Remy Martin – Heart of Cognac Experience (read more at https://timchew.net/2013/10/26/remy-martin-the-heart-of-cognac-experience/).

Maison Francaise has been around for a few years and has won various accolades!

Getting settled at our table, we were served a welcome mocktail which was citrusy and very refreshing. Then it was on to the special MIGF menu that was specially prepared by Chef Thierry Le Baut.

Chef Thierry preparing food in the open kitchen

Amuse Bouche - Chef Delight — Amuse Bouche – Chef Delight

Appetiser 1 - Millefeuille De Foie Gras, Anguille Fumee Maison, Pomme Verte, Gratine a la Minute — Appetiser 1 – Millefeuille De Foie Gras, Anguille Fumee Maison, Pomme Verte, Gratine a la Minute

Foie Gras Balotine, Home-Smoked Eel, Green Apple Millefeuille, Gratinated a la Minute Beetroot Jelly

Foie Gras is what I expect to have at French restaurants and I was happy to see it in the MIGF menu. This wasn’t the typical pan-fried foie gras though but instead was encased in a millefeuille which is a French pastry. The various textures and flavours of this dish made every mouthful very enjoyable indeed and it was definitely an impressing start to the meal.

Appetiser 2 - Jardin De Coquille Saint Jacques, Herbes Fraiches et Fleurs, Ecume De Carotte et Wasabi — Appetiser 2 – Jardin De Coquille Saint Jacques, Herbes Fraiches et Fleurs, Ecume De Carotte et Wasabi

Garden Scallops, Herbs, Flowers, Carrot and Wasabi Foam

This was a cute dish! The bed of the “garden” was actually Chinese fried carrot cake – one of Chef Thierry’s East/ West pairings! Chef Thierry had previously travelled to many countries and he loves to learn the recipes of the food he enjoys in each country, then applying his French culinary skills and incorporating it into his menu. The scallops were plump and fresh and went well with the wasabi foam which wasn’t particularly spicy.

Appetiser 3 - Dover Sole Farci, Sauce Au Safron, Gambas Kanaki — Appetiser 3 – Dover Sole Farci, Sauce Au Safron, Gambas Kanaki

Surprise of Dover Sole Roll, Saffron Sauce, Prawn Kanaki

The silky smooth Dover sole, which is a white fish, rolled around a prawn paste went well with the four (4) different sauces, while the prawn kanaki was a prawn wrapped with spaghetti then deep fried giving it a crispy outer layer! A very colourful and pretty dish indeed with lots of flavour imparted by the sauces.

Palate Cleanser – Hibiscus Granite

Main Course - Presentation D’agneau en 3 Cuisson, Sauce Au Basilique, Maron Glaces — Main Course – Presentation D’agneau en 3 Cuisson, Sauce Au Basilique, Maron Glaces

Presentation of Lamb in 3 Coccion, Basil Sauce, Glazed Chestnuts

Lamb prepared ways – sous-vide, pan fried and oven roasted, providing three (3) different textures. My favourite has to be the sous-vide lamb as it was so tender, chewing was hardly required. The flavours of the lamb were so delicious that it didn’t really need the basil sauce. In fact, I enjoyed the unmasked flavours of the lamb on its own and had the creamy mashed potatoes with the sauce instead. The glazed chestnut was an interesting addition to the dish.

Dessert - Mousse Deivara, Coeur De Framboise, Gelede Chrysantheme, Sphere de Mojito, Sorbet Framboise — Dessert – Mousse Deivara, Coeur De Framboise, Gelede Chrysantheme, Sphere de Mojito, Sorbet Framboise

Jivara Mousse, Raspberry Heart, Chrysanthemum Jelly, Mojito Sphere and Raspberry Sorbet

The rich and incredibly sinful Jivara chocolate mousse with a raspberry core was a delight to partake of while the piquant raspberry sorbet balanced out the flavours preventing my palate from being overwhelmed by the richness. The Mojito Sphere burst in the mouth filling my mouth with refreshing “mojito” flavours. The chrysanthemum jelly was chef’s little East/ West balance in this dish and provided the variance in texture.

Full Festival Menu price: RM380.00++ per person

Brittany-born Chef Thierry Le Baut has over 30 years of experience in the culinary field and has travelled all over the world before being based in Malaysia for the past two (2) years. He believes in learning recipes from the lands he visits and incorporating it into his menus if he can.

Don’t let his jovial and mild demeanour fool you as Chef Thierry is a martial arts exponent (so don’t try to run off from Maison Francaise without paying the bill)! He applies the calmness he learned from martial arts when he leads his culinary team and speaks in an even tone to his kitchen staff to ensure that the situation remains calm no matter how busy the restaurant is. Chef Thierry is also a photography enthusiast and swims regularly to keep in shape.

After the delicious meal, Chef Thierry was kind enough to give us a tour of the restaurant.