FOOD: Exquisitely French

The adage, “Looking at life through rose-tinted glasses”, comes to life at La Vie En Rose, writes Amanda Suriya Ariffin

WHEN Toulouse-bred Jean-Michel Fraisse, owner of French restaurant La Vie En Rose, greets you in fluent Bahasa Malaysia, you know instantly that it’s going to be an interaction where expectations are blown out of the water while cliches are disproved and stereotypes dismissed in a charming way.

La Vie En Rose is discreetly located along Jalan Raja Chulan and it’s easy to miss it as it nestles quietly in the leafy nook of the slope. This is the first hint that there is nothing overtly showy or pretentious about the place. It makes you wonder what lies behind the unassuming exterior. From the simple signage on the stone wall that lines the uphill single-lane driveway (not the most straightforward of entrances for motorists but an interesting one, nonetheless), to the colonial-type bungalow, it is rustic and endearing at first sight.

The lack of a formal, imposing entrance is reassuring. The airy simplicity of the decor, which some may consider stark, means it is not competing with the cuisine on offer, for that is the undeniable star of the show, which, after an afternoon spent in the company of the gregarious and personable Fraisse, is rightfully deserved.

“It’s not glamorous to open a restaurant,” says the 48-year-old Fraisse with refreshing candour, but this veteran of the service industry, who was already working in a restaurant in Toulouse at the tender age of 14 and became a chef at 20, possesses a conviction that there is a necessity to share the purity of traditional French cuisine with none of the dilution that the current trend of fusion cuisine brings. And rightly so. He stands firmly by his principle of providing an experience that is unique, where the difference lies in the quality of the execution.

“I do not do ‘cheap’ things,” shares Fraisse as he leads me into an annexe of the restaurant that houses a cosy, sunlight-drenched room where shelves line the walls and hold an almost-artistic display of glass jars and colourful tins.

This is the Aladdin’s cave of treasures of hard-to-find culinary treats such as Pantaleria capers, Connetable vintage sardines and single origin coffees: Boutique, niche (and high-end, if we are being truthful) gourmand products, imported by Fraisse, for the uncompromising food connoisseur.

“I don’t allow anyone to bring their own wine here,” adds Fraisse in his take-it-or-leave-it but affable manner. “We’ve learnt from our mistakes.”

“I didn’t really want to open a restaurant, but I wanted to show what emerging talents (chefs) could do if they were just given the platform.”

The fortunate recipient of Fraisse’s altruism this time is Mikhail, 23, the chef in residence, who had trained at Fraisse’s previous restaurant in Tropicana, and now serves up chicken liver mousse as the amuse bouche (a complimentary appetiser that literally means “(to) entertain (the) mouth”). It is quickly followed by foie gras creme brulee with brioche and Echire butter (“one of the best butters,” says Fraisse).

He wasn’t kidding about the butter. If the butter were a man, I would have proposed marriage on the spot. It is that good. “My aim is to make things better, not cheaper.”

“But the amuse bouche, it changes every day,” he adds, grinning, as the foie gras creme brulee contorts my face into an embarrassing display of obvious pleasure. “This,” he gestures to the foie gras creme brulee, “is one of the most well-liked starters.”

With pleasure occasionally comes pain, and in this respect, the “pain” may be felt by the wallet, as Fraisse nonchalantly shares that diners spend an average of RM150-RM200 per person at La Vie En Rose.

But it is justified, I see, more so after being presented with the Gascony foie gras burger (a succulent duck patty topped with pan-seared foie gras, port and truffle sauce). Politeness abandons me as the dish is savoured (ok, quaffed down greedily). Its exquisiteness is almost enough to make me ignore the joue de boeuf braise au vin rouge (braised beef cheek in red wine), presented with the ratatouille and truffle mash, but I proceed in the name of essential research. It is an explosion of robust, earthy and solid flavour, and the meat melts on the first bite. “The beef cheek — the best for stewing — is Australian beef,” says Fraisse, “from mature cows that are aged properly and grass-fed.”

With its whitewashed brick walls, the touches of decorative whimsy, La Vie En Rose is a memorable, complete sensory experience, where the sublime ingredients and food exceed the “must-try” platitude. It is a place that reflects the owner’s personality thoroughly: Where tradition is respected but innovation is welcomed, and, in the words of Fraisse, “where people feel comfortable”.

La Vie En Rose

39 Jalan Raja Chulan,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2078 3883
Opening hours: Tues-Fri, noon-2.30pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm. Sat&Sun, 9.30am-2.30pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm
What’s cooking: French classics
Must try: Gascony foie gras burger
Atmosphere: Cosy and romantic
Service: Friendly
Prices: Expect to spend an average of RM150 for a fine meal
Overall verdict: Must try

The braised beef cheek is robust and earthy

The foie gras creme brulee is to die for

A heavenly end — the tarte tartin with vanilla ice cream

Ingredients are specially flown in from France

La Vie En Rose

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