Oozing charm and class, the olde world-styled BLVD serves eclectic dishes food connoisseurs would gladly make time for, writes Fauziah Ismail
THERE are so many restaurants in the Kuala Lumpur City Centre that one is really spoilt for choice. But there is one particular address at Platinum Park’s Naza Tower that you should never miss.
Corporate bigwigs can be seen doing lunches there during the weekdays, while the restaurant caters mostly to families on weekends. The affluent have also made it their haunt if you look at their many selfies taken at the restaurant.
It’s called BLVD (pronounced Boulevard) House. It opened last April and soon became the talk of the town. “I would advise you to make a reservation if you want to come,” Ansgar Schlemmer says, “especially during the weekends.”
The German with 18 years of experience as a fine dining chef in five-star restaurants and hotels overseas is BLVD House’s general manager.
Lyfestyl Projects director Nur Nadia SM Nasimuddin says people are progressively becoming sophisticated about what they eat and drink. “Malaysians travel a lot. And here in Malaysia, we are in need of something new.”
She and her team designed the cafѐ along the lines of the smart and chic all-day dining restaurants such as Pastis in New York, The Wolseley in London, Union in Jakarta and Greyhound Cafѐ in Bangkok. It will complement other fine dining food and beverage concepts slated to be introduced within Naza Tower.
The first thing that strikes me as I stand in front of the restaurant is the classy revolving door. I must say that it gives me a nostalgic feel of the restaurant. So do the classic Thonet chairs. The interior dѐcor is simple but the use of wood, brass, louvred doors and stone give it the exclusive look.
The dining section can accommodate 75 guests (with a high table that seats eight people) and another 25 guests at the bar.
There is ample space between tables, thus giving privacy to diners. The choice of music is eclectic — from jazz to classics like Frank Sinatra’s to remix house funk versions.
BLVD House’s factsheet tells us the restaurant’s style and design is “decidedly 1930s”. “BLVD House will project a quiet sophistication and stylistic grace that come across as natural and not forced,” she says.
FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD
Nur Nadia personally chooses what goes into the menu and some are her personal favourites.
The Smoked Duck and Peach Kale Salad comes in a bowl. Normally, kale is blended with fruit like peaches into a smoothie but this time, it is put together as a salad. They are a good combination as kale has a bitter and peppery taste while the slices of peach add sweetness to the salad. Now, I am not a duck person but I give it a try.
The protein in this salad does not have the gamey smell and aftertaste. In fact, it is succulent and juicy. I am pretty sure many non-duck eaters will be converted after eating this salad. There are also caramelised walnuts and chunks of feta cheese in the salad.
The Truffleicious Fries is a meal on its own. Nadia says she had insisted on having it on the menu. “I had to send the chef to Singapore to perfect the recipe,” she adds. There is grated cheese on top of the fries, and truffle dip on the side. You know they are not stingy with the truffle as you can see the black specks in the dip. Truffles are expensive, thus its nickname “black diamonds”. When it’s in season, Schlemmer says, diners will be asked if they want extra shavings of truffles in their dishes. At a cost, of course. And it is recommended that you eat the fries while it is hot.
My personal favourite, which also happens to be Nadia’s, is the Chilli Main Lobster Fettuccine. At any other restaurant I would probably ask for “extra chilli” in their spicy dishes but not at BLVD House. When the menu says chilli, it actually means hot and spicy. The heat of the chilli actually lingers in your mouth, and they are generous with the lobster meat.
I also give two dishes from BLVD House’s weekend brunch menu a try. The Egg Lobster Hemmingway is actually Egg Benedict but with lobster meat added to it. The egg is poached just the way I like it, with the yolk oozing down the muffin with the first cut. With the right amount of Hollandaise sauce, it doesn’t make the muffin soggy.
As for the BLVD House Galettes, this crepe-like pancake made with buckwheat is definitely for health-conscious eaters. It is really a matter of preference as some people like eating buckwheat while others are put off by not only the taste but also the colour of the crepe.
The restaurant’s signature dish is the Bean-can Toasted Free-Range Baby Chicken, which is actually Roast Chicken served with baked beans. What makes it a signature dish is that the whole barbecued chicken is set alight using alcohol at the table. There is also a non-alcoholic version.
After your starters and mains, and if you have space for desserts, go for the Oozing Ovomaltine Beignets and Vanilla Cinnamon Sugar. Beignets are doughnut balls and they are filled with Ovomaltine (known as Ovaltine in this part of the world). They are then covered with Vanilla Cinnamon Sugar. This dish comes with sea-salted caramel ice-cream.
I tell myself that I will make a return visit to BLVD House. I already have my favourites on the menu. But there are many more I have yet to explore.