Lai Po Heen at Mandarin Oriental Welcomes Chef Thomas Fong from Doha
April 24th, 2024
It’s nearly 10,000 kilometres from the islands of the Mediterranean to Malaysia, but Brulee Brasserie tries to bring a bit of the spirit of Sicily & Santorini to Selangor, with European-accented offerings by a warm team that makes friends of its customers.
Brulee Brasserie’s young chef Jonathan Lee has crafted an intelligent, ingredient-driven menu that delivers satisfying dynamics – the selection is compact, but you won’t go wrong with the roasted broccoli soup sprinkled with feta cheese, onion puree & sun-dried tomatoes (RM8; a broth with robust complexities) or the sunshiny egg white frittata, served thick & warm with crispy Lebanese bread, Parmesan cheese, beef pepperoni & basil oil (also only RM8 – terrific prices here).
A couple of pastas are currently available – the basil pomodoro with marinated beef kofta (RM16) won our vote, though we’re also intrigued by Brulee’s description of its carbonara, which comes with ‘aromatic cream sauce, tomato oil & sauteed salami.’ Some recipes have been fine-tuned since Brulee’s launch last month; Jon has tweaked the Lebanese bread-base pizza with pepperoni (RM8) & the chicken souvlaki with tzatziki yoghurt sauce (RM16), now coupled with baby potatoes & garlic broccoli.
With a name like Brulee Brasserie, the restaurant doesn’t disappoint in terms of its flagship dessert – creme brulee’s available in three flavours: lavender, lemon or cardamom. Creamy & flavoursome, a fittingly light end to a meal here for a mere RM7.
It’s important to note that beverages play an equally pivotal role here – that’s where Brulee’s other co-founder Seng Loh (whose surname is also Lee, making the name Brulee seem even more serendipitous) comes in. Seng Loh, who honed his craft in PJ cafes like J&D Espresso & POKC, has curated a fun drinks menu; there are the typical long blacks & flat whites, but you’ll also find speciality sodas – liquor-laced for a little kick – like the Passion Mojito, Orange Strike & a lightly alcoholic Root Beer Float.
Brulee is a brilliant spot for patrons to unwind over a few glasses – craft beer is served here, & there’s also wine at compelling prices. French & Italian Merlot clock in at RM10 per glass (at least for the next few months), the clincher for a visit to Brulee – not the easiest restaurant to find (it’s tucked on the first floor of Casa Tropicana, above KK Super Mart), but it’s worth the hunt.
Brulee Brasserie
B1-2, Casa Tropicana, Jalan Persiaran Tropicana
Tel: +60129343547
Open Tues-Sun, 12pm-12am