Madeleine at Oasis Ara Damansara: Restaurant review

When we visited Madeleine on a recent weekday afternoon, this casual bistro was brimming with a robust lunch crowd – a testament to its allure as a destination for honest comfort fare at exceptionally fair prices, served in a warm and welcoming setting.

Founder Alina Hew first conceived Madeleine as a patisserie in Sunway University in 2012, and the brand has since strengthened steadily, with other outposts including a cafe in Sunway Medical Centre and a cake shop in Bangsar. The bistro at Oasis Ara Damansara represents the delicious diversity of Madeleine’s offerings, from hot meals to freshly baked desserts.

Snacks

Start with a snack: Madeleine’s crisp cassava chips are a fun alternative to run-of-the-mill potato-based fries, partnered with a variety of dips that display the versatility of Lady’s Choice Real Mayonnaise; the kitchen showcases the creamy sauces in house-blended flavours like wasabi or chilli, imbuing a memorably tasty zing and playful sense of fun – certainly more enjoyable than ordinary ketchup. Available weekdays, 11am-2pm, for only RM10 nett (which includes a bistro-selected drink and dessert).

Mains

There’s a bounty of crowd-pleasers throughout the menu – fans of all-day breakfasts might want to check out the Spanish-inspired, paprika-tinged eggs, baked with potatoes and onions in a rich tomato sauce, coupled with toast for a vegetarian-friendly order (RM13; comes with a complimentary Americano), while others will be tempted by pastas like the full-bodied bolognese, coated in slow-cooked lean minced lamb with herbs (RM14) or Madeleine’s signature Chicken Bravo, a whole Cajun-marinated roast leg with two sides – in this case, mashed potatoes and a salad – for a reassuringly familiar, no-nonsense recipe (RM16).

Madeleine’s Aussie-style pie merits special mention; we sampled the steak version (there’s also chicken with mushroom) and liked it a lot – everything from the tender crust to the moist, beefy filling proved a genuine pleasure, partnered perfectly with mash and gravy. For RM15, this is well worth investigating for pie enthusiasts.

Desserts

Alina is also the founder of Cake Crisis Central, which supplies superior cakes and confectioneries to cafes across the Klang Valley. Both Alina and Madeleine’s head pastry chef, Joanne Yeong, are Le Cordon Bleu alumni, with Joanne having spent the past decade in top kitchens including at The Westin and Mandarin Oriental in Kuala Lumpur.

We were instantly smitten with Joanne’s Chocolat Royale, which won her the Pastry Chef of the Year award at the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore in 2015 – a lovely chocolate mousse cake with a crunchy feuilletine layer and hazelnut praline, exemplifying the unmistakable hallmarks of quality ingredients and excellent technique.

Other highlights include an impeccably balanced, confidently textured lemon cheesecake that refreshed and invigorated our palates before leaving; these cakes and more are available by the slice at Madeleine’s outlets or whole by a two-hour advance order. Many thanks to Madeleine’s team for having us here.

Location & Details

Madeleine

D-G-3A Block D, 2 Jalan PJU 1A/7A, Oasis Square, Oasis Ara Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Open 8am-6pm, Mon-Sat (art jamming available on Saturdays)
Tel: +603-7859-9316 (outlet) and +603-7847-1290 (office).
Find: View directory for Madeleine here