Rendez-Vous at Bangsar: Restaurant Review

Stirring open this week in Bangsar, Rendez-Vous seeks to serve French fare that’s both authentic & affordable, a mission that will likely hearten Francophiles hankering for culinary variety in KL.

Rendez-Vous co-owner & manager Arnaud Chappert (formerly of Maison Francaise) has turned what was a laundry shop on Lorong Maarof into an eatery with a casual charm, terrific service & wide-open, welcoming feel.

Chef Florian Nigen is no stranger to the kitchen; his family has run a restaurant in Brittany for three decades. At Rendez-Vous, more than 6,000 miles from Nigen’s homeland, he carries on that legacy with a menu that’s heavy on the classics, with hoards of butter, cheese & house-made sauces.

Starters

Meals begin with crostini-like amuse-bouches that change from day to day, topped with blue cheese one night & lamb the next.

Seafood from France

Seafood is a star here, flown in from France. Four whelks, four winkles, four prawns & three oysters clock in at RM52++.

Platters of lobsters, langoustines, cockles & clams are available too …

… served with sinfully creamy, flavoursome mayo & aioli that might prove compulsively edible.

French Spider Crabs

French spider crabs also surface in all their spiny glory (RM59++ for a whole crustacean).

Might not be the prettiest crab around, but Rendez-Vous succeeds in presenting it in supremely photogenic fashion.

A little lift of the crab’s strikingly orange shell unveils lots of roe of an equally vibrant hue.

Tasty, though extra effort is required to break through this one’s possibly bulletproof leg armour.

Side Dishes

Highlights include tender quail submerged in a hot, savoury sauce that feels like a comforting broth, laced with white wine & grapes, partnered with side dishes of the day that could comprise candied leeks or purees of potatoes & carrots. RM36++.

Rendez-Vous goes the distance, becoming the rare French restaurant that serves pork in KL. It’s also one of this city’s few spots where folks’ll find traditional black sausages made with pork blood (a taste worth acquiring), paired with apples. RM29++.

Rendez-Vous’ cheese platters are lovely (RM19++ for two types) – ask for the most pungent possibilities for maximum satisfaction.

Beverages

Wine cocktails: Violet Imperial (sparkling wine, creme de violette) & Le Kir Provencal (rose wine, pink grapefruit).

Champagne is available, though Cava is the cheaper choice of course.

Or opt for water; it’s complimentary here, mercifully (as long as we skip the still or sparkling selection).

More on the Menu

The menu is wide-ranging, with no lack of intrigue for meat-lovers as well. There’s still much, much more on the menu, but we’ll take time exploring everything in the weeks ahead.