Chez Leoniel at Alliance Francaise: Restaurant review

Chef Leoniel Dg’s eponymous cafe at the Alliance Francaise de Kuala Lumpur language and cultural centre offers a deep dive into a sea of French fare – expect everything from steak tartare to salade lyonnaise, moules marinieres to boeuf bourguignon, hachis parmentier to gratin dauphinois to quiche lorraine.

French fare

We tried two sturgeon dishes, one with the fish served as a tartare (RM25) and the other pan-seared and partnered with vegetables, mushrooms and garlic cream sauce (RM45), as well as a ginger-spiced pumpkin soup (RM9) and grilled duck confit with roast potatoes (RM38).

Chez Leoniel has clearly put work into creating a tempting menu, though the final results could have been more effective in terms of freshness of produce and choices made in the preparation, balance of flavours and execution of textures. But it’s still a pleasant place if you’re seeking somewhere to eat away from the malls and commercial enclaves.