Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Dining Out @ Bistro à Table, Section 17, Petaling Jaya

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We have been haunting this little bistro tucked away in Petaling Jaya ever since it opened last week. Run by private chef Isadora Chai, food here is wholesome and cooked with a lot of heart. Occupying Patrick Teoh's former Music Machine's premises, the place has been done up in a simple yet effective manner - suspended lightbulbs on closer look resemble flowers from below with their draping wires, hanging glass vases, French themed prints, black mosaic tiles and a quirky door frame with their name. Don't also forget the Francophile theme as the inside doors and the front step get a slick of the red, blue and white colours from the French flag.
          Back to food. It's simple with a one page menu for appetisers, mains and desserts that does change accordingly to what's fresh in the market. While it does not rapidly change daily, if you dine here regularly enough you may find some favourites making way for other dishes that Isadora wants to introduce to you. In a way, it's a good thing as she's got quite a wide repertoire of yummy dishes. Do leave room for desserts as they're all divine. Being a good girl, I won't dive into desserts yet but start in a proper manner with appetisers.   
         Zoom in on the one-of-the-kind Caesar Salad Soup (RM18), Isadora's quirky creation. It's essentially a deconstructed dish - cos salad soup, soft egg hidden behind a wall of sliced toast, duck prosciutto slices, parmesan crisp with a dollop of cream. Simply divine and makes you feel happier to have eaten your greens with a spoon! We also loved the creamy duck liver parfait (RM19) that we hoovered quickly through with our soft and crusty topped baguettes. Equally good is the coddled egg with maple syrup served with an asparagus spear and crouton dust (RM16). For heartier appetites, there's also the seafood (mantis prawn and lobster) bisque topped with a gruyere souffle (RM35). 
         We move on the mains (and one step closer to desserts). Splashie Boy loved the gnocchi with burnt butter, tomatoes and zucchini (RM28). The gnocchi has a pillow soft texture that paired well with the fragrant brown butter, while the vegetables helped cut through the richness. A specialty here is the traditional duck cassoulet (RM48) - slow cooked duck for 8 hours with beans. It's a very hearty dish that you will keep spooning down your throat. It can be a teeny weeny bit salty though but I reckon it'll be perfect with a glass of white wine. For decadent palates, go for the slipper lobster and sea urchin tagliatelle (RM119) - a super rich concoction laced with a decadent lobster oil. The second time we dined here, the steak had been changed to a herbed crust lamb rack (RM96) that was cooked perfectly with a red wine sauce on the side and creamy mash potatoes. We had also ordered side dishes: truffled mash (RM12) and steamed French beans with hazelnuts in vinaigrette (RM10).
        Finally we reach desserts, always a high point for me. We love the warm chocolate fondant with its oozing chocolate centre that melds with the vanilla creme anglaise (RM18) that hugs it. My other favourite was the dragonfruit coconut pavlova topped with candied ginger (RM14). The combination of the lightly coconut scented cream with the ginger is perfect with the crunch from the meringue. For a very rich end to your meal, you have two choices of tiramisu - an alcohol drenched one (RM29) or the deconstructed version (RM18) that is extremely chocolate-ly. Oh and don't forget one of my personal favourites, the kaffir lime and lemon tart (RM15), one of the best citrus themed tarts in town with a slightly soft centre. 
        The place is still very very new and feeling their way around. There's also plans to introduce a degustation menu. Do pop by and get a feel of the place and try the food. You'll find a friendly cosy place that reminds one of dining overseas. For the adventurous, try the long communal table in the middle. Who knows, you may end up chatting with your fellow diners and discover you know each other.


Bistro à Table
6, Jalan 17/54
Petaling Jaya


Tel: 03-7931 2831


(Pork Free. Place is behind Decanter at Section 17. Closed on Mondays. Open for dinnertime at the moment. Call for bookings. More pictures are in the Flickr set.)


*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

12 comments:

foodbin said...

lacking in parking spaces.

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

the chef's name sounds very familiar. wasnt she some celebrity home chef that people hire for private parties?

nice to know theres a restaurant to go to now.

Baby Sumo said...

Wow the food here really sounds really interesting. And prices seem pretty reasonable too.

minchow said...

Everything looks stunning! Nursing a nasty hangover at work now, so particularly drawn to the truffled mash and the gnocchi! I think my younger sis knew the chef's sister in NZ, a family of foodies apparently!

Michelle Chin said...

Food looks cook and the prices are not too bad. :) Wouldn't going down to pj to have this. :D

Ciki said...

boo! me and sis grew up with Isa. MYF kids la.. haha :P (methodist youth fellowship). Will be paying her place a visit soon. Glad it's good;)

Kenny Mah said...

Well, will have to try the food later but for now - the suspended light bulbs have got my vote! Certainly has the atmosphere, simple as it is. :)

NekoHime said...

Hmmm.... looks nice. haven't had good food in ages

fatboybakes said...

ooh, what a great location. next to decanter right? heard so much about isadora... such an exotic name too.

J said...

Oooooh. Cool! :) More (yummy) options in the Section 17 area is music to my ears...

Dom said...

Went there last night. Good food and nice cosy place. Just a tad expensive (this is relative of course)

boo_licious said...

foodbin - it's more for dinner so parking is fine after office hours.

Joe - yes, Isadora was a private chef but now she's got her own place so you can pop by here when u return from Brisbane.

Baby Sumo - a bit far for you from KL but worth the drive I think once in a while.

minchow - wow, small world. Hope u make it to section 17, as a long list of goodies is building up for you.

Michelle - u can join Babysumo since both of u will be coming from KL.

C&C - yeah it can be your neighbourhood joint since it's so near yr place!

Life for Beginners - jom Kenny! we go one day.

nekohime - no good food in Manila? Hope u make it here.

J - Section 17 is great, in between PJ and KL doncha think?

fatboybakes - behind decanter! Hope u will like it.

Dom - glad to read you liked it. I love the place, my hangout spot now.

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