French food is regarded by most as the epitome of culinary elegance, to be savoured in the grandest of settings. But what if a French chef comes along and shatters that misconception?

That’s the case with Chez Gaston by Rendez-Vous, the brainchild of Chef Florian Nigen of France, where diners can enjoy the most authentic French food in a laidback setting.

Opened in September, Chez Gaston is founded by Chef Florian, one of the two gentlemen behind the formerly very successful Rendez-Vous in Bangsar’s Telawi, which officially closed its doors after four years.

The bistro keeps it simple yet cosy – the decor is minimal and elegant, creating an ambience that is at once warm and inviting.

This is of course done intentionally – Chef Gaston is very handy (ask him about the tree light installation outside) – so as to not take the highlight away from the real star of the show: the food.

Dinner began with Amuse Bouche in the form of pork rillettes, a chef recommended pate on the menu.

Next up was the Soupe à l’oignon, a soup of roasted onions and brown chicken stock with a generous helping of bacon. The dish was served with baked emmental cheese and baguette shaped in the form of a hat.

A plate of Terrine de saumon, or salmon terrine served with cocktail sauce and basil dressing followed.

Although terrine has not really caught on in Malaysia outside of authentic French restaurants, the dish served here is a must-order even if you’re not accustomed to French food.

What stood out most in the dish was the cocktail sauce, which gave the room-temperature terrine the kick it needed.

The main highlight of the starters was the Escargots Bourguignon. It may be stereotypical but the acme of authentic French cuisine is to relish snails cooked the French way.

The Escargots bourguignon in Chez Gaston features the juicy morsels baked in a potent homemade garlic-and-herb butter that was delectable.

For the mains, a must-have at Chez Gaston is the Boudin Noir Aux Pommes. This top French delicacy features a large pork blood sausage served on a bed of caramelised apples, and comes with roasted baby potato wedges and a peculiar cabbage coleslaw.

The soft pork blood falls apart on your fork but tastes divine once you look past the texture.

The second main was from the ocean and came served in a nicely tied piece of parchment paper. The Rouge Ten Papillote À La Crème De Ciboulette is essentially a whole deboned red mullet fish baked a la “papillote” (which is the French method of cooking food in a pouch or parcel) with vegetable julienne, and a creamy chive sauce.

Not only was the fish delicious, the assorted vegetables made the dish filling.

For dessert, the Crème Brulée Vanilla was hands down the best in town, free of the eggy hints that get in the way of most the dessert’s iterations.

It was just sweet enough and the portion, generous for its price. The Tarte Aux Pommes did not disappoint either as the traditional French apple tart made with cinnamon and green apple compote came with whipped cream on the side. Definitely a must-have if you love your desserts fruity.

The meals were all washed down with Kir, a time-honoured French aperitif commonly found in France but not so much here. At Chez Gaston, you have the option of choosing either the blackcurrant, peach, or wild strawberry flavours.

Chez Gaston
12, Jalan Bangsar Utama 9, Bangsar,
59000 Kuala Lumpur

Opening hours:
Monday–Thursday: 11.45am–2.30pm; 5pm–10.30pm
Friday: 11.45am–2.30pm; 4pm–10.30pm
Saturday–Sunday: 11.45am–2.30pm; 5pm–10.30pm

This article first appeared in uppre.com