The first of its kind to offer French-Indian cuisine, FLOUR Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur is on a quest to broaden the spectrum of Indian flavours by using classic culinary techniques from the European country.

Chef and co-proprietor Yogesh Upadhyay, fondly known as Yogi, has roots in the northwest state of Rajasthan in India. He believes in showcasing the rich diversity of flavours and techniques each region of his homeland offers.

FLOUR Restaurant’s Rajasthan menu offers creations that explore the rituals of spice roasting and grinding, bridging Indian flavours with French cooking techniques and regionalism dating back as early as the sixth century.

“Chefs in those days were regarded as a high-calibre profession,” he said. “There is science and art involved; opportunities to marry the past with the present.”

Hailing from a well-respected family line in Rajasthan, his father opened the family’s first restaurant in 1965 when they moved to Bombay. Patrons of the highest ranks dined in their establishments over the next six decades before his father decided to close the businesses for good.

Yogi’s first foray into kitchen life was at age 14, when he would wash dishes day and night. He was then “promoted” to peeling and chopping duties, having to face at least 80kg of onions and 30kg of garlic daily. “I despised it,” he recalled.

To avoid having to take on his father’s restaurant business, he pursued French culinary studies and later uprooted himself to Dubai. There, he found himself in the aviation industry, from where he made his way to Malaysia and met Natasha Ng, who would become his wife.

It was in part because of her that he was inspired to found FLOUR Restaurant – stemming from a simple meal he’d cooked of rice, vegetable, okra and lentils. “It completely changed Natasha’s perception of Indian food,” he said.

This paved the way towards them delving into the unique and innovative French-Indian fusion FLOUR Restaurant is known for.

The first restaurant was located in Damansara Heights. While reception was initially slow as its fare and concept were not familiar, its reputation grew by word of mouth, and FLOUR Restaurant soon became a popular destination among local and foreign diners.

At the peak of the property boom in the area, and for other reasons, Yogi and Ng chose to close the restaurant there in early 2020, relocating it to a new home in the heart of the city centre next to Bukit Bintang.

The couple spent RM4 million to renovate and convert an 80-year-old residential bungalow into a fine-dining establishment, but the transition could not have come at a worse time – just when the country went into full lockdown.

With no other options, they went ahead and launched the restaurant in June 2020. Two years later the business continues to prosper, bringing Yogi ever closer to his goal of celebrating the heritage of every Indian region.

To that end, FLOUR Restaurant’s Rajasthan menu is available until December – highlights from which follow. “This is just the beginning: there will be more to come, covering India in its entirety,” Yogi added.

Ker sangri

The original Ker Sangri is a warm dish consisting of wild beans and berries. Yogi has turned it on its head by serving it cold. His is a dairy-based delight using ingredients such as asparagus and French beans to give it a refreshing crunch, with a burst of colour and subtle heat from a sprinkling of paprika.

Saféd maas

Utilising one of the oldest and simplest cooking methods, a gas-fired oven, Yogi’s respect for fresh produce makes this a perfectly prepared dish of duck breast served with a lightly spiced pumpkin purée with berry cream.

Rabri

For dessert: flames of flambéed Drambuie liqueur dance on top of a decadent pool of Dulce de Leche laced with cardamom and cinnamon, while a layer of delicate meringue sits beneath. Perfection.

For more information or reservations, visit FLOUR Restaurant’s website as well as Facebook page. Its full Rajasthan menu can be viewed here.

This article was written by Theri Burhan for Set the Tables. Set the Tables is positioned to inspire and educate those in the industry as well as the aspiring reader who dreams of a future in the food business, and maybe even the merely curious tantalised by the vast and irresistible universe of food and drink. Follow them on Instagram.