A cozy little French outpost called Bistro Lea

Bistro Lea, helmed by the same people behind Atelier Binchotan, chef Lau Ka Hong and wife Celine Choong, debuts with a splash in the Hartamas scene, buzzing even on a mid-week Weds nite. Decor is decidedly French café bistro vibes, with outdoor seating replete with comfy sofas, high top tables for al fresco dining and a fountain in the centre. Lace curtains hanging from golden brass rods adorn the windows mid frame, French tunes play in the background, close your eyes and it’s quite possible to be transported to Paris for a couple hours as you sip on the range of selected French wines.

We had lovely slices of housemade sourdough before the Burrata (RM48) with beetroot and arugula, balsamic reduction – a simple but delicious starter. The Tuna nicoise (RM48) had tuna tataki, young corn, French beans, tomato, olives, pomegranate and quail’s eggs. Really enjoyed this rendition that had fresh tuna as the main draw rather than canned tuna lost under a mountain of lettuce.

On to more flavourful stuff, Lea’s Ratatouille (RM25) – eggplant, cell peppers, zucchini piperade – typical Gascon/Basque dish given the chef’s interpretation. This vegetarian offering, made famous by the animated film of the same name about a mouse that cooks, is as enticing and tasty as the burst of pretty colours it comes in.

For mains, Le Bar featured sea bass (RM58) with spinach cream, trout roe and mashed potatoes that were nice and flaky, without too rich or heavy a cream that would have been typical French. The roe gave that added pop of flavour while the sinful creamy mashed potatoes were worthy of the calories.

French staple Boeuf Bourguignon (RM88) – Wagyu beef cheeks with baby carrots, pearl onions with Swiss brown sauce – more than lived up to expectations, superbly tender with robust flavours that had us at first bite.

Bistro Lea has an attractive brunch menu as well, serving stuff like Shaksuka, Egg benedict and Hachis Parmentier (French style Shepherd’s pie) so there’s plenty of reasons to want to come back again. More importantly, the prices, for a French outpost, were happily quite affordable, starting from RM25 and won’t put you out of pocket for the month. Definitely worth return visits.

Add: 1, Jalan Sri Hartamas 7, Taman Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur. hp: 012-810 3638