This quaint little restaurant is a hidden gem in Kota Kemuning that first opened in 2016. Showcasing homely French comfort food at affordable prices, the La Belle Saison team is known for using only the freshest produce to create wonderful tastes and textures of their dishes.
A little background on the talented mind behind this restaurant — Chef and owner Quah Jit Hu. He began his career by being a pastry chef under a pastry expert named Chef Karam, which then he eventually found his true calling and took a plane to France. By gaining experience from the culinary world throughout many years of service at restaurants like Fouquet’s Toulouse and Le Pré Catelan and a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris — he then came back to Malaysia and opened up La Belle Saison.
That said, the restaurant does not only whips up authentic French cuisine dishes but it also kindles a much more pleasant and relaxed dining experience that doesn’t require its patrons to dress up in fancy attire. As everything on the menu are made to order, it is no doubt that the patrons of La Belle Saison will go home satisfied — we know, we did.
Mediterranean
For appetisers, we had one of their sharing starters: the Mediterranean (RM18) featuring garlic toast on the side of aubergine caviar and chilled ratatouille. When it comes to the aubergine caviar, you can essentially use it as a spread or a dip. The paste has an ultra-smooth, creamy texture giving a smoky yet savoury-sweet taste overall. What makes this dish special is the traditional french ratatouille and the key to making a tasty one is to use fresh tomatoes. Although it is served chilled, this epitome of what comfort food is absolutely rich in flavour with a hint of acidity to it.
Braised Ribs
Next up, we tried the Braised Ribs (RM58.50) that has been slowly braised in stout for over 24 hours. These melt-in-your-mouth ribs are served with oven-roasted cocktail potatoes, mini onions and glazed carrots. So intense, you can taste the meat’s strong flavours. As for the chocolate, it adds a velvety creaminess to the gravy making the dish absolutely irresistible.
Cordon Bleu
La Belle Saison’s take on the classic Cordon Bleu (RM36) is layered with chicken ham and cheese served with a potato gratin and garlic cream on the side. Fun fact: the name of the dish comes from a French term for blue ribbon that means denoting excellence. The chicken had a nice crisp texture on the outside whilst being succulent on the inside. As for the potato gratin, we absolutely enjoyed it. This hearty crusted side dish is topped with cheese and baked to a welcoming crispness and well-seasoned layer of potatoes.
Crème Brûlée
Dessert wise, we had to go for a classic. La Belle Saison’s take on the classic Crème Brûlée (RM18) is an orange-infused egg custard with a layer of caramelised sugar on top. The orange was an excellent addition to this French classic as it somehow elevates the overall dish with tangy citrus notes. Whereas when it comes to the custard, it is delightfully light and airy with a crackly topping that isn’t too sweet.
Poires Pochees
Last but not least, we couldn’t leave without trying their star dessert: Poires Pochees (RM23). The pear is poached in spiced red wine and is served with toasted brioche and vanilla ice cream. One of the representatives of La Belle Saison enlightened us on how to enjoy the dessert in the best way possible. Instead of trying everything bit by bit, the best way would be by placing a small piece of pear on the toasted brioche and top it with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream to elevate this simple dessert to the sublime. This way, you will be able to taste all the flavours together making it a well-balanced dessert.
One more thing that makes this quaint little brasserie riveting is that as you enter, you would be greeted with over a hundred different types of spices by HEXA Food, a boutique spice shop. If you’re someone who cooks and enjoys spices as much as our senior writer does, then this is the place for you. It doesn’t just store a variety of spices but it is also way cheaper than grocery stores.
La Belle Saison – French Brasserie is located at 4-1G, Jln Anggerik Vanilla BE 31/BE, Kota Kemuning, 40460 Shah Alam, Selangor and open from Wednesdays-Mondays at 11:30 AM – 3 PM, 6:30 PM – 10 PM except for Tuesdays.
Presentation: 4.8 / 5 | Ambience: 4 / 5 | Taste: 4.7 / 5 | Value: 4.8 / 5
