Chez Flo Cafe – Jalan Pudu Lama, Kuala Lumpur

Chez Flo Cafe – Jalan Pudu Lama, KL

Words: Matt Brown
Photos: Monica Tindall

It’s pretty obvious if you find yourself walking along Jalan Pudu Lama, about a 15-minute stroll from Pavilion and Bukit Bintang, that it’s an area poised to be the next go-to location for people in KL after good food and drinks. The shophouses, most aged over 100 years, are being converted by innovative business owners into restaurants, cafes and bars, and planting a flag early on in a beautifully maintained space is the latest creation from French Chef Florian Nigen. Chef Flo is no stranger to the food and beverage scene in KL, having lived and worked here for 15 years, with successful stints in WIP, and his own Rendez-vous and Chez Gaston in Bangsar.

The concept behind Chez Flo is simple: generous and tasty food that is unfussy and reminiscent of homestyle cooking from Chef’s childhood. The benefit of this being cooked by Chef Flo is that there is a high degree of attention to detail and quality in the offerings, as well as a selection that will please anyone out for a relaxed breakfast or lunch. The cafe occupies the downstairs space from morning until mid-afternoon switching shifts for Jabba and Luuk bar to start serving their cocktails in the evenings. The upstairs space is casual and private and can be used with advance reservations.

Breakfast Menu at Chez Flo Cafe

Chez Flo doesn’t need to show off with a gigantic and overwhelming menu offering dozens of trendy plates. You can tell that the kitchen is confident and mature in its approach by the carefully chosen menu items and the lack of unnecessary add-ons with each dish. Honest, authentic and delicious. Chef Flo is renowned for his excellent sauces, so with great anticipation, we order the Egg Meurette (RM26), which features a pair of expertly poached eggs served on toasted sourdough with perfectly cooked mushrooms, covered in the beautiful red wine sauce that gives the dish its name. Everything comes together so well on this plate, with crispy bread from Yeast in Bangsar providing the ideal base on which the flavours of everything else sit, waiting to be devoured. Note: they were.

We sample two Tartines on offer – the Smoked Salmon (RM28) and a vegetarian Roasted Capsicum option (RM24, header photo). Speaking of options, the kitchen can provide gluten-free sourdough, if preferred, for an extra RM5. The house-smoked salmon is soft and delicious, served with garlic, a cream cheese and herbs mix, capers, and a wedge of lemon on top of a slice of sourdough. The capsicum recipe grabbed my attention with a generous serving of goat’s cheese on top of the capsicum and onion, both oven baked and fantastically enhanced with the drizzle of honey on top of the sourdough. This was like a bruschetta I have searched for in KL for a very long time, and it was so satisfying to finally discover one at this level of quality.

All of the previously mentioned dishes come with a side salad, but for those after more greens to start their day, the Brie Cheese Salad (RM26) features caramelised apple, Italian Veal bacon, walnut and a honey mustard dressing that hits all of the right notes. You can also have the salad with blue cheese if you prefer.

Lunch Menu

Breakfast is served all day, but there are also some delicious lunch items that may take your fancy as well. The Creamy Carbonara (RM28) comes with either spaghetti or penne pasta and lives up to its name. This dish, along with the Brie Salad, features Chez Flo’s Imported Italian veal bacon. I cannot emphasise enough just how delicious this is. We all know what beef ‘bacon’ is usually like in KL (somewhere between overcooked sheets of paper and 3D-printed non-descript roughage), but here is a kitchen fully aware of the power that quality ingredients can provide.

The Pan-Seared Tuna (RM38) is crusted with herbs and comes with a zesty bearnaise sauce, ratatouille vegetables and poached fennel; enough to make you want to order a bottle of white and kick off a long and luxurious afternoon of good food and drinks.

Our final lunch dish is the super tender Grilled Lamb Skewer (RM35) with capsicum and onion, sauteed potatoes and a side salad with some of that glorious bearnaise sauce. The lunch items are all delicious and easily shared between two people, especially if you want to try a couple of different choices (and not miss out on the imported Italian veal bacon).

Desserts at Chez Flo Cafe

Chef Flo bakes from the heart, with various cakes and pastries available daily. The Vanilla Flan (RM12) is a massive slice of heaven, smooth and sweet with a glorious biscuit base, crying out for a coffee to be served by its side.

Drinks Menu

Coffee comes with the option to change to soy, almond or oat milk. Espresso is RM8, a Flat White RM12 and Cappuccino RM12/15 iced. There are also a range of teas. A mocktail menu offers juices and something sweeter to go with breakfast, with the Nectarine Cooler (RM16) that blends peach and mango purees, cold brew tea and lemon juice just the thing to quench your thirst as the day heats up.

Reasons to visit Chez Flo Cafe: get there before the crowds find out, and you can hear the excellent selection of music as you enjoy the rustic surroundings. Chef Flo and his team are passionate, knowledgeable and committed to offering a quality experience across the board, whether you’ve dropped in for a cake and tea or turned up with a group to share the love. Anything with the veal bacon and the excellent Roasted Capsicum Tartine is a big hit. Monica and I left after our visit INCREDIBLY full and satisfied.

Chez Flo Cafe
*Pork-free
29, Jalan Pudu Lama
Pudu, Kuala Lumpur 50200
+6 011 1189 6351
@chezflocafekl

Chez Flo Cafe Opening Hours
Tuesday – Sunday: 8:00 am – 3:00 pm

Find more cafes in Kuala Lumpur here and stay up-to-date on the latest happenings in KL’s food and beverage scene here and here.