Entier French Dining – Alila Bangsar Kuala Lumpur
Words: Jacob Weber
Photos: Monica Tindall
“Entier” is French for “whole” or “complete”. The name doesn’t only speak to the nose-to-tail, root-to-stem approach of this French casual-slash-fine-dining restaurant that peers over Brickfields from the 41st floor of Alila Bangsar — but the entire culinary experience.
This is a proper French restaurant—there are no fusion food gimmicks here, although there are some regional influences—that serves proper French food. The menu celebrates the depth and diversity of French cuisine across the entire country, from coastline to farmland to vineyard.
Entier French Dining Menu & Prices
Executive Chef Masashi Horiuchi and Head Chef Romain Fabre are stewarding the “sophisticated meets sustainable” approach, creatively incorporating their zero-waste philosophy into classic dishes with a few modern twists.
We’re here to sample the new menu, A Culinary Journey Through France, a tribute to Chef Romain’s personal and professional pilgrimage across the country. From fine Parisian dining to family recipes from the Basque country, this menu is more like a love letter to French cuisine and its iconic idiosyncrasies.
Bon Voyage, as they say.
A Culinary Journey Through France Menu – Entier French Dining
Entier French Dining Champagne
We start with a glass of bubbles to lift the spirits and open the palates. This Champagne is particularly special because it has Entier’s own logo on the label, thanks to a special branded collaboration with Laurent Robert (who owns Delia Wines & Bistro in TTDI). Monsieur Robert’s family has a wine estate in France, and he has been importing premium European wines into Malaysia for several years now. This Champagne is a lovely, crisp Brut Premier Cru Cuvée Prestige that sets the tone very well.
Note: Our tasting menu for the evening was slightly different to the typical a la carte selection, highlighting the hero ingredients and giving us a glimpse into the gastronomic flair throughout. For the full menu and prices, visit Entier’s website.
Snacks
The Abalone is a powerful opening with plenty of flavour; the fatty, chewy grilled live abalone works well with the rich foie gras, and there are capers and lemon and grenobloise condiments to balance things out with acidity and sharpness.
We all admire the simplicity of the Salmon starter, which is, in fact, a mini croque monsieur. Usually a ham and cheese sandwich, Entier’s version features smoked salmon with emmental and dill béchamel. Fancy finger food—what’s not to like?
The Caviar is a sumptuous bite with layers of flavour. Luxurious Tanjung Malim caviar and smooth creme fraiche are anchored by a sweet potato blini base for balance, with shallots and capers dancing on the taste buds.
The Onion and Anchovy is also beautifully balanced. It’s a pissaladière tart, topped with caramelised onion and anchovies, which complement each other nicely with sweet-salty-savoury gusto. Sounds simple, but this level of execution is anything but easy.
As tonight’s starters go, the Smoked Fish Roe is the collective favourite for its playful presentation as much as its exquisite taste. Fresh trout roe and egg mimosa are served in a cute cornet of light and crispy pastry and topped with a smooth tarama cream for an indulgent mouthful.
House-made Cornbread
We’re also treated to some of the best table bread-and-butter combo I’ve had in a long time. The creamy, salty homemade kombu butter, made to a secret recipe, has an irresistible umami to it that goes even further when spread on this crusty cornbread, baked in-house and available to bring home. I consider hiring a large van for the task.
Salad
We move on to a salad — and this isn’t your garden variety. Entier’s Lobster Niçoise features poached European lobster in place of the usual tuna, which tells you a lot about this menu and the thinking behind it. It’s glorious: artfully presented, superbly balanced, and just delicious. The generous chunks of lobster meat are fresh and sweet, the romaine lettuce is perfectly crispy, and the anchoïade sauce (a traditional anchovy-based dipping sauce from Provençale) ties it all together with a shout-out to the original.
Escargot
The Escargot takes the traditional recipe from Burgundy and adds Chef Romain’s signature expert touch. This comes in the form of a ravioli-type dish, served with garlic purée, pickled chanterelles and fresh button mushrooms. Garlic butter and spinach purée complete the picture of rich savoury goodness. I’m not sure it’s appropriate in a restaurant this fancy, but I’m mopping my plate clean with more of that delicious bread.
Turbot
Time for Turbot. This overfished fish from Korea is as fresh as it gets — it was flapping around in the back kitchen minutes before it was brought steaming to our table. Succulent blue mussels from New Zealand, more Tanjung Malim caviar and a Champagne foam (oh là là) add a touch of edible elegance to the plate, and the tangy lemon confit brings a sharp citrus contrast to stand out against the fresh white fish.
Beef
The Beef Belly and Sauerkraut, an interesting intercontinental main course, is one of my favourite dishes. Premium short-rib beef from Australia is braised to tender perfection and served with sauerkraut cooked to a recipe from the Northern France/Germany region. It’s high-quality and wholesome in equal measure; filling, comforting, with some acidity from the sauerkraut that mingles beautifully with the rich beef jus.
Entier French Dining Wine List
Naturally, there are some fine European wines to enjoy alongside these regional dishes. After the special edition Champagne, we sample a rosé: specifically, a Domaine de Chatillon, Vin de Savoie 2018, a crisp and aromatic blend of Gamay and Pinot grapes. It’s very refreshing, bursting with red fruit and stone fruit flavours, with a nice hint of acidity.
Our first white is a 2020 Fritz’s Riesling, a dry and acidic wine that works especially well with seafood and poultry. It’s green fruit-forward, heavy on green apple and pear, with a citrus sharpness alongside honey and mineral notes on the finish. A Domaine Gibault Le Graal Touraine Chénonceaux 2020, a light and dry Sauvignon Blanc with green melon and peach to the fore, also goes down smoothly.
For the red, a Richard Rottiers 2020 Moulin-à-Vent Les Thorins is fruity and bold with an enticing bouquet. It’s full-bodied with concentrated notes of blackberries and warm spices, ending with fine tannins and balanced acidity.
Entier French Dining Dessert
After washing down the main courses, we turn to the dessert section, which we’re all very excited about — this is French cuisine, after all. And we’re not disappointed.
‘Pineapple’ uses Harumanis mangoes grown in Perlis in its compote, an inspired choice. Something in the northern Malaysian soil must make this variety so light, sweet, and creamy. Fresh coconut espuma is topped with lime zest for a tropical touch to round off a wonderfully refreshing dessert.
‘Fig’ feels more sophisticated, though no less delicious. Organic figs from Cameron Highlands make an excellent sorbet and compote, and their distinct sweetness ensures we finish the evening on a very pleasant note.
(Actually, the final flourish in the form of petits fours ensures that, from the excellent pistachio choux to the decadent, creamy coffee-and-chocolate cake.)
Reasons to visit Entier French Dining: genuine, high-quality French fine dining with a unique approach to curation and creativity; extensive culinary expression celebrating regional specialities across the length and breadth of France; exquisite attention to detail with imported and local ingredients; a stylish and elegant setting with great views over Bangsar and beyond; excellent wine list; Mon’s fave dish was the turbot, and mine was the beef belly.
Entier French Dining
Level 41, Alila Bangsar, 58 Jalan Ang Seng
Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, 50470, Malaysia
@entierfrenchdining Google map here
*some vegetarian options
**smart dress
***bring a shawl in the evenings or dress warmly to account for the air-con
Entier French Dining Opening Hours
Daily 12-4 pm & 6-10 pm
Find more French restaurants in KL here and stay up-to-date on the latest culinary happenings around Malaysia here and here.