Ramadan Communal Table Menu – Château Dionne
Words: Joanna Florento
Photos: Ivan Chong
Like a longstanding conversation with a cherished friend, we pick up with Château Dionne right where we left off. This time, Chef Andy Choy welcomed us with a Ramadan Communal Table Menu (RM 300++ per person) designed to incorporate local tastes and traditions while maintaining the essence of French dining. Ensconced in the cool dark interior with seats at the chef’s counter, we couldn’t wait to find new ways to fall in love with familiar favourites.
Ramadan Communal Table Menu
Château Dionne’s Ramadan Communal Table Menu (RM 300 per pax, minimum two pax) is an elegant meal best enjoyed with family and friends and available until the final day of fasting. It maintains the exceptional French technique and recipes that Château Dionne is renowned for, adding a little excitement with local flavours for the month leading up to Hari Raya. The starters are offered for communal enjoyment, while each diner has their choice of a main plate and a dessert.
Starters
Our meal began with a selection of three kurma (dates) – so much fun to try different varieties side by side! The Medjool dates were slightly firm and tasted of caramel, while the golden brown Sukari dates were fresh and chewy. Saved for last, the Ajwa dates were soft in texture and their sweetness lingered on our palates long after first bite.
Waiting in the wings was Château Dionne’s selection of bread, including a special edition of kurma brioche reflecting the season’s offerings. Mini croissants and warm slices of baguette rounded out the bread basket, with signature canelé-shaped truffle butter and chilli-infused sambal butter elevating each bite with the perfect balance of creaminess and spice.
The Saumon Fume made an elegant entrance, served on glass plates that refracted the light in patterns reminiscent of rippling water. Tender slices of soft salmon were served with ikura and torch ginger slivers, topped with shallow pools of cream sauce and fresh herbs. From our perch on the chef’s counter, we witnessed the painstaking precision with which the chefs carefully arranged the individual kiku (chrysanthemum) and samut flower petals on each delicately sliced serving of salmon.
Next, the Foie Gras Terrine delivered a satisfying crunch. Foie gras was sandwiched between crunchy bites of toasted brioche topped with slices of unagi, ginger chutney, and kurma jelly. The translucent slices of kurma jelly added a hint of sweetness from the red pureed dates, while the crispy toasted brioche acted as a counterpoint for the soft textures.
Finally, we dug into the Steak Tartare, moulded with precision atop thin discs of tempeh. Curry spice, curry mayonnaise, and curry leaves were expertly folded into the steak, deliciously complimenting the tempeh’s nutty flavour. The soft, juicy texture ensured the seamless disappearance of every mouthful.
Our warm starters came in hot (literally and figuratively), with a selection of Escargots and Stuffed Chicken Wings. The wings were served boneless and skewered on lemongrass stalks as an elevated nod to chicken satay, with a side of peanut espuma topped with peanut crumbles. Each wing was filled with chicken mousse and Malaysian spice, ensuring every bite was unexpected and comforting. The escargots were cooked with chillies and bamboo shoots and served in a small stone bowl with two slices of buttered brioche to offset their chewy texture. The brioche was buttery and crunchy, while the slivers of bamboo shoots added some familiarity to the dish.
Mains
Guests can choose one main from the Ramadan Communal Table menu. Luckily, we came as a crew, so we got to order all four!
The Dorade, or Japanese sea bream, cut a striking picture – picturesquely torched on one side while an intergalactic array of multicoloured sauces swirled around it. The Dorade was prepared using the ikejime method to ensure freshness of flavour, while the cured tomato sauce with torch ginger kept us guessing. The skin flaked easily under my fork, and the bunga kantan added a welcome punch of zest.
The Carré d’Agneau was also as much a feast for the eyes as it was for the palate, with slices of lamb rack nestled atop pickled carrots, daikon, and acar (pickled veg) topped with rendang crust. This dish was a reminiscent of lamb rendang, with the soft and flavourful lamb rounded out by the caramelised fruit confit.
Tender beef slices drizzled in sauce made from three types of peppercorns comprised the Bœf wagyu, with shallot confit, black pepper jus and pucuk paku (jungle fern tips) all working in concert for a subtle yet tasty dish. The meat was incredibly tender and well enhanced by the black pepper sauce.
For an additional RM 150, you can fancy up the experience with lobster. Plated appetisingly on a bed of caramelised onion puree and curry sauce, the Homard arrived just in time to dazzle us before dessert. Adorned with winged beans and fried shallots, the lobster meat was incredibly tender, drawing us in with its soft texture and freshness. The winged beans lent the dish a fresh crunch that expertly balanced the caramelised onions.
The main courses are accompanied by unlimited refills of spiced basmati rice pilaf infused with shallots and curry. The rice was so well-balanced that it could easily have snuck in as a main dish, and none of us would have been the wiser.
Dessert
Winding down with dessert, we tucked into the Riz au Lait, Château Dionne’s take on a rice pudding infused with local pizazz. Japanese rice was cooked with milk and infused with coconut and pandan espuma, topped off with a wafer configured in the shape of a daisy. This dessert reminded us of cendol and onde onde, with creamy and cold bites lending the dish an almost cloud-like quality.
Chef Andy’s personal favourite, the Mille Feuille, paid perfect homage to its “million layers” namesake. Inspired by apam balik (corn and peanut pancakes), it was deceptively simple and featured corn paste ensconced in layers of crispy wafers topped with vanilla ice cream and studded throughout with popping candy. The dessert was unique and warrants a return visit if only to determine the alchemy behind the ratio of popping candy to sweet corn paste (for scientific purposes, of course).
Closing out with mignardise, we sampled canelé filled with pandan and coconut, chocolate truffles, and madeleines with roasted chocolate. The madeleines are likely Proust-approved, with a firm texture and smooth taste. The chocolate truffles featured smooth chocolate coated by powdered dark chocolate on the outside and were utterly delightful. The pandan and coconut-filled canelé were very satisfying to bite into and savour, with the creamy filling rounding out the robust flavours from our mains.
Ramadan Communal Table at Château Dionne
Our entire dining experience was as smooth as (sambal-infused) butter, with each course flowing easily into the next. The cold and warm appetiser selection infused bold local flavours into French recipes, while the main courses were a veritable master class in juxtaposing textures, experimenting with sauces, and producing beautifully plated creations. The desserts were inventive and comforting in their nod to Malaysian favourites. Savouring the Ramadan Communal Table Menu reminded us why, when Château Dionne calls, we will always answer.
Reasons to try the Ramadan Communal Table Menu: Beautifully plated, inventive menu fusing Malaysian ingredients with French technique; a more elegant option for enjoying the many culinary offerings over the month of Ramadan; a nice balance of shared plates with individual mains and dessert; you can’t go wrong with any of the mains, just choose your favourite protein – they’re all expertly prepared.
Château Dionne
24G, Jalan Medan Setia 2, Bukit Damansara
50490 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Link to Château Dionne on Google Maps
+6 018-318 8199 for reservations. Walk-ins accepted.
Street parking is available.
Ramadan Communal Table Menu Hours
Daily: 5 pm – 10 pm until the last day of fasting.
Find more Kuala Lumpur restaurants for special occasions here and stay up-to-date on the latest happenings in KL’s food and beverage scene with The Yum List on Instagram and The Yum List on Facebook.