Discover The Chinois, a newly opened restaurant in Sunway Damansara, offering a unique dining experience that combines French techniques with Chinese influences. Explore the menu, which features innovative sharing plates, fresh ingredients, and a curated wine selection. From starters like prawn tartare and century egg to mains like aged pork collar and duck breast, this restaurant provides a culinary adventure.
PETALING JAYA, Feb 1 — I’m standing in front of a newly painted — though otherwise bare-faced — industrial building in Sunway Damansara . Where’s the restaurant? Anyone familiar with Sunway Damansara knows it exists in a narrow liminal space between Mutiara Damansara and Kota Damansara, and that, apart from a Bean Brothers outpost and a butcher shop, the stretch of industrial buildings before Sunway Rymba Hills is mostly home to warehouses and auto workshops.
Inside, however, is a different story. Warm orange (ochre?) walls wrap around the fully functioning restaurant I was looking for — what the kids would call a “hidden gem” — dotted with low tables and many a wine bottle. The Chinois opened in late December and is run by the duo behind the now-closed Sue's background is in coffee; he placed 5th in the 2018 Malaysia Open Barista Championship while working at Yellow Brick Road, but the restaurant’s wine bottle décor and curated list suggest he’s swapped beans for grapes. The latter features some intriguing picks, including an award-winning Marselan from Fei Tswei, an up-and-coming winery from Ningxia, China. The name is the French word for “Chinese”, a wink to the two main influences on the menu, which is Neo’s domain. He was part of the opening team at Eat and Cook, and while the menu at Et Cetera hinted at more ambitious cooking, it still largely revolved around pastas and other café-like offerings. Here, he gets to spread his wings a little more, with a menu designed entirely around sharing plates.\From the starters, the Prawn “Tartare” (RM36) is arguably a highlight, showcasing the fresh, sweet flavor of the prawns with a lively kick from ginger torch flower and kaffir lime leaf. Fried century egg with chives is another winner, and the real gem in this section, however, is the century egg. It’s topped with chives and served with slices of bread toasted to a complete crisp — ideal for spreading the creamy, smoky and slightly spicy mixture atop for a moreish opener. Vegetables are a challenging canvas for creativity, and I often feel they don’t receive as much attention as other food groups. ‘Ham yu kailan’ is an inventive way to incorporate both ‘yin yeung kai lan’ and ‘ham yu’ into one dish, with a French touch from the ‘béchamel’. Picture by Ethan Lau. The kailan is prepared in a French-style, light and crispy, while the stems are kept large and grilled to preserve that characteristic verdant crunch. It’s served on a pool of creamy salted fish béchamel and dressed with basil oil and crispy salted fish. The stems carry the thick, funky sauce, while the leaves and crispy salted fish add another layer of vegetal and salty notes, with textural contrast. But it’s the mains that show the furthest evolution from their Et Cetera days, even if one dish — the Soy-braised Beef Ribs (RM110) — has been retained on the menu. The soy-braised beef ribs are as good as ever. Picture by Ethan Lau. It’s as excellent as I remember: fall-apart tender beef in a rich, intensely savoury soy-and-Shaoxing-wine-based braising sauce. The highlight, however, is undoubtedly the Aged Pork Collar (RM75). Ostensibly a riff on pig stomach pepper soup, it features a three-day-aged pork collar grilled to crusty perfection, set on a white peppercorn. The jus is the most evocative element of pig stomach pepper soup, full of the dish’s trademark floral punch that makes it so widely loved. The aged pork collar is a riff of pig stomach pepper soup, and it is the highlight of the menu. Picture by Ethan Lau. Not a fan of beef or pork? Try the Duck Breast (RM65), featuring a seven-day-aged duck breast, also grilled, and served with plum wine. It’s a more piquant, tangy way to enjoy duck without the usual citrus or berry involvement — although I suppose a plum is still involved. Either way, it’s a long way from grilled corn ribs and pastas in Bukit Jalil. Like any self-respecting, somewhat Chinese restaurant, The Chinois also offers two rice dishes to end the meal with. The Lap Mei Fan (RM48), with Hong Kong lap cheong and duck liver sausage, is the most eye-catching; I already know what I’ll be coming back to try. Dessert runs either a Tiramisu (RM32) or a Crème Brûlée (RM24). The restaurant has a French name, after all, so I opted for the latter. Sweet, velvety, and shatteringly crisp on top, it was the right choice. It doesn’t get more French than a good crème brûlée. Picture by Ethan Lau.\The Chinois, a newly opened restaurant in Sunway Damansara, offers a delightful culinary experience that blends French techniques with Chinese influences. The restaurant, run by the duo behind a former establishment, features a menu designed for sharing, with a focus on fresh ingredients and innovative flavor combinations. The ambiance is warm and inviting, with a wine-focused decor that hints at a shift from the owners' coffee backgrounds. From the starters like the Prawn “Tartare” and the Century egg to the inventive main courses such as the Aged Pork Collar and the Duck Breast, the menu showcases the evolution of the chefs' culinary skills. The restaurant also offers rice dishes and classic desserts to complete the dining experience. The experience has created something fresh and exciting for patrons, with excellent dishes and flavors
The Chinois Sunway Damansara French-Chinese Cuisine Hidden Gem Restaurant Review
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