Enfin By James Won

The 7 course Journey of the Senses, which is their signature degustation menu, started really strong with some interesting components but then kind of petered off into ordinary and mediocre (especially when we hit the mains). The vegetable dishes are unexpectedly the star of the show - they use interesting combinations of imported and locally sourced vegetables from their own organic garden up in Cameron Highlands. The mains however, were quite disappointing - the 100 day old chicken did just taste like chicken, the foie gras was large but just OK. The lobster tail, prawn tartar and the chocolate dessert were very good though. So all in all, given the price point of approx RM800 per person for this meal, and the hit & miss nature of the dishes, I'd say that there are other places in KL that are more deserving of your spend.

I’ve dined at some pretty incredible restaurants across Asia in 2016, so to say that this was one of my top 3 favourite meals of the year is pretty incredible. Enfin by James Won is a culinary blend of everything in modern French cuisine that we crave, mixed with a bit of local love in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian-born Chef James trained at Le Cordon Bleu and worked with Alain Ducasse in Paris at the 3 star Michelin restaurant in Sofitel Le Parc. He’s an ambassador for some of our favourite brands like Krug and Hennessy. Yet it’s his drive to showcase the best of Malaysia’s harvests that makes him truly unique for me.  

As I said, it was one of my favourite meals of the year. And I’ll confess that while the lobster, pasta, and that lovely dessert stands out as INSANELY PERFECT for me … it was the ice plant salad that completely won my heart. Honestly, it was so original and so delicious, I still dream about it! The base price for 5 courses is RM448, with an additional RM235 for that awesome Krug, wine & fine cognac pairing.

Although at first glance this is a house of cognac where Hennessy reigns king, take my advice and head there RIGHT NOW for their Garden Gin ‘n Tonic, it’s the best I’ve had in Malaysia! They stock 27 different artisan gins and bespoke their signature gin ‘n tonic to each person, adjusting the tonic and strength and everything in between to your mood du jour.

I posted my full review on my blog Luxury Bucket List and on my YouTube channel Expat Angela in case you're interested.  I love this restaurant!