BURO Bites: Bidou is the Best French News Your Belly Will Receive
Doing it right
Our take on Bidou, a cosy French eatery dedicated to the classics of nouvelle cuisine à la Paul Bocuse, Michel Guerard, and more.
You won’t need Google Translate to understand the excellence that is Bidou in Bukit Damansara. Filling a gap in the KL French dining scene, this easy-to-love restaurant arrives at the hands of Dewakan’s Darren Teoh, as he taps into his deep knowledge of the cuisine’s anatomy and anthropology to compile a menu that touches on both traditional indulgence and modern elegance. He spent four years dotting his i’s and crossing his t’s, ensuring thorough research was done to develop recipes that paid homage to the pioneers of ‘nouvelle cuisine’ in a respectful, poised manner.
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Menus here are presented in prix fixe form, meaning you’ll get a multi-course meal at a singular price. You simply have to choose between a three- or four-course set and pick your choice of starters, mains, and desserts. This makes the entire dining experience catered to your taste in an organised and neat manner. The dishes here are a delicious demonstration of how food can in fact be inspired by its forefathers without erring on the side of plagiarism, as Teoh pays homage to the originating chefs by literally attaching their names to the dish on the menu.
As for its space, the warm lighting and cosy fixtures are accompanied by cheeky drawings and posters. The famed Michelin Man–named Bibbendum—making witty remarks, a rat wearing a chef’s hat, and so forth. Further adding character to the main dining room are fluted sconces, mid-century light pendants, exposed ceiling beams, and classy tableware from Legle Porcelain. Rarely does a restaurant here in KL have everything—from decor and service to food and cutlery—equal each other in quality. But somehow, Bidou has struck that balance. Find our thoughts on our three-course dining experience below.
STARTERS
Our meal opens with gruyére puff de choux topped with marinated anchovy, a morsel with bold flavours that don’t spill into an obnoxious territory. It did its job leaving our palates wanting more. If any more were left on the table, I’d have no room left for the rest of my meal.
A careful and curious plate, the langue de bouef Provencale was a massive delight, balancing beef tongue with a provençale sauce, a golden pomme Darphin, and rouille marseillaise. Meanwhile the tarte Mouginoise de Roger Verge was a velvety tart of black olives and caramelised onion that was sophisticated in nature but approachable in every other way.
Finally, the salade gourmand de Michel Guerard was a profound combination of crisp Cameron Highlands vegetables, buttery foie gras, and hazelnut dressing. This wasn’t your regular salad.
With these dishes, it’s immediately clear that while Teoh is set to pay respects to the cuisine’s greats, he also does right by the Malaysian palate and appetite. Nothing is too rich, in-your-face, or gamey. Instead, flavours and textures come somewhat courteously bite by bite.
MAINS
For our mains, we tucked into the iconic loup de mer en croûte de Monsieur Paul Bocuse, a technically-sound and fragrant plate of threadfin and some scallop mousse baked within a golden-brown puff pastry, shaped like a fish for a touch of whimsy. On the side, a leek fondue and Chorron sauce add a little pizzazz to each bite.
The morue en borride was another excellent decision made that evening. Flavoured by the ocean’s best, a vegetable medley, and salted cod, the stew was bright, clean-tasting, and something you wouldn’t want to leave a drop of behind.
Finally, a steak grillé au beurre d’anchois is a safe bet on the menu for anyone wanting to stick with the classics but still in need of sophistication. Aside from the good cook on the meat and the celeriac-potato pave, the anchovy butter sauce was truly the cherry on top.
DESSERT
To bid our meal ‘bonne nuit’, we ordered every single dessert on the menu—the only righteous choice, in my opinion. The fléton aux châtaignes (chestnut tart) is a lesser seen dessert here in KL, but one that is worth adding to your order for something, well, nutty.
We also had a little fruity warmth in the form of the weekly special: a cherry clafoutis. Made to order, the dessert sat perfectly at the crossroads of a cake and custard without being too stodgy or dense. Plus, the vanilla ice cream on the side was a perfect chilly complement.
For something more light and zingy, go for the ile flot tante avec glace à l’orange, a dessert of poached meringue, orange créme anglaise, and blood orange ice cream.
On the other hand, the chocolatey option on the menu was inspired by none other than Fernand Point of Le Pyramide. The marjolaine de Fernand Point (chocolate cake with plum ice cream) brought a layered touch of classic composure to the meal, all without being too sweet.
BIDOU KL
All in all, Bidou has proven itself to be a worthy torchbearer of a cuisine so steeped in technique and tradition. It has somehow found a niche in KL’s extremely busy—and sometimes claustrophobic—dining scene that I hope many will keep coming back to. Each plate here is a story of the constant evolution and globalisation of French cuisine. While the menu directly credits the chef that has inspired each dish, Teoh and team’s careful adaptations are what makes Bidou. Though some of the lore may be lost on the diner, who simply wants a meal to enjoy, the mere existence of such thoughtfulness is enough to make the menu one that is worth high praise.
Dishes we’d order again/will try next time: Langue de bouef Provencale, salade gourmand de Michel Guerard, loup de mer en croûte de Monsieur Paul Bocuse, morue en borride, ile flot tante avec glace à l’orange, marjolaine de Fernand Point.
Vegetarian/vegan-friendly?: No.
Pork-free?: Yes
Address: 9, Jalan Setiakasih 5, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 6pm until late (Wednesday to Monday)
Contact: +6012 278 6720 | [email protected]
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