PETALING JAYA, Feb 1 — I’m standing in front of a newly painted — though otherwise bare-faced — industrial building in Sunway Damansara.
The facade and outdoor area show clear signs of ongoing work, and I find myself wondering: 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 Bukit Jalil not-a-cafe-restaurant Et Cetera, Sean Sue and Neo Shun Zheng.
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 faux tartare, featuring small chunks of poached tiger prawns tossed with an aioli, ginger torch flower and kaffir lime leaf. Fried popiah skin is served on the side as a cracker.
The real gem in this section, however, is the century egg pâté (RM32), made from chopped century egg, roasted eggplant and Chinese screw pepper.
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.
The Ham Yu Kailan (RM28) here disproves that: the leaves of the kai lan are prepared yin yeung–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.
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 jus and filled out with a confit garlic purée and grilled greens.
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.
It’s a grilled pork dish, but with the bone structure of zhu tou tong.
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 jus and more charred greens.
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.
During this soft opening period, The Chinois is currently accepting reservations only.
The Chinois
1, Jalan PJU 3/48,
Sunway Damansara,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Open Wednesday to Sunday, 6-10pm
Tel: 012-395 4112
Facebook: The Chinois
Instagram: @thechinois.pj
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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*Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and occasionally self-deprecating humour.
