Le Midi

Le Midi opened on 10/10/10, instantly becoming BSC's most romantic restaurant.

The cuisine here is Mediterranean, with a tempting tagline that promises everything from "the fresh bounty of Grecian seas to the exotic spices of Morocco."

Amuse bouche of chicken terrine. A satisfying start; tasted rustic, homemade and surprisingly flavorful for chicken. We even wondered at first whether this might be pork terrine.

The complete a la carte menu isn't ready, but a six-course tasting selection offers solid options, including a generous serving of beef carpaccio with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese & pesto.

Duck confit flambed with Provencal brandy, potato gratin & ratatouille. One of the healthiest-tasting duck confits ever; less salty than versions elsewhere, but sufficiently tender and meaty.

Andalusian Gazpacho. A refreshingly cold soup, thick and tangy with assorted veggies. The perfect antidote for a muggy day.

Warm goat cheese salad on toast. Nice to see a menu where cheese takes center stage in one of the courses. Tasty enough, but in the spirit of adventure, the soft, distinctively savory cheese might be better matched with less generic bread.

Mussels steamed in champagne butter sauce, served with fries. We had mixed feelings about this; while the mussels were irreproachably fresh, the sodium content could have been lower. But that's a matter of personal preference.

Creme brulee with chocolate & espresso. The creme brulee had a fascinatingly mysterious flavor that straddled the line between herbal and floral.

The only drawback: the range of wines here leans toward the expensive, with even the cheapest variety by the glass costing more than 40 ringgit.

Service is efficient and the music played is wonderfully soothing. Ask for a table by the window for a wide-open view that extends from Bangsar to the Petronas towers.

Le Midi,

Bangsar Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur.