We were the first ones there at 6.30pm on a weekday. The restaurant, perched on the 41st floor of Alila Hotel, overlooks the bustling town of Bangsar. Dimly lit, exudes a cozy, intimate vibe, a lovely place for get-togethers or date nights. Entier pays homage to appreciating food in its entirety and that no part of an animal or plant goes to waste. The food served at Entier is predominantly French made with local Malaysian ingredients.
As you are going through their menu, note that each dish has “dots” assigned to it.
• One-dot is a small portion, entree sized.
• • Two-dot is a main.
• • • Three-dot is a large dish for sharing between 3 to 4 people.
I have read about the whole chicken (• • •) online that people have raved about and it is supposed to be one of Entier’s signature dishes. I had my eye on the bird since, but I will have to let it slide this once since the portion would be too much for just the two of us. Instead, we ordered 4 single dots and 2 double dots.
Complimentary Bread with Kombu Butter
The famed Entier’s freshly baked bread with house made kombu butter. This was huge. I always have a weak spot for bread, but then I did not want to fill up precious real estate in my belly with it either. Wanting just a taste, I somehow ended up eating a whole quarter. Just had to, it was superb.
Cold Mud Crab
Visually, it looks stunning but the portion was quite small as I was expecting a whole crab. The flesh extracted from the crustacean and assembled back onto its shell along with some caviar, herbs, edible flowers and served chilled on a bed of ice.
This blend was alien to me, and it was a medley of unfamiliar flavors. Each ingredient distinct and bold but matched beautifully, with each subsequent spoonful enchanting me deeper and deeper. I think it was meant to be eaten as a spread as it was served with some sourdough crisps. Frankly, it would’ve gone well with anything, it was THAT good. Already, I am thinking it will be very hard to top this dish, but if this was an indication of what’s to follow, then we will be in for a real treat.
Tail & Tendon
One of the reasons for our Entier visit was due to one particular oxtail dish that we saw on social media. Unfortunately, they do not serve it at night and that it was on the lunch menu instead. For dinner they still serve oxtail albeit a different preparation which we ended up ordering. It was done two ways – as a croquette and in a broth.
The croquette was decent but I couldn’t really taste the oxtail in it. The soup had a nice beefy scent to it but tasted flat and I felt it has been watered down too much which was a shame. It lacked depth in flavor and was lukewarm after sitting on its own for only a couple minutes. I was hoping to have chunks of oxtail meat in the soup but barely found any. Small bits and pieces, probably just enough for a spoonful. To put it bluntly, tasted like beef flavored water. I question this pairing, and question why don’t Entier just provide the other oxtail dish as this one was quite lacking.
French Escargot
When the third dish arrived, we knew we made a slight error. We ordered escargots but it came in the form of more croquettes! It was served with 3 different toppings with herb butter or aioli. I never had fried snails before and like the oxtail ball before this, the escargot croquettes were good but lacked a “Wow” factor. I would still prefer the good ol’ baked ones. Although snails don’t really have any taste in general, I always loved them for their succulent, slight rubbery texture which I felt was compromised by deep frying them this way.
Lamb Shoulder Rack
Half a dozen fried balls later, in came the grilled lamb shoulder rack with parsnip chips and puree. The meat had a nice seared crust and the doneness was spot on. The greenish exterior was slightly intimidating but the meat was well seasoned, so tender with no gaminess whatsoever. It was splendid on its own and the puree and mint sauce only elevated it further. The only comment I would have is that I wished they had rendered the fats just a little longer.
Highlands White Sweet Corn
Our waiter recommended we opt for a side from the vegetable segment to go with our lamb. Corn – he suggested with sheer confidence. Corn? Personally, not a fan, I tend to conveniently categorize it in the same bracket as fries or bread. It’s like the half time show at a football game. It’s there to make the waiting less dull while the main attraction inevitably steals the show.
BUT not this Corn.
This Corn has character; this Corn has ambitions. It is still your regular “jagung” but with higher self-esteem. Presentation was lovely, the green on the corn looks more appetizing than on the shoulder rack for sure. Grilled with seaweed butter and grated parmesan, sweet and savory, it was simple yet strangely delightful. Full-bodied kernels that individually popped in your mouth. Of all the dishes we had that night, the corn was the biggest surprise, the most elevated in terms of expectation vs taste. Don’t get me wrong, it was still the “half time show”, only this time it was Beyonce performing.
Dessert
Choco soufflé and ice-cream is Entier’s signature dessert. The soufflé was excellent. The jiggly wobbly top gave way to a warm, rich, smooth centre. A good balance of sweetness and bitterness from locally sourced cocoa. Ice cream was nothing special but good nonetheless. On a bed of crushed nuts, you can’t go wrong anyway. Coffee and tea finished off a really good dining experience.
Final Thoughts
On a whole, my first time at Entier was a memorable one. Ambience was nice and customer service was second to none. They made sure our dishes were served in consistent intervals and are always on their toes to assist you every time you looked up. Our waiter in particular has been very attentive and friendly, I just couldn’t remember his name!
Quality of food was very good. I loved how they were able to maximize the use of local produce and adapted it to a very “French” tasting meal. Considering its price, I would say it is of fantastic value. We left satisfied. In my book, Entier definitely warrants a second visit. I shall be back for the chicken and oxtail that got away.
Entier French Dining Website: www.entierfrenchdining.com/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/entierfrenchdining/ Address: Level 41 at Alila Bangsar, No 58, Jalan Ang Seng, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur.
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