Spaghetti and Beautiful Pastries at Levain Boulangerie & Patisserie, Kuala Lumpur
Posted on: February 19, 2012
My journey around Kuala Lumpur could not be better without my friend, Ashley bringing us around to sample the finest food the city has to offer. This time, we were around Kuala Lumpur City Centre, off Jalan Tun Razak, which is the embassy row in KL. Ashley wanted to try this place called Levain Boulangerie & Patisserie that people have been raving about. So, with the help of Rebecca Saw’s review, we braved the crazy traffic, and although we got lost, we were finally able to find the place with the help of Google Maps.
Levain is located near the Selangor Royal Golf Club and the Republic of Indonesia embassy. Housed in an old bungalow, the place seemed quite charming from the outside. Parking is limited inside the bungalow compound, especially during lunch time. However, we were able to park right outside Levain for a fee of RM3 or so. There were no meters and we had to pay the guy who’s manning the parking area. Actually, we don’t even know if these guys work for a car park company. For all we know, they just showed up in the morning, claimed their “territory,” and asked for money for parking in their territory and “taking care” of people’s car while they were away. Well, such is the parking situation in many parts of KL. Yes, it’s shady and the city council should get rid of these people.
Upon entering, the lobby area was very inviting. On the left was the baked products section, with all sorts of artisan breads, buns, and doughnuts. When you look at what they sell, their products seemed heavily influenced by French style pastry, compared to other local bakeries like Tong Kee Brothers, King’s confectionery, Meidi-ya, or New Zealand, which sell Malaysian style buns and tarts. It’s nice to see a variety in pastries in Kuala Lumpur these days and it’s about damn time!
Note that there was no table service at Levain. Ashley went to look for a table while we went straight to the counter to order our lunch and dessert. Their hot item menu was quite disappointing as there wasn’t much choices. The menu was dominated mostly by some pizza and pasta and by pasta I meant spaghetti, because that’s probably what most Malaysians know. So we ordered a spaghetti and meatballs, rendang spaghetti, and seafood spaghetti for about RM15 each if I remembered correctly. I also went to the dessert counter to order as I walked past it because I saw French macaron! Macaron in KL?? Feed me, please!
The inside seating area was full, as it always is, because Malaysia is a hot and humid country. So Ashley got a table in the garden area, surrounded by greeneries and beautiful wood accents in the decor. They have some gorgeous landscaping done in the garden I must add, something that I would like in my house some day. We chatted for a little bit while waiting for our food which didn’t take very long.
The spaghetti and meatballs is an American classic and Ashley enjoyed it. It wasn’t the best I’ve had but it was good. Mine was the seafood spaghetti, with squid, prawns, fish and a light creamy sauce. It could use a little more seasoning and some citrus to brighten up the dish but the seafood was tender. My partner ordered the rendang spaghetti which made me squirmed when I saw it in the menu. Rendang is a classic Malaysian stew with coconut milk and spices but pairing it with pasta? Hmm, I don’t know. However, after tasting it, I fell in love with it. It was a bit oily but the flavour was spot on.
Finally, the desserts! I am a macaron freak and I had to try theirs. I got the cassis, macchiato, dark chocolate, limone, arancia, and durian. Yes, durian macaron, you heard it right. I found the macaron cookie a bit crumbly when I bit into it and they tasted quite good but the filling was just not refine enough. My favourite was of course the durian! The doughnuts was OK, they were quite cute though. The mont blanc, which is a chestnut cream dessert cup, however, was excellent and I highly recommend it.
Overall, it’s a very good lunch place. I wish I gorged on more their cakes and pastries but we were so full. If you are in the KL city centre area, try their stuff and let me know if you have any other favourites.
Levain Boulangerie & Patisserie
7 Jalan Delima
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Phone: +603 2142 6611
Email: info@levain.com.my
Monday to Sunday 7.30am – 9pm
