brunching yeast bistronomy

i shared in my previous entry that there was a part two of my story with yeast. 

we parted ways on okay terms when we first met for dinner plans. and yet i could not stop thinking about what could have been with brunch. that was reason enough to prompt me to make plans for brunch at yeast as early as i could...the following weekend.

unlike my dinner experience, the morning crowd was bustling and the cafe could only offer us seats at the counter, which was perfect because that was exactly where i wanted to be - i can see all the action go down during the busier shift of the day! 

 

entering the cafe, we were greeted by shelves full of crusty and rustic breads where their beginnings were aptly described by the cafe's name.  the smell of butter and the sweet aroma of freshly baked pastries from the oven whetted our appetites as the screeching of the espresso machine performed a duet with the clanging of the pots and pans filled the petite cafe as we made our way to the counter seats. 

the quick organized efficiency of the chefs behind the stove amazed me, rising up to the challenge under pressure of the ever intense turnover of diners, expecting a yummy sunday brunch to start the day right. 

the executive chef of yeast, chef clara champonnois was leading the breakfast/brunch/lunch service with precision and such skills at multitasking, her taking on similar role during my dinner last weekend. in fact, her attention to detail shone when she noticed that the fries were soggy and called for a new batch of fries to be freshly fried before expediting the dish to the runners.

i don't believe the pastry chef in charge of making bread works during the dinner shift and i've had the pleasure to watch him working at one corner of the kitchen that morning, kneading dough into varieties of crusty bread/pastries that yeast is well known for.

breakfast is served from 9am -3pm while the lunch menu for both cold and hot meals begins at 11am to 3pm. while {hr} had already decided on the egg benedict before we even got here, i was torn between a couple of dishes and if we waited for the additional 10 minutes, we'd have an even wider selection of french classics.

caffe vergnano since 1882 - espresso ricco :: latte |  (rm 9)

brunch is incomplete without a cup of my favorite espresso based drink - the latte. the comforting aroma of coffee hit the nose as i took my first sip. it was leaning slightly towards the bitter side implying that the espresso was over brewed slightly rendering the latte less creamy but i sure wished it was warmer. but a decent cup of coffee in the morning with a lovely foam art to boot! :)

breakfast - eggs :: oeufs cocotte | 2 soft baked eggs in a cocotte with smoked duck, gruyere cheese, toasted farmer's bread and greens (rm 16)

i wasn't sure what to expect but i guessed that the cocotte would resemble a mini ramekin. as i pierced my fork through the melted cheesy layer of gruyere, the egg white oozes out, reminiscent of a half boiled egg. below the golden layer hides the chunks of smoked duck ham which gave it a savory, salty flavor to bring flavor to the rich combination of eggs and cheese.

as i look into the petite cocotte, the rawness (and here i mean literally uncooked) of some of the egg whites persuaded me to also break into the runny yolk in order to mix all the ingredients together which was happened to be the perfect way to eat the dish, thank you very much :) perhaps, that was the chef's intention.

the richness from the the runny egg yolk, the creamy undercooked whites combined with some of the cooked whites from the bottom of the mini ramekin, paired with the melted with a bitter undertone of gruyere and salty, savory, smoky chunks of duck is quite a yummy mouthful to dip with the toasted farmer's bread which tasted akin to a mild sourdough bread to cut through the richness.

 

the eggs were seasoned well with the occasional burst of salty from the smoked duck, mellowed by the gruyere created a lovely complete play with the different textures each ingredient brought. the side salad was no slouch either, where the crisp, fresh greens were tossed in a light, fresh, lemony vinaigrette featured as the contrasting element on the plate. 

breakfast - eggs :: ouefs poches benedictine | 2 soft poached eggs on brioche toast with smoked salmon or smoked turkey, bernaise sauce and greens (rm 18)

i tend to get confused with the hollandaise and the bernaise but a quick search on the difference led to this 'the more you know...' moment: 

they are both made using clarified butter emulsified in egg yolks and white wine vinegar but bernaise uses shallots, chervil, peppercorn and tarragon while hollandaise uses lemon juice or white wine.

{hr} ordered the smoked turkey (although i wished it was smoked salmon) and offered a taste of his dish to which i gracefully accepted.

i've always considered the test of a breakfast place is the chefs' skill at making poached egg in which yeast has passed with flying colors.  from the taste that i had i liked the softness of the bread and the saltiness of the smoked turkey that paired rather well. {hr} seemed to have enjoyed his meal immensely that he almost licked his plate clean.

breakfast - danish & pastries :: brioche au chocolat | chocolate brioche (rm 5.50)

at the nudging of {hr} , i wanted to try out their pastries and i wanted something sweet as my dessert substitute. i have a weakness for chocolate and it was either this or the pain au chocolat. and i figured that brioche might be slightly lighter than the latter. 

sadly, baked chocolate chips on the top of a bread usually spells burnt chocolate which was almost the case for this one and the brioche was borderline dry. i wished for more chocolate melty goodness was what i was looking here.

breakfast - danish & pastries :: chausson aux champignons | white button mushroom puff (rm 11)

the pastry that i didn't get a photo of turned out to be really delicious. the puff expanded like a mini balloon, proudly displaying the layers within the flaky golden brown shell that shielded the soft, chewy buttery insides. with the perfect amount of seasoning of the white button mushroom filling encased within the expertly made bread gets a yummy in my tummy vote :)

yeast definitely shone brighter in the morning than it did at night. since i've started the ranking system, they are the first cafe that imo deserves a 4 out of 5 forks for their brunch meals after espressamenta illy. offering a myriad of french classics all day, i am honestly tempted to take my food relationship with yeast bistronomy to the next level - by returning for more pastries and perhaps a shot at their lunch selections :)

yeast bistronomy | location
24g jalan telawi 2, 

bangsar, 

591oo kuala lumpur

{yummy-ness | 4 forks out of 5 }

{worth trying | oeufs cocotte; white button mushroom puff }

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.

yeast bistronomy at night...

like with every story, it always begins with the introduction.. 

...followed by getting to know each other....

yeast and i didn't start out awesome. in fact, yeast kinda played hard to get...

the first time i was looking forward to its brunch, i was greeted by closed doors because they decided to take the day off on a public holiday.

even so, i didn't call it quits with yeast. instead, it made me want to eat there more. my determination did not waver and i had dinner plans there set in stone the week after even though my original intention was brunch. :) and boy, oh boy, was i so happy when they were opened for business.

as the sun was setting for the evening, the petite cafe that predominantly shone in bright mustard yellow that matched the evening atmosphere was tastefully paired with chess tiled floor while the decor comprised of vintage paintings and chalkboards with daily specials. the yellow walls were complemented by the maroon furniture and light fixtures that were dimmed to create a cozy ambiance. in fact, it was reminiscent of what i'd imagine a french cafe in paris would be.

the dinner menu selections, with their names in french (which i will probably never attempt to say them cos that would force me to butcher the beautiful language) offer from entrees to pastas. thank goodness for their translation to english so i could comfortably order my meal without having to guess what the french word means... 'parfait'! :D

since yeast is an apt name for a lovely french boulangerie, we were so happy to be served freshly baked, warm french baguette with a side of soft butter especially when two starving people are sitting by the counter where the chefs were creating yummy smells. i am not sure if it is a good thing that i could watch how many spatula-full of butter that goes into each dish even though butter makes everything better.

the rustic bread had the crispy shell that encased the chewy soft bread insides that describes the plain original baguette, served with rich, creamy butter was the wonderful introduction to what yeast does best. the other variation of the baguette had a nuttier flavor from the seeds and grains which also gave an additional textural difference.


pasta :: spaghetti de fruits de mer "en mariniere" | seafood spaghetti, garlic, shallots, white wine parsley sauce (rm 40)

pride fills me up when i could still remember that fruits de mer translates to seafood from french. :) adorned with two butterflied, shell-on shrimps, the pasta is tossed in a light white wine sauce with a generous serving of clams and squid subsequently garnished with chopped parsley.

imparting a strong seafood flavor to capture the essence of the dish, the fresh shrimps and clams were cooked to perfection, parading its natural sweetness in the white wine sauce that whispered flavors of garlic and shallots. however, the calamari was slightly overdone (very slightly) making them a little bit chewy. the pasta was cooked al dente and seasoned wonderfully all around. surprisingly, the parsley was not as pronounced which i would have prefer since it could have brought a freshness and on top of that, it could have probably used a splash of fresh lemon juice or a sprinkle of lemon zest. 

tldr version: good but it wasn't outstanding.


pasta :: risotto de courge et confit de canard copeaux de parmesan | butternut squash & duck confit risotto, shaved parmesan cheese (rm 42)

{owy} offered a taste of her risotto which i was very excited when she did. the dish represented such beautiful colors that mimicked the colors of my favorite-est season, romantic fall. 

the tender and flavorful savory, gamey duck confit that was further accentuated by the flavorful stock the creamy but undercooked risotto. the butternut squash lent a lovely sweetness that was contrasted by the stock and the sharpness of the parmesan. the flavor profile represented a delicate yumminess and could have been something really stunning if not for the slightly crunchy risotto.


post-entree, they presented us with the dessert menu and it was a challenge to say no. it was just easier for me to give in and just pick one to share to officially complete the whole dining experience.

it came down to madeleines chaudes, profiteroles or the souffle but after discussions with the waitstaff, souffle was our pick. 

cheese & desserts :: souffle au chocolat, glace noisette | valrhona chocolate souffle, hazelnut ice cream (rm 22)
the dessert menu warned that the souffle would take an additional 15 minutes to bake.

we asked the waitstaff if we really had to wait for 15 minutes but he promised it would be done 10 minutes..lol (not that we were pressed for time, we were just wondering) when it was served, i was ecstatic to see how high the souffle puffed & rose where a hazelnut ice cream quenelle pierced the soft, airy, pudding-like chocolate delight, gradually melting in the warm nest of chocolate.  funnily, souffle actually means puff in french. :)

checking off all the criteria that makes an ideal souffle, this chocolate souffle had a melting texture, with a barely cooked and soft, creamy center hidden within the light and high dessert although there were occasional crunch from the sugar. rich on the chocolate creaminess which was great but unfortunately, it was cloyingly sweet that took away what was right about the dessert. the hazelnut ice cream added to the sweetness too which didn't help in this case. 

one guy whom i can only guess is the owner of the restaurant came up to us and asked us if we enjoyed the meal to which we responded that the dessert was too sweet in our opinion for our liking. it was very proactive of the restaurant owner to collect feedback from his diners, and return to the back of the kitchen to try out the batter to reconfirm with our comments to share with their pastry chef to see if they could further improve their quality.

 
yeast bistronomy (bistronomy is coined from the combination of bistro and gastronomy) featured the makings of yummy plats français (french dishes) where the classics shine through the skills of the people behind the stove albeit the pricing is a little steep.  i know i'd love to go back for the risotto but this time it will be all mine! :p

even after our dinner experience, i still had intense cravings to get back to yeast for brunch which was the story for the weekend that followed. so wait for it in the next entry for yeast at brunch :)

yeast bistronomy | location
24g jalan telawi 2, 

bangsar, 

591oo kuala lumpur

{yummy-ness | 3.5 forks out of 5 }
just taking into account solely from dinner experience

{worth trying | duck confit risotto with butternut squash }

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.