Soleil

Special thanks to Soleil Restaurant & Wine Bar for extending this food review invitation.

Soleil Restaurant & Wine Bar is an award-winning restaurant in Damansara City Mall. Meaning "sun" in French, Soleil specializes in European cuisine complemented by a large collection of wines. Soleil is not only patronized by wine connoisseurs, but also an ideal place for anybody who appreciates gastronomy.

Chef Evert Onderbeke takes helm of the kitchen. Hailing from Belgium, his area of expertise is contemporary European cuisine integrated with Asian elements. Chef Evert favors a hands-on approach to food preparation, going so far as to make pasta and bread from scratch. The Chef's Table allows diners to watch Chef Evert and his team in action.

For diners who prefer some privacy, Soleil has a section of the dining area that can be cordoned off for private dining. Against the wall is an image of Château de Chambord, one of the most recognizable châteaux in France.

Soleil has a walk-in wine cellar stocked with over 200 wine labels, each of which are personally handpicked by Soleil's resident sommelier. French wines are overwhelmingly popular among regulars. In addition, the restaurant also carries Belgian beer, gluten-free beer, hard liquors and more.

Soleil takes an entirely different approach to its wine dégustation experience. Instead of crafting the food menu from scratch and then working out the right wine to pair with each dish, Soleil does things the other way round. Diners are taken on a culinary to taste the best wines Soleil has to offer, whereas the selection of food serves to complement the qualities of each wine.

The first glass of wine is 2016 Château de Hartes from Bordeaux. The wine is soft on the palate and has subtle notes of strawberry. It is paired with Duck Pâté with beetroot sauce and truffle dressing.

Next in line is 2015 Château Corbin from Montagne-Saint-Émilion, one of the sub-appellation satellites of Saint-Émilion. This is the point when the wine starts to build up strength. Complementing the wine is Charred Mackerel that comes with tangy escabeche and pickled vegetables on the side.

2015 Les Demoiselles de Larrivet Haut-Brion hails from Pessac-Leognan, a wine appellation in the Graves region of Bordeaux. To savor this medium body wine, Chef Evert has prepared Pumpkin & Ricotta Gnocchi with baby spinach, eryngii mushrooms and pecorino cheese.

Moving on, 2015 K de Kirwan comes from the Margaux appellation of Bordeaux. The red wine conveys earthy and berry flavors. The corresponding dish is Beef Short Rib served with fennel, black olives, capers and piquillo pepper.

Building to the climax, 2012 Château Tronquoy-Lalande serves as the ultimate wine this evening. Harvested from vineyards of Saint Estèphe, the grapes produce a wine that complements red meat such as Slow-Cooked Lamb Neck. Cooked in its own fat, the scrumptious delicacy comes with organic red beans, butternut squash and aged Gouda cheese.

Tonight's 5-course wine dégustation menu is priced at RM330.00++ per person. Considering Soleil's refined ambience and impeccable table service, the price is very affordable to people who appreciate fine wines. In fact, Soleil aims to make quality wines more accessible to the average customer.

Name: Soleil Restaurant & Wine Bar
Address: Lot 7 & 8, DC Mall, Damansara City, Jalan Damanlela, 50490 Kuala Lumpur
Contact: 03-2011-8261
Business hours: 10:00am-10:30pm (Monday-Friday), 9:00am-10:30pm (Saturday-Sunday)
Website: http://www.soleil.my
Coordinates: 3.14625 N, 101.66172 E
Directions: Damansara City Mall (DC Mall) is a shopping mall at Damansara Heights. Soleil is located at Level 2 of the mall. DC Mall has parking spaces in its basement levels.