Located in the quieter part of Lorong Rahim Kajai 13, Topshelf has been dishing out popular French and Italian dishes to discerning customers. Helmed by the dashing Chef Christopher Yee and partnered by the charming Hairenna Othman, this unassuming restaurant has been around for almost two years. Trained in French cooking in Europe, Chef Yee keeps his menu tight as he prefers to offer items which are ever-popular using the best and freshest ingredients for the day. The menu features 7 entrees, 11 mains and 5 desserts but Chef Yee is in the process of adding on a few more items and the latest offerings or specials for the day are all written on the board at the front.
Slices of freshly-baked bread to start off the meal
From the entrée list, we started with the Pesto Capellini (RM22) – served cold, the Pesto Capellini which is angelhair pasta tossed in pesto, toasted pine nuts, truffle oil and topped with shaved parmesan was a good start to dinner.
Les escargots au beurre (RM26) – the snails are baked in butter laced with aromatic herbs resulting in a sauce that was so good we had to ask for extra toasted baguette to mop it up.
My favourite was the Moules mariniere (RM34) – mussels cooked in white wine, butter, parsley and shallots. There’s something incredibly addictive about plump succulent mussels submerged in a heavenly sauce concocted from the ingredients mentioned. Again the additional slices of toasted baguettes were most welcome.
Salmon ravioli
The Salmon ravioli (RM25) must be the prettiest dish of the night… almost too pretty to dig in. Light and delicate flavours burst forth when we bit into them.
Going on to the mains, the Confit de canard (RM36) – duck confit served with fondant potatoes, braised shallots and French beans is a substantial dish. A very decent-sized duck leg, crispy on the skin and yielding fork-tender meat at a touch with salad and beans on the side will certainly please most diners.
The Boeuf Bourguignon (RM37) is a delicious plate of slow-cooked beef in burgundy red and served with homemade pasta. This rustic and very homey dish is immensely satisfying.
Bouillabaisse with spicy rouille
The Bouillabaisse with spicy rouille (RM48) is a seafood-laden stew cooked in white wine and saffron and served with toasted bread. I couldn’t have enough of this – the thick rich gravy with all the flavours of the seafood immersed was very addictive.
Confit pork belly (RM38) is a new item, as listed on the board. Thick cuts of pork belly with a compact crunchy skin and melt-in-the-mouth layers of fat and meat – a testimony of Chef Yee’s skills. This dish has gone through many QC sessions before the chef introduced it to his diners.
One should never miss the desserts in Topshelf. We tried 4 out of the 5 listed and could not fault any of those. The Mousse au chocolat (RM23) is served in a frosted cup and while it looked rich and creamy, it’s actually very light and fluffy as the chef does not use eggyolks in the mousse.
The Apple tarte tatin (RM21) is an upside-down apple pie served with vanilla icecream. Crispy pastry layers, caramelized apples are all good to go with vanilla icecream!
I generally stay away from Crème Brulee but the version made by Chef Yee was refreshingly light and not cloying in the cream department (the reason why I stay away!). The crunchy caramel layer on top gave way to smooth soft custard underneath and I found myself indulging in more than a couple scoops of this!
The Champagne Mille feuille (RM23) is my favourite. The pretty crumbly puff pastry with layers of champagne-poached berries, lemon curd and chocolate glaze are just simply divine. Enough said.
Besides the predominantly French slant in the menu, there are a few pizza and pasta items too, to satisfy any Italian cravings.
Topshelf
61 Lorong Rahim Kajai 13
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
6000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-7727 7277
ciki says
the list is endless! Would take several visits to try them all, on a regular day me thinks;)
Pureglutton says
Yeah, go visit and indulge, hehe!
Verne says
The duck confit is a killer, and generally food is good here.
Pureglutton says
Yes, love the duck confit!