Fri, 2010-01-22 10:57 — mtjuan

Good food is found at Bisou, a chic eatery in Bangsar Village, but their desserts steal the spotlight. One sweet treat in particular has this writer drooling...

By Pauline Wong
Photos by ARIS ZARIL

Food reviews are hard. They really are.

After all, how can you ignore the age old adage that one man's meat is another man's poison? What about the various fussy tastebuds of the world that could declare you a fraud? What about the café or restaurant that is to be reviewed - do they expect a rave review, whether or not their food is good?

But the owners of Bisou (pronounced bee-szoo, which is a casual way to say 'kisses' in French), a chic little café tucked neatly on the third floor of Bangsar Village, need not worry about this writer's review.

Because when it comes to good food there is a law. This law states that when your taste buds do little tap dances against the roof of your mouth in glee and pleasure, the food is certified good.

I believe the roof of my mouth is now imprinted with footprints.

Ahem. With strange metaphors out of the way, let's review the food, shall we?

Bisou, which is quietly stylish with a simple and modest décor of whites and greens, is home to an array of the prettiest cupcakes I have ever seen, complete with displays of honest-to-goodness freshly baked desserts and sweet treats. It also boasts a nice menu of salads, sandwiches and hot foods like lasagna and noodles.

During the review, me and a colleague were treated to an out-of-this world Smoked Salmon Ciabatta (RM16), which comes with a generous helping of fresh salads. With good thick slices of fresh salmon wedged between soft, chewy bread and the hints of spices bombarding our tastebuds, it was a hearty meal in itself.

We also sampled (after I noticed two magic words: Edamame and Beans) The Three Bean Salad (RM 13), which features gorgeous edamame beans (salty, sweet, and bursting with flavour), sugar snap peas and crisp fresh salads, drizzled in a Thai sesame syrup. It is this dressing that made the entire plate of green leaves and glistening peas special - it was all at once zesty, sweet and salty.

Now, a good eatery is not only all about food, no. Ahaha. It's about desserts. Gorgeous, sweet, decadent desserts. In buffet lines, a scanty dessert table is sure to get a thumbs-down from me. In a restaurant, if nothing sweet is on the menu, I go bonkers. In any up-scale café (you know those), a sub-par dessert will have my nose in the air; regardless even if everything else was superb.

But like before, Bisou need not worry.

For me, personally, the desserts served at this place are to die for. In particular, one Banoffee Pie (RM12 a slice).

At the risk of sounding like a sugar addict, I don't think there is a word yet created to describe just how gorgeous this slice of heaven really was. With layers of light cream, toffee and banana softly contrasting the crunch of a biscuit-base, the slice was attacked vigorously till nothing but a crumb was left. At RM 12 a pop, it doesn't come cheap, but how can you quibble about money when there is a slice of the best Banoffee Pie this side of Klang Valley right in front of you? If you're having a bad day, get one to console yourself. If you're having a good day, get one to celebrate. No matter what, go get one.

Added to that are buttery, soft, fresh, just-right cupcakes - decorated to please the eye, and baked to make you probably never want to eat cupcakes anywhere else again. And, again, at RM5 each and RM25 for six, nothing here is what would be called cheap, but it is an occasional indulgence when you're feeling like you need a treat.

Another treat is the Pavlova, a meringue, custard and fruit concoction made from sugar, heaven and maybe a bit of hell (warning, lame pun: because it's sinful!). But be warned: This is usually sold out within a few hours, so be quick.

While you're at it, try more of those cupcakes! One cupcake called Dark Secret will become a dark secret indeed once you take a bite. And how about that Vanilla Garden, possibly the prettiest pink-frosted cupcake ever?

Another word of caution: Bisou is not cheap. It certainly will set you back around RM30 for a full meal. But fabulously, Bisou also offers a set meal of a main, pastry of the day and a drink for RM 18.50 during weekdays.

But at the end of the day, I strongly believe in the worth of what you're paying for. Whether RM 5 or RM 50, a fabulous meal is a fabulous meal - if you have to pay more for something that will have you sighing in food-pleasure, why not? And, in retrospect, even RM 1 for a terrible meal is still too much to pay, is it not?

Besides, think of the Banoffee Pie. It is a grievous sin for anything to be that good. And you know what they say: It really is good...
to be bad.