A French Riviera feel at this feast

Chow heads the kitchen at Nizza, a modern yet casual French Riviera-inspired restaurant and lounge that recently opened its doors.

STEP into Nizza, a modern yet casual restaurant, and you may feel like you have been transported to an expansive space exuding the calmness of the skies and seas.

Nizza takes its name, decor and menu inspiration from the beautiful coastlines of the French Riviera or Côte d’Azur.

The restaurant at Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara specialises in Mediterranean and French cuisine, with an emphasis on dishes typically available in the French Riviera.

Chef de cuisine Jasper Chow, who heads Nizza’s kitchen, said Mediterranean cuisine is known for its use of fresh seafood, olive oil and wide range of herbs.

“When cooking seafood, its common methods include grilling, sauteing, dehydrating and sous vide,” said the exuberant chef in his early 30s.

“While fish and shellfish are prominently showcased, Nizza also offers steak, chicken, pasta and pizza for non-seafood eaters,” he said, adding that food supplies such as seafood, cheese, pasta and wine are imported from France, Italy and Spain.

The Seafood On Ice appeals to those who love seafood.

Chow worked closely with the hotel’s food and beverage executive assistant manager Lois Garcia and executive chef Adrian Oliver Jackson to create Nizza’s menu.

The Summer Nicoise Salad makes for a light and refreshing starter.

Nizza’s deconstructed version of this salad features seared tuna, olives, French beans, quail egg and anchovies, with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

The Bouillabaisse Côte de Opal is a rich soup made with various kinds of fish, shellfish and spices.

Nizza’s take on the traditional Provençal dish features prawns, mussels and clams, accompanied with saffron, rouille and croutons.

The Bouillabaisse Cte de Opal is a rich soup made with various kinds of fish, shellfish and spices.

Rouille is a kind of spicy mayonnaise made from olive oil, garlic, saffron and cayenne pepper, usually served on bread.

“This soup, which is commonly available in Côte d’Azur, is made by blending fish bones and crustacean shells together for the stock. Vegetables and herbs are added later,” said Chow.

Group diners should go for the sharing platters, which are a highlight at Nizza.

The Charcuterie Board features turkey salchichon (Spanish summer sausage), cecina babilla (air-dried beef) and smoked duck, along with pickled onions, piparra peppers and marinated olives.

Although the dish traditionally contains ham, bacon and pâté, the platter of cold cuts served at Nizza offers a pork-free version while replicating similar flavours diners are accustomed to.

The Seafood On Ice will appeal to those who love seafood.

Nizza’s Charcuterie Board features turkey salchichon (Spanish summer sausage), cecina babilla (air-dried beef) and smoked duck, along with pickled onions, piparra peppers and marinated olives.

Diners get to enjoy tiger prawns, manila clams, live oysters, black mussels and smoked salmon, with accompanying condiments.

The bucket filled with assorted shellfish is fresh, as one can taste the brininess of the seafood, whether consumed plain or flavoured with a dash of lemon or Tabasco sauce.

Other sharing platters available include a Cheese Board featuring Spanish, French and Italian cheese, Salt-baked Whole Snapper and White Sturgeon Caviar.

Another Nizza speciality is the pissaladière, a pizza-style dish typically made with fermented anchovy sauce.

“Our pissaladière has a thin crust that is baked fresh in-house. We use farina or fine flour imported from Italy for the base,” said Chow.

Some of the restaurant’s popular toppings include Forestiere with smoked turkey, mushroom, boiled egg and Gruyere cheese, Goats Cheese with arugula leaves, toasted walnuts and mozzarella cheese, and Provençal with asparagus, anchovy and olives.

From the pasta section comes the Genovese Pappardelle served with red onion, farmed cherry tomato, beef cheek, basil and Parmigiana Reggiano cheese.

The dish was personally a hit and miss. The beef cheek, which Chow said was cooked in port wine for 48 hours at 65°C, was tender and appetising. However the pappardelle, a kind of flat pasta noodle, was too thick and chewy for my liking.

The 120-Day Aged Black Angus Rib Eye served with ratatouille and slow-roasted vine cherry tomatoes was a personal favourite.

The tender beef steak had a smoky, charred flavour, which Chow attributed to it being charbroiled in the wood-fired Mibrasa oven.

Other main course options include Seafood Tagliatelle with tiger prawns, grilled octopus, manila clams and chilli flakes, Seafood En Papillote with tiger prawns, scallops and mussels baked in a paper bag, Herb de Provence Chicken and Blue Brittany Lobster with a choice of thermidor or herb pesto sauce.

For sweet endings, there are desserts such as Caramelised Apple Crepes served with butterscotch, almond frangipane and vanilla gelato, Trio Chocolate Tart with Valrhona chocolate pate sablee, milk chocolate curd, white chocolate gelato and salted caramel popcorn, as well as a range of homemade gelato.

Chow shared that Nizza offers a customisable menu, such as non-alcoholic or no-nut versions of dishes for those with allergies or food preferences, as well as dishes featuring seasonal ingredients.

“It was a challenge to work with a pork-free menu, as French or Mediterannean cuisine sometimes incorporates the use of pork,” said Chow.

“But I tapped into my experience working in the restaurants at some of Kuala Lumpur’s top hotels, and learnt to adapt using pork-free meats such as turkey,” said the chef who has about 10 years of culinary experience under his belt.

Nizza seats up to 110 persons. Diners can choose to sit at the indoor dining area where the show kitchen is, or at the outdoor area for a relaxed pool deck ambiance.

NIZZA, Level 3, Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara, No. 6, Jalan Damanlela, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur. (Tel: [phone]) Business hours: 4.30pm to 10.30pm (Wednesday to Monday). Closed on Tuesday. Pork-free.

This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.