It was our wedding anniversary, so Chel and I decided to treat ourselves to a French dining experience but we were not willing to trade in our limbs to pay for dinner. So days before our anniversary, we did  tonnes of research, asked around and looked up the internet (Wikipedia inclusive). Hey, how else do you stretch your dollar, right?

Finally, a wise and “well eaten” friend recommended Ma Maison, a friendly and cozy set up in Ampang.  Nestled in an unassuming area, the experience was surprisingly pleasant and the bill too was oh-so-friendly to the pocket.

Tucked in a small alley behind Jalan Ampang, I was indeed surprised to discover such a row of quaint shop houses consisting of art gallery, cafés and bistros.  My spirit was immediately lifted when I stepped out of the car. When my friend told me about Ma Maison being a neighbourhood French restaurant and its price range, I really didn’t have much expectation. In fact, I was ready to accept that the restaurant is probably just slightly better than my grandmother’s kitchen.  But, BOY WAS I SURPRISED!!

Now I won’t say this is Lafite or Le Francais by any standard.  The restaurant was in fact a little jaded with slightly malfunctioning air conditioners.  But it was unpretentious, and the food was wonderful.  I tell ya, even Tun  Dr Mahathir patronises this place…and they have pictures to prove it!

As we were told, the  French owner used to be a chef in a local hotel, quit his job, went back to France  but decided to come back to Malaysia and started up a restaurant.  Based on chef’s recommendation, we started our evening with escargot…..I really don’t remember what they put in there…….olive oil, basil leaves…???….but man, it was good and the portion here is HUGE!!!!

So before you think of having individual appetiser, individual main and the lot, you might want to consider running the entire KL city beforehand to accommodate those extra calories.  I decided that my wife and I will just go the easy way – we shared our food. Significantly lighter on the pocket too.

For main, we chose cod fish with cream sauce and mashed potato (or was it sweet potato).  It was decent. I mean, I am not a big fan of fish to begin with, so the fact that I thought it was decent should make this dish extraordinary.  I love the side salad though.

They say fish goes better with white wine, but really, I much prefer red – with anything and everything and in any occasion!  So, as I said earlier, this place is unpretentious, so I was glad that I was able to go against the norm and indulge in red wine with fish just the way I wanted it, without having to worry about glances and smirks from the next table.  I mean, give it a break, if I can have red wine with satay ayam, I can have red wine with cod fish.

The finale of the night was definitely the dessert!  We went for the kill despite the calories – Gratin De Fraises Au Grand Marnier (Strawberry Gratin) and yes, despite this gastronomic affair, my wife and I are trying to lose weight.  The gratin is some kind of pudding  laced with Grand Marnier, crisp layer of caramelised sugar on top, perfected with a serving of ice cream.  Absolutely fabulous!  Anyone who goes there must order this dessert!!!

The laid back atmosphere coupled with soothing French music brought about a very cozy, countryside ambience to our dining experience. Being in Ma Maison lifted me away from the hustle and bustle of being in Kuala Lumpur.

The total bill cost us  approximately RM140 (including 3 glasses of wine), quite reasonable.  One thing to remember though, is that this place is cash only,  so unless you are prepared to do the dishes to contra off your dinner bill, it is best to have enough cash in hand!

Ma Maison French Restaurant

32, Persiaran Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: +603 4256 5410

Map to Ma Maison French Restaurant