One of the visual highlights at the eatery – cakes encased in gorgeous glass domes. — Photos: ART CHEN/The Star
Ensconced in the swanky M Resort & Hotel Kuala Lumpur is Monsieur Darren. The brainchild of redoubtable chef Darren Chin (who helms the Michelin-starred DC by Darren Chin), this pastry palace which features beautiful desserts encased in glass domes is the real-world interpretation of a long-held dream of Chin’s.
“It’s a side project that I have always wanted to create throughout my cooking career, but I’m not specialised in this field. I don’t know how to do it – I’m a hot kitchen chef and a cuisine chef. So it’s something that I’ve been building brick by brick. It actually started during the Covid-19 pandemic when we built our menu and offered cakes online. And now we’ve managed to materialise it to what it is today,” says Chin.
To execute his vision, Chin found a willing partner-in-crime in Hazel Chan Mei Teng, the executive pastry chef of Monsieur Darren who helms the kitchen and runs the show at this spanking new eatery. Chan hails from Sarawak where her family runs a small pastry shop so she practically grew up in the womb of the pastry world.
At Monsieur Darren, she aims to apply her pastry skills to transforming and reimagining classic sweet treats.
Chan is a passionate pastry chef who has turned her hand to crafting desserts that incorporate classic flavours with a modern touch.
“When I look at Monsieur Darren, the idea behind it is I like classic desserts but I think nowadays we have to improve a little bit but not overdo things – less is more. So I mostly make classic flavours but then add a bit of a modern touch to it,” says Chan.
Chin says this reconfiguration and subtle engineering of the pastries at the restaurant is what makes his brand-new eatery stand out from other places.
“The whole idea was not to over-try cakes in its original form. And uniquely enough, in my opinion, we created something which truly stands out. It’s not a copy of something, but it is an effect of an idea and a representation of what Hazel is trying to do and her principles behind pastry,” says Chin.
Monsieur Darren shares a large, expansive space with Chin’s casual fine-dining restaurant Bref. He says it made far more sense to utilise the space well and to expand his idea of turning Monsieur Darren into a pastry hub for deliveries and takeaways; rather than opening a separate eatery altogether.
“I used the space to build this kitchen so that we can concentrate most of our production to online orders and takeaways. So I want that to be more substantial. My wish is to reach maybe 50-50 – so 50% dine-ins and 50% takeaways,” he says.
The high tea set offers a winning array of savoury and sweet pastries.
At Monsieur Darren, expect to tuck into a range of sweet and savoury pastries that epitomise the length and breadth of Chan’s talents.
If you’re here for high-tea (3pm to 6pm), look at indulging in the high-tea set (RM98 for two people). High tea sets are often notorious for being a medley of hits and misses. You might enjoy some components yet find others seriously lacking in clarity and quality. But here, Chan has taken great pains to ensure that every single item on the tiered platters offer complete satisfaction.
The cranberry parmesan scone with homemade jam and cream cheese is a prime example of this. The scone itself has a firm outer skin that yields to doughy soft innards. The entire concoction pairs remarkably well with the jam and cream cheese and you’ll find pleasure in every mouthful.
Then there is the mini croissant sandwich, which highlights the buttery attributes of the croissant to fullest effect.
From the sweet options for high tea, the star of the show is most definitely the raspberry guava chocolate bon bon. Here, the fruity, tropical nuances of the guava shine through and are underscored by the sweetness of the raspberries and the richness of the chocolate.
The parmesan scones with homemade jam are honestly some of the best scones you are likely to find in the Klang Valley. — ART CHEN/The Star
Then there is the vanilla choux roll, which features the floral notes of vanilla running throughout its rich veins.
Perhaps the true highlight at Monsieur Darren is the petit gateaux, or small cakes. This is where Chan’s remarkable talents truly come to the fore.
Chan herself says that her affinity for pastry is at its zenith when she is working with chocolate, which is why you would do well to try the Intensite Cacao 70% (RM35) which features dark chocolate mousse, dark chocolate ganache and a blood orange jelly.
“The chocolate can be quite intense so I balanced it out with an acidic centre, so diners won’t feel so heavy afterwards,” explains Chan.
The intense chocolate cake is a hedonistic delight that will surpass any and all expectations.
This is a chocolate dessert that is truly, truly extraordinarily good. The chocolate itself is rich and indulgent – the sort of creamy, cocoa-laden affair that truly seduces the senses. The blood orange jelly meanwhile is a covert secret agent that lurks and hides in the heart of the dessert, only to deliver a bombastic, citrusy flavour bomb when you least expect it. As surprises go, this is like waking up on Christmas morning to find a tree filled with every single present on your wish list.
Moving on, definitely try the Fromage Blanc (RM35) which features vanilla yoghurt mousse, yuzu curd and almond sponge. This is a refreshing dessert with none of the cloying qualities sometimes associated with decadent sweet treats.
Here, the yuzu provides a fresh, sharp counterpoint that falls in line with the vanilla yoghurt mousse which is nuanced but understated and offers a delicate underbelly to this dessert.
Designed to resemble an egg yolk, the oeuf is a light, sunny concoction with tangy attributes.
Finally, savour the Oeuf (RM35). Oeuf means “egg” in French, which is why the cake is designed to resemble a sunny egg yolk, with sea buckthorn jelly, mascarpone curd and bergamot curd rounding out the ensemble cast of this concoction.
This is a light, citrusy affair with tangy, slightly acerbic properties to fill it out – it’s the sort of sweet treat that cleanses the palate yet fills your stomach in a soothing, satisfying way in the process.
Moving forward, Chin says he hopes to expand Monsieur Darren in a couple of ways, even leaning into the idea of opening kiosks that will serve more affordable dessert options.
The fromage blanc is great for those looking for something sweet that is also not overly rich.
“I mean, we can have kiosks in other parts of the town, not necessarily open a large cafe. It’s something that I would definitely look out for to tier it down to more entry level, where we make it affordable in a smaller space with a higher product turnover rate. There are plans to do that,” he says.
Monsieur Darren
M Resort & Hotel
Level 2, No 1 Jalan Damansara
Bukit Kiara
60000 Kuala LumpurTel: 012-853 1523
Open: Wednesday to Monday, 11am to 10pm
