[Pork-free] Hello baby, Frangipaani. Ever since it opened a year ago, Frangipaani The Republik caught our eye thanks to its rustic interior that recalls the days of British-Colonial India.
[Nov 2023 UPDATE: Frangipaani was added to the Michelin Guide KL & Penang 2024. Check out our Michelin post here]
With more than 60 items on the menu, Frangipaani spotlights culinary delicacies from the coast of Goa to the greats of Punjab.
Frangipaani, The Republik
With its wooden accents and dim lighting, the interior of Frangipaani provides a nice, intimate ambience for an evening out with friends and family.
However, we opted for the outdoor balcony due to the cool weather and the nice view of the Bukit Damansara neighbourhood. We thought the decor outdoors was just as nice as the indoors.
Service was excellent and prompt, with our waitress providing some good recommendations that suited our palates.
Murgh Briyani
The food arrived very promptly – only 10 minutes after we placed our order.
The Murgh Biryani (RM42) was a fine representation of Hyderabadi-style dum Briyani – long-grain basmati rice cooked in its own steam with layers of meat and spices.
The basmati rice was irresistibly fluffy and flavourful with a manageable heat from the spices. The chicken was tender as well and the addition of pomegranate in the accompanying raita was a nice touch.
Spices of the lamb
We found the Rogan Josh (RM48) to be equally appetising – lamb cooked in Indian spices and Kashmiri chillies.
The gravy was thick and peppery – with a more prominent sweetness at the beginning before giving way to spiciness that builds up towards the end, courtesy of the Kashmiri chillies.
The meat was sufficiently tender, with no gamey-ness associated with lamb.
Handkerchief-thin roti
Frangipaani offers a wide selection of bread for dipping – from the standard naan to tandoori roti cooked in a clay oven.
We were immediately drawn to the Roomali Roti (RM12) with its description of “delicate thin handkerchief bread”.
The description was spot-on – we enjoyed the paper-thin lightness of the bread to compliment the gravies, and it was a nice alternative to the usual naan and paratha.
The only dish that we didn’t like was the Charcoal Baingan Matar Bartha (RM34) – a vegetable dish comprising smoked aubergines, green peas, garlic and chillies.
Maybe we had expected a stronger smokiness from the dish, but it was mostly peppery with some juiciness from the peas. We also prefer our aubergines to remain in its soft chunky texture, as opposed to being blended into the dish.
Refreshing Nimbu Pani
For drinks, we really enjoyed the Nimbu Pani (RM15) as recommended by the waitress.
This was a refreshing concoction that reminded us of Limau Ais, with added mint leaves and some salty elements to contrast the sweet-sourness of lime juice.
Summary
Overall, Frangipaani offers a decent Indian meal in a very classy setting in Bukit Damansara.
Service is excellent here as well with good recommendations by the waiting staff.
Frangipaani
Address: The Republik, Lot No.M.03, Mezzanine Floor, Jalan Medan Setia 1, Bukit Damansara
Hours: 11.30am-11.30pm Daily
Phone: 03-2011 0030
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frangipaani.kl
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