Anyone familiar with Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia would know that it is a coveted spot for entertainment and food businesses. With hype also comes the need of being exceptional to strive. Christophe knows this to be very true, backed with 28 years in developing concepts and operating high-end restaurants. Together with his wife Lissan who studied and built a career in hospitality, they conceptualised Yeast and right from the start, decided it must be in Bangsar. It was a suitable place, being central and as an expatriate friendly area, together with well-travelled locals, we knew that they would welcome our concept, said Christophe.
In France, one might be able to operate a bakery on its own given the flour-based items are staples but it would take some time for Malaysians to grow an affinity towards its traditional breads. This and the desire to shift the perception that French cuisine is steeped in complexity were the drivers to run a bistro and bakery in one outlet. Opened in 2012, the striking bold yellow frontage is continuously drawing in the crowds. Upon entering, its open baking kitchen would be the first thing you notice or if you are food-focused, you won’t miss the display area on the left.
Products are baked fresh daily and work begins at 4am for the bakers and goods are churned out throughout the day but done periodically to avoid wastage because nothing will be brought over for tomorrow’s sales. Christophe wants to share the eating culture where foods are eaten specifically according to time of day. I asked if I could order a croissant for dinner if they had it on the shelves to which he replied “we make a point to propose a menu according to what French people eat for Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner. Therefore, a croissant, (a breakfast item) would only be available from breakfast, lunch until 6pm and will still be available from the counter, but for take away only. Towards the end of the evening, if we still have danishes, we usually give them away to our Dinner Guests as a present for their breakfast the next day.”
While open kitchens have been around; an open bakery is one not often seen. Aside from being a way to engage customers, it also instils good work ethics and discipline when your competency, body language and expression is on display. Giving us a quick walkabout of the kitchen, it is indeed compact with the must-haves of a deck oven, mixers, dough cutter, chiller and the washing area. Speaking about being true to roots, the oven is imported from France because it is engineered to bake the way French bakers would do it. When it comes to the rest of the equipment, it is a mix-and-match as they are unlikely to affect the final product the way an oven would. Christophe notes that some bakeries may mistakenly use ovens and he has come across pizza ovens being used for bread and pastries which evidently does not yield the desired result.
In line with that, the flour used is also imported from France and mixed with appropriate portions of local flour which does not affect the final product. Christophe strongly believes that yeast is the core of the boulangerie’s breads as the leavening agent is a special mix especially cultivated with French flour and natural fruits while bred in a controlled environment. He says that yeast is a living organism that requires delicate care through careful feeding and notes that all homemade yeast is different therefore no sourdough bread from any bakery will taste the same.
Christophe says the baking kitchen is adequate to serve the demands of one outlet for now. Given the need to also accommodate the hot kitchen, he says portioning the restaurant is a matter of being “as big and as small as possible”. This means providing chefs and floor staff just enough to work seamlessly and allocating enough seats for diners, remaining to its vision of being a place for people to come in for more than just bread but to take in the atmosphere of a French-style establishment.
Realising that Malaysia is one of the most approachable countries in terms of gastronomy; Yeast is working to develop kiosks to sell their baked goods in selected malls and also supply to hotels. Instead of operating a central kitchen elsewhere, the company selects to run an
atelier (workshop in French) above its current premise dedicated to only baking to maintain standards and for logistic purposes. Due to Yeast’s principle of serving only fresh bread, it needs to ensure that the goods arrive promptly for the client’s operating time.
The French-Malaysian partnership between Christophe, Lissan and their Executive Chef Frank Denis Ruidavet is hitting a right note in the Malaysian dining scene. It is a winning combination of true blue tradition finding its way into an audience that is always keen to taste something different. Straightforward in name, Yeast is also the vital ingredient in the making of bread and wine – 2 of France’s greatest element in its dining culture.
YEAST BISTRONOMY SDN BHD
24G Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar
59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
www.yeastbistronomy.com
