From Alsace to Kuala Lumpur: Flam’s, The Traditional French Pizza

“Order a few, Share with your friends, Eat with your hands”

Kuala Lumpur’s sole dining experience that serves up authentic French Pizza stands firm on their slogan. Named after the French Pizza itself, Flam’s has established itself as an eatery par excellence in competitive restaurant atmosphere of downtown Kuala Lumpur. Nestled amidst the busy and loud bar district of Changkat Bukit Bintang is a chic eclectic restaurant exuding a Parisian charm. White wicker furniture on a wood covered outdoor deck, splashes of red tapestry on their sofas, specks of green fauna and walls decked with famous French posters; Flam’s is a breath of fresh air in a bar-infested street.

Flam's, The Traditional French Pizza

We were greeted by the host of the evening, Joleng, who handles the PR for Flam’s. Deciding to sit outside to watch the world go by as we enjoyed our meal, my first question to her was French Pizza? Everytime I had passed Flam’s I would be baffled at the thought of French Pizza. Associating Pizza with Italy, I could never imagine there would be such a thing called French Pizza. Hence, I considered it fate to be invited to the very restaurant that had intrigued me for so many months. Flam’s is known to be very thin bread pastry topped with fresh farm-picked ingredients and cooked in an extremely hot wood-fired oven for just a few minutes. Its origins were traced back to the North-Eastern region of Alsace in France; hence being termed as a French Pizza. The aroma of fresh pizza being baked filled the air as the wood fired oven was located next to the outdoor deck. The fragrance was an ideal invitation for all bystanders, searching for a place to eat.

Flam's, The Traditional French Pizza

The collage on the cover of the menu befitted the theme of the restaurant, it gave off a vibe of enjoyment. It made you believe once you turn the page, the contents are sure to excite your palate. And that is exactly what happened.

Flam's, The Traditional French Pizza

Known for their flams, the menu comprised of a number of delectable toppings for your French Pizza such as pepperoni, four cheese, chicken, tomato and anchovies, minced beef. And for the more adventurous there was Smoked Salmon and blue cheese flam and the Paris flam with turkey and gorgonzola cheese . Furthermore, numerous famous pasta dishes such the aglio olio, carbonara, arrabiata, bolognese were available with either penne, farfalle or spaghetti. If u want to veer away from the norm, their rotisserie chicken is a must along with Salmon fillets, Rib-eye Steaks and Lamb Shanks. But for me it was trying to enjoy a slice of Alsace; the famous French Pizza. We let Joleng order for us as she knew exactly what the signature flam would be. Her choice was spot on; it rounded the entire experience in just one bite. The Mushroom Deluxe flam oozed with fine tasting cheese, herb-glazed fresh mushrooms, aromatic herbs and a splash of secret oil (which remained a secret) on a paper thin bread pastry base. Consumed by the ambrosial aroma, I wanted nothing more but to savor the flam in my mouth. But Joleng wanted us to eat it the traditional way.

Mushroom Deluxe Flam

Flams are best enjoyed when eaten with your hands, but thats not all, to get the most out of the bold flavors, each slice should be rolled up and then eaten. Multitudinal flavors were dancing to a harmonious symphony on my palate, as I took the first bite. The bold cheese complemented by the herb-glazed mushrooms and that splash of secret oil were fascinating. The final crunch of the pastry base was the icing on the cake. There was no tomato sauce to overpower the taste of the fabulous ingredients nor was there a thick crust to mar the flavors. All you could taste were the fresh ingredients. The flam came on a large wooden board and honestly was enough to be shared amongst 2-3 people. Hence the concept is to order a few flams and share them amongst each other.

Mushroom Deluxe Flam

Next on the menu was the Seafood Aglio Olio. To my surprise, it was laden with a generous amount of seafood, much more than any restaurant I have been to in Kuala Lumpur. Seasoned perfectly with a pungent olive oil, garlic and chillies, umpteen pieces of squid, shrimps, clams, mussels, baby octopus and prawns sat atop the al-dente spaghetti. It was like being in seafood heaven. It is a must for all seafood lovers out there. By the end of it the palate was still hungry but the appetite had crossed all limits. However, I still managed to pick the seafood out of the pasta to finish it.

Seafood Aglio Olio

As an aperitif we were treated to a shot of French liquer known as Picon. It was a slightly bitter shot with an underlying kick of oranges. For drinks, we tried the famous Flam’s mojito and margarita. The mojito was perfect for a hot summer evening with lots of mint and run. But the margarita was exceptional. The first sip is potent, but the trick is to let the ice melt and be infused with the tequila and lime.

Frozen Margarita

With the food and appetizing conversations, we really did not have any space left for dessert. Initially, Joleng insisted we try the Dessert Flam, thin pastry with sweetened cream, bananas, cinnamon and liqeur, but looking at its rather large size we settled on a chocolate fondant. It is tricky to get fondant right, has to be gooey from the inside and soft yet stable on the outside; Flam’s got it just right. Dark chocolate gushed out as I plunged my spoon into the fondant. Accompanied by vanilla ice-cream it was the perfect way to end the night.

Chocolate Fondant

Open till 3am, Flam’s caters from the ardent epicures to the after-party crowds as well. Right next door is Elixir, a club owned by the same management as Flam’s, so hungry party animals make their way to Flam’s to satiate their apetite after a night out. As for drinks, Flams has a great Happy Hour that runs till 11pm and good news for ladies, Wednesday and Thursday nights are ladies nights, so free cocktails are on offer for them. A chic environment for a fun and delicious night out; Flam’s is the place to be for a taste of Alsace in Kuala Lumpur.

Happy Hours at Flam's, KL