Sample their signature canelés, which come in different flavours daily (All photos: Sam Fong/ The Edge Malaysia)
The suburban heartland of Section 17, anchored by its famous wet market and equally reputable hawker stalls, is a far cry from genteel Damansara Heights; but the two neighbourhoods — as different as can be — share a refined culinary link. It is from the ovens of Doux Doux by Château Dionne, perched atop a kedai runcit with a perfect vantage point of the regular morning hubbub and kerfuffle, that the buttery aromas of brioches and croissants waft, deftly finding their way from PJ to the Damansara Heights dining room favoured by the city’s wealthy and mighty on an almost daily basis.
Done up in restful, pastel hues with touches of rattan and decorative terrazzo bric-a-brac, Doux Doux by Château Dionne is an anomaly in a destination more renowned for its char kway teow than its canelés. Taking its name from the French word for “soft” or “sweet”, Château Dionne owner David Lim says, “This neighbourhood is where I would have my local kopi fix and catch the Srijaya #50 bus to get around. Section 17 is so rich in stories.”
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Now that Doux Doux by Château Dionne has opened, it is clear why Lim immediately commissioned large glass windows — to let in as much light as it does vignettes of life. “When I found this lot, I could just imagine myself sitting here with a cup of coffee watching the world go by,” he says. And indeed, few pleasures can equal nursing a drink (we would recommend a hot Ethiopian Yirgacheffe or a cool espresso shakerato) accompanied by a perfect pastry here on a sunny day.
“To be honest, we also needed a secondary location so our head chef Andy Choy could have a central pastry kitchen at last,” Lim adds, alluding to the popularity of Château Dionne’s baked treats, where a regal repast would invariably be rounded off by a platter of breads (to be eaten with truffle or seaweed butters, no less), perfect shell-shaped madeleines and, of course, its canelés and signature Grand Marnier soufflé to end.
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Château Dionne regulars may rejoice that they can now indulge in the joy of the cloud-like confection at Doux Doux without having to wait for lunch or dinner service. Here, soufflés are served from 10am onwards (a new breakfast option, perhaps?) until closing time (6pm on weekdays and 10pm on weekends). Besides the Grand Marnier, a new raspberry rose flavour is also offered. Alas, if you like keepsakes and a bit of drama, it is only at Château Dionne Damansara Heights that each soufflé comes numbered for posterity, the same way the pressed ducks of Paris’ Tour d’Argent restaurant are. Don’t say you weren’t told.
Doux Doux by Château Dionne, 940 tkt, 1, Jalan 17/38, Seksyen 17. 011-7001 2887. Mon-Thu, 10am-6pm; Fri-Sun, 10am-3pm.
This article first appeared on Apr 17, 2023 in The Edge Malaysia.
