Some distance away from the heavy foot traffic and constant stream of cars whizzing along Jalan Bangsar Utama 1 is Chez Gaston. The French restaurant sits in a quiet-ish, recessed corner and is a strikingly incongruous addition to a stretch of shoplots that has its fair share of cheap eats and convenience stores. But in many ways, this is the perfect place for Frenchman Florian Nigen to start all over again.

Because Nigen’s F&B adventure also began in Bangsar, with French restaurant Rendez-Vous. When his business partner decided to go back to France, Nigen decided to close shop because the space was more than he could handle on his own. After taking a break in France, he regrouped and emerged energised with the idea of opening another restaurant.