It is hard to find quality bistro these days. BUT thankfully Chef Darren Chin decided to open his little retreat named - Bref by Darren Chin, an alternative way to enjoy his work of art in an affordable manner. Bref by Darren Chin is a contemporary Parisian Bistro that public can enjoy dining delicious meal, at a moderate priced meal.

Went there as a couple, that have my seat placed at the kitchen counter. At the kitchen counter, you will be able to experience open-kitchen concept, witnessing how the young Chef de Cuisine runs the show. The waiter will brief you on the menu and give you some recommendation!, but please be aware that the menu is seasonal and will change periodically.

 2016 BK Wines “One Ball” Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills, Australia (RM 42.00, by the glass)

Knowing what I will feast later on, this glass of white wine was the right decision I ever made. Vibrant and full of brightness, able to cut through extremely high fat content and cleanse my palate. Comes with a fruity sensation such as blueberry and orange, then leaving behind pepper, cloves and very obvious honey.

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Food

 Complimentary Antipasti - Crusty bread accompanied with Giant mammuth olives, piquillo peppers, pepperoncini & onion jam.

Loving the warm crusty bread. The mix giant mammuth olives, piquillo peppers pepperoncini and onion jam was outstanding.

 [Antipasti] - Torchon of foie gras fait a la maison (RM 55.00)

Two pieces of round seasoned foie gras accompanied with Chiang Mai's wild flower honeycomb at the side. The fattiness of the foie gras blends well with the authentic honeycomb from Northern Thai, gives a creamy nutty sensation on the tongue. Sadly, not my type of dish. Anyway, good experience thou.

/pro-tip: looking for combo with this dish? order a glass of champagne of any kind OR sweet wine of any kind. For cleansing palate wise, you may ordered like what i did above or you may ask the server to recommend you a few wine with high acidity characteristics/

[Pasta]- DC's Signature (RM 75.00)

Prior to my experience in Bref, was wondering what's the hype with this dish that the netizen had been raving about? Surprisingly, this is the best dish I ever had in my life. A plate with cold somen, covered with aged ponzu, topped with  Hokkaido bafun uni and roasted celeriac. Great texture within the somen, the aged ponzu blends well with the noodle. What more when there's exquisite ingredients on top of the cold somen. Portion of the noodle was on-point. Very satisfying.

 [Main]- Australian grass-fed rib eye steak au poivre (280-300gms) (RM 120.00)

An Australian grass-fed rib eye steak with roasted celeriac cream, buttered kale. To me, this dish is just "so-so", no Wow factor. Maybe an aged Wagyu can impress me. The size is just right for two pax, but if you are a bodybuilder, the portion is awesome for your gains.

 [Pasta]- Spaghettini with fresh red prawns from Kuala Selangor (RM 58.00)

"The simplest meal is the hardest to cook" - Ah Xian (2018), during his interview with Chef Darren Chin, got me curious and wondered why would Ah Xian said so? It is true, a simple pasta dish like this may look so simple but when it comes to preparation, it is another story. Thus, this pasta is pack with great taste and aroma. Pasta texture was on al-dente, the tomato passata taste great with seafood broth mixed in. Simply delicious.

Dessert

 Chocolate (RM 35.00)

Have you tried tasting local cacao? It is as good as imported cacao. The 60% & 70% cacao was used in Chef Han's Chocolate Royale, planted and grown by the Semai hill-tribes in Sinderut, Pahang. Garnished with boozy macerated cherries, dark chocolate creme and chocolate crisps. Taste delicious, minimal sweetness and leaving behind pleasant creamy mouthfeel.

Score

Price & Service: 4/5
Ambience: 3.5/5

 Me recommending you an accommodation to check-in and stay? No - not in this post, as I will be reviewing one new hidden gem restaurant in the heart of Petaling Street Kuala Lumpur in which I had just paid them a visit recently.

 Yes, I know I'm slow when it comes to catch-up of new restaurant, cafe or whatsoever and I also considered that I have no match against Time Out KL or eatdrinkkl blog. Nonetheless, Chocha Foodstore has been operating weeks ago, under Mah Lian Hotel disguise. I was attracted by their restaurant concept of preserving the existing interior environment that had utilized in the past and their ideal of delivering casual, comfort and unique food to the diners based on fresh local ingredients, makes it even more attractive and a spot to die for.

Yes, the entire sensation is pretty calming as you step into the doors of the old shop, occupied with furnitures, old-classic props and floras that made you feel like home. Somewhat, it express the vibes of the oldie oriental that you can no longer experience elsewhere unless you replicate it based on this concept.

Kerabu Mango Slaw @ RM 15

A plate filled with green mango, cabbage slaw, fish sauce, chilipadi, peanut, lime juice and dried shrimps. The flavor is vibrant and the heat is there that it won't hurt your mouth. The onion slice, peanuts and chives helps to elevate the aroma of the dishes.

Aglio Olio with Duck Breast @ RM 22.

Homemade noodle, spiced duck confit, garlic confit, thai basil and lemongrass.

Honestly, the homemade noodle was mediocre as it just simply taste like the ordinary yellow noodle where you can obtain from the Chinese hawker stall. All in all, the other ingredients such as spiced duck confit and the garnishes helps to improve the taste of this dish.

Ulam Stew Barley Rice @ RM 28 

A bowl of ulam pesto, shaved salted egg, crispy dried shrimps, sauteed fresh squids.

This dish stands out among the rest of the items that I ordered mainly because the flavor of the overall dish itself was perfect and unique. Ulam pesto was just nice (not  too overpowering from the herbs) when it infused with the barley rice and perfect synergy with the rest of the ingredients such as sauteed dried squids and shaved salted egg.

Cold Brew Tea - Gold Rush @ RM 16.00

There's no way you can withstand hot weather except cold stuff like this. I had this bottle of Hojo's original blended tea, using natural farming black tea from Yunnan mixed with natural flowers and spices. Despite its brewing method, it managed to give me sweet fruity aroma such as dried peach or mango and mellow taste.

Note: Hojo is a Japanese tea brand that specialized in premium Japanese tea, Taiwanese tea and Chinese tea. The store can be found in Mid Valley shopping mall.

Personal verdict

Ulam stew barley rice is the best dish by far and the cold brew tea is great. Loving the environment, as it reminds me of Merchant's Lane (few steps away). Would like to drop-by again in the future to try their hot brew tea and other food item.