Blessed to discovered what the chef patron - Darren Chin has to offer to his guests after the whole nation was struck by the novel corona virus. The degustation menu designed by Darren Chin has open new doors to many food enthusiasts as such that the price has became more affordable at that time of visit, in the hope to support back the local purveyors and other small businesses.  

After check-in, I stepped into "Le Comptoir", ground floor of the restaurant for aperitif. "Le Comptoir" meaning "the counter" in french language, where guests would usually enjoy their pre-drinks before their meal. Spearheaded by DC Restaurant one and only mixologist named Sebastian Jeremy Edely, who prides in crafting various enticing beverages.

Beauty Parlor consist of pineapple juice, honey syrup and citrus on the rock. A mocktail that provides refreshing acidity from the pineapple to cleanse your palate and elevating appetite before the meal.

Soon after the mocktail at Le Comptoir, proceeded to the next floor where the gastronomy journey begins in La Salle. "La Salle" meaning "the room" - that is DC restaurant's main dining area with formal environment.

Sharing from my perspective, there's not much of view but facing your partner. I was expecting to be able to watch the main chef in action, unfortunately the kitchen was blindfolded by the black curtains to promote more intimacy and less chaotic environment in the fine dining settings.

By Chef Darren Chin, Sous Chef Tran TT and DC Team

DC signature basket of freshly baked bread & pastries with unpasteurized salted butter from Normandy and black truffle pate 

Bottom Right: Scallops carpaccio with pomelo.

Top Right: Crab ice cream with mascarpone and heirloom local tomatoes.

Top Left: Arancini with shellfish Arborio rice, yuzu kosho and topped with watercress puree.

As recommended by the chef, it has to be in sequence when enjoying this amuse bouche starting from bottom right, top right and top left (light to bold taste). I enjoyed the Top Right as it brings perfect flavor combination of the crab ice cream and the heirloom tomatoes. It is something that you can't find elsewhere.

(1st Course)

DC's signature cold cappellini with cured amaebi, Hokkaido Bafun uni and rich savoury seafood sabayon. One of the best signature I ever had. Perfect combination of ingredients that jam packed with flavors and rich in texture. Everything on this dish was fresh and real. This dish put a smile on my face as I eat.

(2nd Course)

Grilled Korean baby octopus, asparagus with spread of romesco and yogurt gel. In my opinion, the ingredient pairing was good - it does compliments each other, however it does not provide any WOW factor.

(2nd Course)

As the name suggests above, this is an "add-on" dish on the second course. One word to describe this dish, Perfect! The duck foie gras itself was already rich in fatness and has intense creamy texture. It pairs perfectly when there's longan honey on top of the seared foie gras, coupled with the puree at the bottom to avoid over-stimulation from the duck foie gras' fat. Also, the citric from the strawberry puree helps to gently rub off the fat on your palate. For your knowledge, the seared duck foie gras serving is 60gms.

(3rd Course)

This dish was also one of my favorite that night. Succulent piece of lamb! This dish consists of the Australian Sanger Lamb, topped with grilled over binchotan with sweet potato coffee cream, alongside with roasted sweet potato and nashi pear. Need I say more?

(3rd Course)

Beautiful slice of seared Tokushima Japanese A5 served with cured eggplant and garum. It was tender as you slice, taste great on its own. It taste better when pair with the sides provided on the plate.

(4th Course)

Instantly ordered Paris Brest as my choice of dessert. My favorite dessert to make during my younger days, especially the tasty and rich hazelnut praline cream that stuffed inside the choux pastry.

(4th Course)

Excellent hospitality by the hostess and the servers. They are attentive, friendly and professional. Meal wise, my ultimate favorite will be the DC's signature cold cappellini (no doubt!), follow by the Seared Duck Foie Gras and the Australian Lamb. The only comment I have was hoping that the dining area to be further expand for more privacy for dine-in guests (I believe DC 2.0 is coming soon!). 

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