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

If you would like to experience afternoon tea with a french-twist,

hurry-up and make your way to Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur, a hotel of the Autograph Collection, situated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A venue that is rich in history and local culture, bold originality, yet charmed you with timeless modern and chic vibe at one go.

When I mentioned "hurry-up", I meant it, because there is a limited time promotion for Le Goûter. RM 60 nett for TWO pax, with unlimited refill.

Calories don't count when there's good offer.

Brasserie 25 is the place where you can experience Le Goûter (meaning french afternoon tea), starting from 3pm to 5pm, daily.

Vibrant red brick walls were exposed, match well with the parquet flooring and modern furniture. The restaurant also embrace natural daylight with its wide and long window panels. To compliment the whole interior experience, the Associates were professionally groomed, up to standard.

To start my Le Goûter experience, I was offered tea, coffee (cappuccino/latte) or hot chocolate. - which I went for the tea, uses a local blend, Cameronian Gold Blend.

For feasting part, savory food will be serve first at any cost, unless you request to skip this part.

On my visit, it came with a copper-bronze box filled with savory food. Consists of Fried Glutinous Rice Ball covered with Bread Crumbs, Sardine Puffs and Quiche Lorraines. 6 items at one go.

I liked the quiche lorraine most as it has beef bacon that make the entire quiche excited in my taste buds. The rest was mediocre.

With the savory part done, the friendly associate will present their french pastries in front of you, with french-style approach.

On the tray at the particular day of my visit, they offered raspberries macaron, opera cake, lemon meringue tart, caramel eclair, dark chocolate mousse cake and white chocolate-hazelnut cake.

I tried them all and never stop eating. I replenish my pastries at every opportunity I had without any hesitation. My favorite would be the white chocolate-hazelnut cake as it reminds me of the hazelnut cake in IKEA. The eclair ranked worst in my personal opinion because it felt dry in my mouth however it wasn't that bad in terms of taste wise.

Verdict: 

The promotion of Le Goûter gave me the opportunity to experience what is it feels like to indulge in the french way of afternoon tea. Their savory could have been better but the price of the afternoon tea explained it all. Their pastries were great but not excellent. Friendly Associates (staff).

Ratings

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