F for Fantastic

When asked to think of a word beginning with the letter F, most 23 year olds would have a nasty 4-letter word running through their minds. This, however, wasn't the case for Hsiao Tung Wei - a 23 year old graduate in diplomatic relations and the owner of F, Concept Dining by Buffalo Kitchens, right above Chawan on Jalan Telawi 3, in Bangar Baru.

To him, the letter 'F' symbolises Food, Friendship, Fusion and Family, and judging by the look of determination on his face you could see that he clearly wasn't 'screwing around'. I was told that the menu changes often, to allow diners to try out different items and I'm glad that this concept of dining has finally come to Bangsar.

The restaurant's interior was chic with mood lighting shining down from the ceiling, and the stainless steel pans along with the open air kitchen added a contemporary touch to it. Oddly enough, this was blended perfectly well with the wooden floors, chairs and tables that added a rustic feel to the restaurant.

Ladies won't have to worry about placing their handbags on the floor or on other chairs, as the bags can be placed on a special sliding platform that slides out from under the chair. The above picture was of my mother's bag, placed right next to her chair. Seeing as it was the restaurant's first day in business, the food took a little bit of time to arrive, but it came in the end, nonetheless.

The first dish to arrive, was our appetiser of Pan Seared Tuna Salad with a Miso Mustard Dressing, worth RM15. The dish, truly was like art to the eyes. The seared tuna was fresh, and the subtle sweetness of the dressing complemented both the tuna and the salad. The salad consisted of enoki mushrooms and lettuce, which provided an interesting variety of textures to the dish.

The next dish to arrive was the Duck with Homemade Soba Noodles, worth RM25. Though not as elegantly presented as the salad, this dish was no doubt the best rendition of soba noodles I've ever had. The combination of noodles with the small shitake mushrooms and what seemed to be a sweet miso sauce sent shivers down my spine. The only complaint I had about this dish was that the duck was slightly undercooked, though I would definitely consider ordering the dish again when I return.

Finally, we were served our dessert, which was a Chocolate Tart with Filo Pastry, worth RM10. The tart was pure decadence and was truly filling, despite being small in size. Upon tasting the bittersweet chocolate, you could tell that high quality chocolate was used. The only down bit to the tart, was that the filo base made the tart slightly hard to cut and eat. Though on the whole, the chocolate tart tasted brilliant.

The 23 year old owner Tsiao Tung Wei, told us about his future plans for the restaurant, such as providing cooking lessons in their kitchen and stocking up their book corner to allow customers to borrow books. He also hinted at the fact that the restaurant was packed on its first day, despite not having any front signage. Other than selling food, the restaurant also sells sells kitchenware by Buffalo Kitchens, and is known for their specially imported coffees - which I have yet to try.

On the whole, I can envisage a bright future for this interesting new restaurant, here in Bangsar. I know for a fact that I will definitely be back as I had a near-perfect experience at F Concept by Buffalo Kitchens. The food was superb despite the minor hiccups with the duck, and the ambiance was pure-class. F, concept dining by Buffalo Kitchens, is a must try.

Presentation: 9/10

Ambiance: 9/10

Service: 8/10

Overall Taste: 8/10

General Impression: 9/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic