‘F’ by Buffalo Kitchens, Bangsar: Soul Food!

An Unforgettable Dinner!

Intriguing… I am aware of Buffalo Cookware since my mom has a piece of the pot she has been using for years but I didn’t realize that there is a restaurant by this cookware company. ‘F’ by Buffalo Kitchens is nestled in the bustling area of Bangsar and was initially opened for marketing and promotional purposes for the cookware. Today, ‘F’ by Buffalo Kitchens, a concept dining by Buffalo Kitchens, runs as a full kitchen by Danish Chef Albert Frantzen and his team with a menu filled of homemade ingredients and dishes.

A few of us met up at ‘F’ by Buffalo Kitchens one evening to check out the menu. Located on the first floor, the stairway leading up to the restaurant denotes what the F is all about at the restaurant. It’s all about having a fabulous time with family, friends and food!

‘F’ by Buffalo Kitchens shows off a large open kitchen the moment one enters the restaurant. Buffalo cookware dressed the open kitchen reminding us of how this started. Some are on display for sale too. Everything is prepared fresh and diners catch all the kitchen actions as Chef Albert and his team whips up the dishes.

The interior has a lot of natural wood from the furniture to the floor and walls. It echoes a warm and comfortable vibe the moment one walks in. There are air conditioned seating and al fresco ones with a nice bustling Bangsar view. A raw cement bar at one end denotes coffees, wines, cocktails and other beverages are on the menu as well. Facing the bar, a section of sofas coupled with a small library allow guests to chill out for drinks. The ambience is perfect for private events and small gatherings.

Our food journey that evening started off with a Duo of Crabs. Bound to be a favorite, one gets a whole crumbed soft shell crab with a big disc of crab cake. Served with greens and a dipping sauce, it’s a delicious crabby affair here. For those who just are too lazy to pick on the crustaceans, this is just perfect. Crispy soft shell crab with a soft center makes a great contrast to the hearty savory crab cake. A squeeze of lemon brightens up the flavors even more.

Ok, I was bowled over when the F Tapas Set landed at our table. It looks like a mini party spread. I was told it consisted of Hummus, Smoked Salmon, Tiger Prawns with Romesco Sauce, Japanese Beef Tataki, Smoked Duck, Freshly Baked Sour Dough Bread, EVOO, Olives, Salted Almonds, Grilled Bell Peppers and Smoked Sea Salt.

Garlicky chick pea Hummus was creamy and really yummy with the rustic warm sour dough bread. Smoked Salmon and Smoked Duck are prepared by Chef Albert and his team in house. I adored the smoked salmon as it rendered a creamy savory flavor without being overly salty and the texture is amazingly creamy.  Served with soft boiled quail egg and a creamy sauce, I would love to hog this salmon to myself.

Smoked duck is paired with crisp apple for sweetness. Grilled tiger prawns are sweet and bouncy, paired with a bell pepper Romesco sauce while medium pink beef slices sit in a pool of ponzu sauce and crowned with crispy garlic chips. Even the almonds are warm and toasty. The rest makes good nibbling moments, especially with beer or wine.

If you’re looking for a yummy way to get your vegetables, the Mix Warm Vegetable Salad is ideal. Grilled and roasted, one gets a medley of eggplant, root vegetables, sweet peas, mushrooms and more all dressed in warm vinaigrette. Smoky and warm, the vegetables are sweet, earthy and filled with various textures for a great bite.

I’ll say, the Pot of Oriental Steam Clams certainly got all our votes that night. Served rustically in steel pot, it was kept warm for a good few minutes. It was certainly bursting with lots of aroma and flavors. I could smell the hint of Chinese wine as soon as the pot was placed in front of us. Sweet, tender and plump hard shell clams are cooked just right too. Savory and unctuously robust, there is a little hint of chili too. Needless to say, we had an excuse to request for more bread to drink up the sauce! Must-order!!

If burgers are a must for you, then check out this big hulk of Buffalo Kitchens’ Tandoori Chicken Burger. Stacked high grilled Tandoori marinated chicken, lettuce, onion, tomato and cheese, it comes with a side of chips. The chook is juicy and flavorful. I can’t taste much of the spices but no complaints since the burger is juicy, hearty and flavorful and the ratio of meat and bun is good. High points for toasting the bun too. And just like how I like it, add on a fried egg and a wedge of avocado for extra shiokness and goodness!

 

When I read this, I swear all I can focus on was the Duck Fat Potatoes... lol. I just have the utmost fascination with duck fat roasted potatoes simply because it’s just so good.

To be fair, it was a gorgeous plate of Beef Tenderloin with Duck Fat Potatoes & Snow Peas.  300gms of tenderloin well grilled to medium pink and a good slab of foie gras is enough to distract me from the potatoes for a bit. A lovely meaty au jus added more flavors. The tenderloin has great meaty notes while the creamy goose liver makes a nice touch with the meat. Potatoes are what I expect it to be, crispy outside, soft fluffy inside and tasted marvelous. It’s a platter of meat and potatoes jazzed up darn well with crunchy sweet peas to boot!

On a normal mode, I wouldn’t order roast chicken because I prefer to enjoy red meat and seafood outside. However, Oven Roasted Chicken Chestnut Roulade stuffed with Foie Gras, Shitake Mushroom & Velvet Mash Potatoes sounds so tempting, especially the foie gras part. A bite of the juicy roulade tells me this is what I would definitely reorder. The roulade is tender and succulent while the filling is creamy and nutty. I like the fact that a dark meat like thigh is used and the skin is so tasty. Rounded up with creamy smooth mash and mushroom sauce, its just so hearty and delicious. Seriously, I’d never thought I can go on so much about roast chicken. This dish would be so perfect for Christmas season…

I like the twist on the classic carbonara. Instead of the usual bacon thing going on, here it is made with seafood. The Soft Shell Crab and Miso Carbonara has strands of pasta oozing with a rich creamy carbonara sauce laced with miso and crowned with clams, prawns and crispy soft shell crab. The dish is best eaten hot for the best flavors.

Cumin & Paprika Marinated Lamb Shank with Greens and Mash has a gargantuan lamb shank standing tall on mash filled with a pool of dark rich gravy. Love the flavors but wishing for a more melt-in-the-mouth texture. Of course the silk smooth mash is so awesome with the gravy and lovely crunchy sweet peas to match.

I was told that this is a special of the day. I am just glad the special day happens to be the day I visited! Cuttlefish with Squid Ink Risotto is my favorite dish of the night. Though I do love a quite a lot of the dishes here, this one takes the cake. A contrastingly beautiful dish to look at, one gets pieces of tender cuttlefish served with black squid ink risotto and roasted cherry tomatoes. Chef Albert uses prawn head as a base stock for the risotto, lending it a rich oceanic flavor and its color while the grilled cuttlefish is just tender and so scrumptious.

The dish shows off simple ingredients prepared to its maximum potential. As the cherry tomatoes are roasted, the flavors intensified and render a juicy tangy and sweet tomato taste to enhance the risotto further. I am not sharing this one the next round… lol. If you ever see this dish on the special menu, make sure to order this!!

Palate cleanser, compliments of the kitchen! Refreshing…

We were all stuffed to max. The six of us polished off all those dishes and were wondering if we had space for dessert… and then we saw this… Chocolate Volcano with Vanilla Ice Cream. It pretty hard to say no to this dessert. Dark chocolate with a molten center, served with a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream, berry coulis, strawberries and melon seeds. The volcano has soft dense cocoa cake with gooey liquid chocolate. Sexy and sinful, this is just so good. Not just for the heart but so good for the soul!

We also had their Home made Tiramisu. A good size of light mascarpone cheese and blanketing sponge fingers soaked with coffee and completed with a dusting of cocoa.

‘F’ by Buffalo Kitchens also has a long list of beverages, coffees, wines, cocktails and more to quench one’s thirst. We had house wines, Café Honey Melon, Café Watermelon and Good day to accompany our meals.

The meal ended with coffees and really cool-looking coffee art! GaBee coffee from Taiwan is served here. The brew is aromatic and I adored the crema on top of the Cappuccino.

Here’s Su Ting sipping up her kitty cat!

That evening at ‘F’ by Buffalo Kitchens, time flew by. Over much gossips and laughter, it was soon time to leave. An evening filled with dishes that makes dining so memorable coupled with a lovely cozy ambience, plenty of giggle juice and great company, I know I’d love to be back for another delicious experience!

‘F’ BY BUFFALO KITCHENS

69-1 Jalan Telawi 3,

Bangsar Baru,

59100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 603 22011710

Facebook: www.facebook.com/buffalokitchens