Don by TSF: Home kitchen for affordable Japanese-inspired rice bowl deliveries

The art of the Japanese rice bowl is beautifully collaged by the Klang Valley's new meal delivery service, Don by TSF, offering hearty meals with home-cooked highlights, spanning miso-glistened pork belly to soy-glazed eggplant.

The founders of Don by TSF (Tastesome Food) have honed their craft in some of KL's top cafes; the main man helming the kitchen is Mason, whose passion for food was first sparked by his grandmother's braised meat and stuffed vegetables. Now in his mid-20s, Mason has excelled in culinary competitions, placing in the Hong Kong International Culinary Classic 2015 and the Malaysian National Kidney Foundation’s Healthy Cook-Off Competition in 2017.

At their core, the founders of Don by TSF seek to pay homage to their first influence - their grandmothers who taught them the skills of home cooking and the respect for culinary ingredients. 

We had a recent peek into Mason's process - he meticulously prepares every bowl with precision, plating them with painstaking care. For RM15 to RM20 per bowl, these represent terrific value for their tantalising ingredients and thoughtful effort.

Don by TSF's motto is 'One For All,' serving ready-to-eat bowls that should be complete, balanced and filling sustenance, taking inspiration from Japanese and other East Asian fundamentals while ensuring satisfaction for the Malaysian palate.

Pork perfection: The Miso Pork Belly Don (RM20) is magnificent - pork belly lovingly braised in umami-rich miso broth, then torched at high heat to render the fat and furnish the sticky-sweet, succulent belly with a gentle char. It's a meaty marvel, punched up with a curry miso dressing, rounded out with a togarashi-spiced onsen egg, pickled cucumbers, shredded nori, spring onions and breadcrumbs on firm Japanese rice, for all the triumphant taste and texture you want in a rice bowl.

Double the porcine delight with Don by TSF's Nam Yu Pork Belly Don (RM16). In contrast to the other pork bowl, this comprises a crispier deep-fried version, marinated with fermented beancurd for even more depth of flavour, spiked with sriracha mayo for a spicy extra kick, made tangy with sour cabbage slaw, pickled chillies and lime for complex dynamics and dimensions. Super-addictive stuff that perks up the taste buds.

Vegetarians aren't left out: The Nasu Donburi (RM15) tastes surprisingly rich and robust with Japanese soy-glazed eggplant, enoki mushroom tempura and kizami shredded seaweed, plus pickled chillies, crunchy leeks, shallots and spring onions with Japanese mayo. Add an optional soy-braised egg for protein.

The certain crowd-pleaser that everyone will enjoy is the Chicken Karaage Don (RM15) - if you can't resist fresh, fried chicken, sink your teeth into karaage that's buoyantly battered with potato starch and seasoned with togarashi, helping the poultry pop in both texture and taste. Mango salsa enhances the ensemble with sweet acidity, balanced with well-proportioned chilli and cucumber, seaweed and garlic soy sauce.

 

The Chicken Karaage is such a smash hit, you might want to order an extra serving on its own (RM8), complete with sweet onion aioli for a spectacular side or snack.

Another alluring accompaniment is Don’s Chilli Tofu (RM10), aromatically fried with Shaoxing wine, bolstered by pickled chillies, spring onions and fried leeks, as well as a special konbu vinaigrette for a subtly briny, slightly tart final flourish. Great for sharing.

Don by TSF operates out of a home kitchen, delivering for lunch daily within Setapak for free and in elsewhere in the Klang Valley through third-party services. 

Hygiene is upheld from the preparation to the packaging, so you can rest assured of all safety standards for your food. Everything is cooked to order, so your meal will be as fresh as possible.

Customers are advised to preorder a day in advance. Don by TSF also welcomes feedback - a QR code is provided that links to its social media for convenient commenting.

Don by TSF is also available for catering for small events of up to 20 persons. 

Many thanks to Don by TSF for this glimpse into its delicious fare.

Don by TSF
Open Monday-Sunday, 1030am-3pm. Tel: 010-422-3607
facebook.com/tastesomefood
instagram.com/donbytsf

Orders can also be placed at airasia.com/food/2061/don-by-tsf

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com