Bunha Faun
152 Lancaster Avenue
Malvern, Pennsylvania
(610) 651-2836
Tucked away on bustling Route 30 in a rather dull, nondescript structure that once housed a Dairy Queen, it is quite easy to pass Bunha Faun by without notice. Even if you’ve dined here a number of times – as my permanent dining partner and I have – somehow it still manages to slip under your culinary radar from time to time… And that is truly a shame, as this diminutive Main Line mainstay has so much to offer. The unassuming exterior notwithstanding, the restaurant’s interior is attractively and tastefully appointed. And the cuisine – French fare with an Asian flair – is consistently lovingly prepared and beautifully but simply presented.
One glance at the Snow Pea Salad, for example, and you realize that the food here is really something special. When it comes to ingredients, the dish is the soul of simplicity… snow peas, mushrooms, and a splash of sesame dressing. But the constituents are arranged so artfully – the snow peas fanned about an epicenter of sliced mushrooms – that the presentation succeeds in beguiling the eye as well as the palate. The more seasonal Asparagus Salad – spears caressed by a wafer-thin carrot sheath in pools of sherry vinaigrette – is just as photogenic and equally delicious… As was my starter during our most recent visit, Oriental Noodles (pictured) tossed with sesame dressing topped with slivers of chicken and crushed peanuts surrounded by alternating snippets of carrots and broccoli. Simple but sublime. This is obviously a kitchen at the very top of its game.
And there are certainly other apps worthy of consideration… The Baby Spinach Salad, for instance, tossed with mushrooms & bacon bits and splashed with sherry vinaigrette. While not as eye-catching as those mentioned immediately above, it is also quite excellent. As are several pasta items… Both the Black Angel Hair Pasta and the Black Lobster Ravioli luxuriate in a marvelous Champagne cream sauce. My favorite, however, also the recipient of a lusty cream sauce, is the Green Angel Hair Pasta sautéed with prosciutto & mushrooms and finished with a tiara of parmesan cheese.
My dining partner, however, would be quick to tell you that nothing quite measured up to the Escargot (pictured). Baked in garlic butter, served on a bed of spinach, and topped with Swiss cheese, it was both incredibly rich and extraordinarily delicious. Not to be missed. Just be sure to postpone your upcoming cholesterol test.
During our several visits, entrée-wise, we’ve pretty much covered the field. The Duck Breasts – pan seared with a choice of sweet raspberry or savory red wine sauce – for some odd reason, is the only dish of note that has managed to escape our attention… But soon to be rectified, as I know it is right at the top of my dining partner’s list of priorities. We have sampled the Rack of Lamb and the Filet Mignon (pictured), the two most expensive items on the regular menu – $37.00 and $39.00, respectively – and both are more than worth their price tags. The lamb, baked with an herb and mustard sauce, is excellent. But the filet – wrapped in bacon and served with green peppercorns in an incomparably flavorful red wine sauce – is even better.
Seafood items are well represented, many as daily specials… The Steamed Salmon, for example, is topped with crabmeat and finished with cream of vermouth. The Baked Rainbow Trout is stuffed with sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach and swims to table in a red Burgundy sauce.
The Sautéed Barramundi (pictured) is an uncommonly special treat. As I mentioned in another review – and it deserves to be repeated here – barramundi is a member of the sea bass family and is native to Australia’s northern tropical waters and parts of Southeast Asia. While a relative newcomer to the U.S. seafood market, it has appeared on menus seemingly at the speed of light. Because of its firm moist texture and sweet, buttery flavor – somewhat akin to halibut and grouper – it has quickly become the darling of seafood lovers and confirmed carnivores alike… Even people who don’t like seafood tend to like barramundi. Bunha Faun’s kitchen prepares it with a slightly unusual but extremely subtle ginger scallion sauce… The result is simply extraordinary.
Although my dining partner enjoys finny fare, she much prefers shellfish, which have been her entrées of choice during several visits. She definitely enjoyed the Sautéed Shrimp and Scallops. These were served up with artichoke hearts and mushrooms in a Champagne cream sauce. And, yes… the dish was exceedingly rich. But even better, in her opinion, was the choice during our most recent visit, the Sweet Red Pepper Shrimp (pictured). Companioned by a very nice rice pilaf and sautéed green beans, the perfectly prepared crustaceans were decorously anointed with an exquisite red pepper sauce that was just sweet enough to complement rather than smother the objects of its affection.
If I had to choose my favorite entrée, it would be, hands down, the delectable Escalope of Veal (pictured with an accompaniment of potatoes au gratin and green beans). I have sampled numerous variations on the theme over the years, but Bunha Faun’s kitchen turns out something that is really quite special. For starters, the veal is pounded nearly wafer-thin and is incredibly tender. Then, of course, there is that utterly addictive white wine sauce aided and abetted by wild mushrooms and prosciutto. And it is undoubtedly the prosciutto – and its irresistibly sweet/salty countenance – that propels this dish into an entirely unique and exciting flavor dimension.
If Bunha Faun has a low point culinarily, it continues to be their desserts. With the exception of the Crème Brûlée (which was absent from the menu the evening of our most recent visit), the usual suspects are trucked in from off campus – Tiramisu Cake, Chocolate Velvet Cheesecake, Dark Side of the Moon Cake, etc., etc. And this is, indeed, unfortunate. Given the overall quality of the appetizers & entrées, just a few more homemade desserts would add immensely to the total dining experience. On the other hand, I freely admit that my dining partner’s Pecan Pie and my Cappuccino Truffle (pictured) – dark chocolate encrusted cappuccino ice cream with pieces of candy toffee – were both, if not memorable, certainly quite tasty.
To my knowledge, food has never been an issue at Bunha Faun… No, as I mentioned in my first review, the major gripe has usually been with regard to service – a two-fold issue involving both servers and the kitchen. During our visit several years ago, for example, there appeared to be only two individuals taking care of the entire restaurant: the chef in the kitchen and one server in the dining room. And since there was an unexpected influx of diners on this particular evening, the pace at which food arrived at table was somewhat slower than a herd of turtles.
During our most recent visit, the situation had changed somewhat… Instead of two individuals taking care of the entire restaurant there were now three: the chef in the kitchen, a server, and a runner who transported the food to table, which did seem to help the situation significantly. The service was certainly smoother than it had been during our above-mentioned visit. On the other hand, it wasn’t a terribly busy evening. If it had been… well, who knows?
If you plan to dine at Bunha Faun – and it is most assuredly worth a visit – my advice is to make it your only stop for the evening… Just in case.
Bon Appétit!
Be Safe & Stay Well
TAD
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