Expatriate Lifestyle

AS WE all know, Bangsar has been struggling to get on its former glory days' feet for some years now. Not that it's a bad place to hang out and certainly not for lack of trying but it's just that Changkat has done a fair job of stealing its thunder, and even SoHo and other new F&B areas are taking away its former sophisticated customers, both local and international. It seems like there's been a holding pattern mentality to the place. That's all changing, and very rapidly.

The new Bangsar Shopping Centre renovation is leading the charge, with Telawi Street slower on that uptake but there's some movement there too. And the prime example of that is the new El Mesón, a wonderful Spanish tapas restaurant that's recently opened on Telawi 3, a little sister to siblings the Social and Planter Jim's. El Mesón does a splendid job in bringing a simple, fairly authentic tapas eatery to the area, something that was sorely missing and evidently popular if you witness the mushrooming of such places in the downtown. It was about time Bangsar logged in with something of the non-halal and 'tapasy' variety.

And they've logged in well. The service at El Mesón was refreshingly professional, diligent but not distracting. They have a solid menu of delicious offerings: the pork platter is amazing if you love the real deal (Iberico, Serrano and Parma), as was the tasty gaspacho soup, one of my favourites when done right. I had a pasta main of Chilean sea bass; not bad but it seems like the non-pasta offers are stronger. But no matter, El Mesón is, without a doubt, a real winner, a welcome part of the Bangsar resurgence. SAM COLEMAN