KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Famous for their aroma and taste, truffles are the jewels in Italy’s gastronomic crown and Garibaldi is offering a special menu as part of white truffle season, which started in October and lasts till January.

Haiing from our neighbouring country of Singapore, Garibaldi is perhaps one of the most renowned Italian restaurants in town.

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Located at a quieter part of Bangsar, Opus Bistro is a homey, long-standing Italian restaurant that attracts a loyal group of regulars with its classic offerings. The restaurant has been there, in the same place, since forever ago. We celebrated our 2nd anniversary here, and now we are going into our 7th year. Time flies and it is also a true testament to Opus Bistro’s great food and attentive services.

Risotto Ball. With the golden fried breadcrumb coating around the risotto center, how could anyone resist something that looks so downright sinful?

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As a country makes up of multiracial communities of diverse culture, Malaysia celebrates a plethora of public holidays. We have nationwide holidays, statewide holidays, and heck, we even got a day off to celebrate Malaysia’s victory over Indonesia in the AFF-Suzuki Cup.

I’m not complaining here; how could anyone NOT love public holidays? First of all, there’s no work and I have absolutely no guilt over sleeping in until 11am! And slowly crawl out of my bed, get all dolled up and get my other half to bring me for a good lunch.

During one of the many public holidays that we had last month, KampungBoy took me to Prego @ Westin. The rich and classy, elegant interior in Prego induces that relaxing feeling of comfort. We were seated downstairs, which features an open kitchen with a wood fired oven which added a lot to the authentic Italian atmosphere.

Complimentary Bread with Homemade Tomato Dip

Prego is also offering executive set lunch for RM38++ (2 course) or RM 48++ (3 course). We went for the ala carte menu instead as the choices of mains for the set lunch were limited.

fichi biondi RM 36
wood-fired oven roasted figs with gorgonzola sauce

If you are a fan of sweet-savory combination, then this is the dish for you. Roasting slightly caramelizes the figs, making it sweet and juicy. Drizzled with a savory Gorgonzola cream sauce, the little morsels were bursting with sweet & savory flavors with rich textures. However, some slices of the figs weren’t sweet enough which make us felt akward, because all we tasted was the salty, cheesy sauce.

lasagnette di aragosta RM 61
pasta silk handkerchiefs, slipper lobster, leek confit, light bisque emulsion

True to its name, the silk handkerchiefs pasta was indeed smooth and silky. There was a generous amount of slipper lobster bits here and there. However, the bisque emulsion was way too salty, almost bitter in flavor. Although I think the saltiness tends to be present in the bisque but not necessarily so much.

tibia brasata dell’agnello, risotto milanese RM 64
braised lamb shank, saffron risotto

The braisd lamb shank was tender but not to the extend of falling-off-the-bone tender. The chef on duty that day must be heavy handed when it comes to salt. The accompanied gravy was really salty too!

Pistachio Gelato (RM 6.50)

It was quite good; smooth and creamy with chunks of pistachios throughout.

All in all, we though that our food was at best mediocre. We must have picked the wrong day – with a chef that is heavy-handed with the one particular seasoning! Or are we expecting too much from The BEST Italian Restaurant in TimeOut KL Food Award 2010? I’m always open to giving a place a second chance unless it was just a horrendous experience. Furthermore, reviews I read online has been nothing but rave reviews. So we’ll be back, before our Starwood Card expired.

Prego
Ground and Upper Ground
The Westin Kuala Lumpur
100 Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur,
Tel: 603 2773 8338
Email: westindining@westin.com

Together with AiWei and a girlfriend, we had a great weekend at GTower Hotel, thanks to the hotel management and VK for extending the invitation. We were also given the privilege to dine at Trattoria Tanzini, an elegant Italian restaurant that occupies the 28th and 29th floor. If it’s the perfect view that makes you feel romantic, you can do no better than Tanzini that overlooks the city skyline.

Tanzini is fine dining in every sense of the word, with its sleek styling and its menu crafted for multicourse dining.
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Welcome to Buonasera, your friendly neighbourbood restaurant. Please let us usher you.

Haha. We were seated at such an awkward place while waiting for a vacant table but we were OK with that. This shows how busy is the restaurant on a Saturday night (always a good sign). Nonetheless we waited seemingly patiently until we were finally called.

We started off with Minestrone soup (RM11.90), a thick Italian soup with whatever vegetables in season. I wasn’t too impressed because it has a lumpy texture rather than a smooth consistency. It’s just me because kampungboy begs to differ.

Prosciutto melon (RM28.90). You can’t go wrong with thin dry-cured ham and sweet, ripe melon wedges. A match made in heaven!

Pork snitzel parmigiana (RM27.90). Snitzel means a cutlet without bones; which make eating a bliss. Topped with Italian tomato sauce, it is a unique combination that makes you yearn for more.

Italian pork sausages (RM26.90). Again, you can’t go wrong with good quality gourmet sausages. It has a hearty flavour with a bacony flavour mixed with spices. Delicious!

However, Buoasera’s signature Free Range Rosemary Chicken (RM27.90) causes disappointment. The piece of chicken came out too dry and they’ve overdone the salt.

After a while, the chef came out from the kicthen and mingles with his guests. He used to work with Pizza Uno, and now he is running some pastas and desserts classes at the Cooking House.

We were filled to the brim but after much persuasion from Chef Enzo, we are having THREE desserts to end the meal. The first dessert was Mixed berry zabaglione (RM16.90), a mixed berry sorbet drizzled with some Italian egg custard made of egg yolks, sugar and Marsala wine. This is a very attractive looking dessert and is absolutely delicious!

Dessert No. 2 – Sticky Date Pudding (RM14.90) is to die for! Served with a very rich and sinful butterscotch sauce, this is not a dessert for dieters.

Last but not least, the tiramisu (14.90) was decent but personally I like more assertive mascarpone and a bit more alcohol.

With only some minor quirks here and there, Buonasera is still a decent place to go for some authentic home cooked Italian food. The pork dishes fare better and the desserts are to die for!

Buonasera
42, Jalan SS 2/66
Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel No: 03-7877 8586
(non halal. same row as Nam Heong and Hoppy Duck)

After hearing SO MUCH of good things about Sage, TWO failed attempts in securing a table for two, and getting rejected for walk-in ONCE, we were here finally (drum roll please).

We took a lift next to Isetan Departmental Store and my heart jumps, thinking that we were just a few steps away from Sage – the talk of the town. Initially, we were rather surprised to see that The Sage is tucked away at a secluded corner next to the parking lot. Once I shoved through the heavy glass door, a young lady greeted us at the door with a welcoming smile and a jovial presence. We were promptly seated near to the open kitchen where Chef Takashi and crews were busy creating superb rendition of dishes. The ambiance is perfect – classy, lush but not intimidating, with the occasional melody of glass clinging, soft whispering and sizzling at the background.

We were taking our own sweet time in reading through the one page menu. Read aloud some of the names in the menu and you’ll be condemned to a near eternity of grueling tongue twisters (Is it just me?). We settled for Sage Dinner at RM 140 nett because it offers more value for money than ala carte pricea as such: Starters at rm58, main course at RM78 and desserta at RM30. Do the math. One can opt for an additional course (Chef Special )at RM160 nett or the degustation menu at RM240 nett where advance booking is required.

Complimentary Bread. The breads were all good; crusty, warm and soft.

For starter, I chose the Feuillete of Anago with Foie Gras and Duxelles, loosely translated as puff pastry with salt-water eel, foie gras and mixture of finely chopped mushrooms, shallots and herbs. The dish offers a myriad of flavor and texture! Think crispy layers of sweet and caramelized puff pastry, soft fatty salt-water eel and velvety smooth foie gras that leaves a trail of bovine juice in your mouth. Mmmmm…

Carpaccio of Wagyu with Sesame Vinaigrette and Asparagus. He had the wafer-thin slices of raw wagyu beef served cold, seasoned with sesame vinaigrette. The wagyu slices melts on your palate like the most sublime foie gras, and leaves a rich flavor behind.

What a great start to our meal!

My choice of main is the Lightly Salted Cod with Foie Gras, Roasted in Wood Paper (not foie gras again?). The cod and foie gras are impeccably fresh, with chock full of fragrant juices. Sauces are subtle, accentuating the natural flavor of the lightly salted cod and pan seared foie gras.

Rump Steak with Carrot Puree and Anchovy Sauce goes to KampungBoy, who is a steak person. The rounder pieces of steak with pink centre are actually the medallions, a cut of from the wagyu beef type. It is succulent, tender and very very tasty. On the side, we were given the braised ox shank topped with carrot puree. It is pleasingly tender and not at all gamey.

I was not entirely blown away by the Roasted Kougyoku Apples with Vanilla Ice Cream. Immediately, my face was contorting into a frown and later found out that Kougyoku apple is a kind of very sour apple from Japan. Sorry, I’m just not a fan of all things sour.

He made a smart choice by ordering the Ricotta Souffle served with Espresso Sherbet. Light, fluffy and airy, with a barely perceptible brown crust on top, the souffle is a perfect sweet ending.

The End – Coffee/Tea ?

What can I say? It was a very satisfactory dinner, the starters and mains were beyond excellence while we think that we are going to give it a pass to the desserts the next time (wrong choices maybe, as other floggers raved about the desserts).We will definitely be going back and would highly recommend this restaurant to everyone. Ooo yes, Sage is perfect for Valentine’s Day celebration and to impress your dates as well. Reservation is a must, unless you want to try your luck and get turn down.

Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar

The Residences Level 6

The Gardens, Mid Valley City,

Lingkaran Syed Putra,

59200 KL.

Tel: 03-22681328

Email: sagekul@gardenshtlres.com

Located next to the poolside at the fifth floor of Hotel Imperial is a hidden little Italian cottage that combines exceptional Italian fare with a relaxed and elegant atmosphere.

According to Doris, the director of communication, Italian food is deemed to be wholesome and hearty as opposed to the general perception of Italian food equates fine dining. This is why Villa Danieli is all about warm and comfortable ambiance, with large murals on top, medieval torches hanging from the walls emitting dim light, large glass bottles filled with olives oils and a welcoming entrance, just like a typical Italian cottage. The patio seating is also great, complete with a magnificent view of KL Tower.

Villa Danieli offers a traditional Italian menu featuring old-world favorites and family recipes as well as a wide selection of wood oven baked pizzas. The menu caused much deliberation so for easy reason; we went for their three courses set dinner at RM 125 nett that night.

Primi

Yellow lentil soup with grilled garlic bread. A classic soup as such is a real ‘warmer-upper’ in a rainy day.

Spledini of sea scallop and tuna with marinated onions, lemon and baby spinach. The lightly seared sea scallops are especially juicy, plump and insanely sweet!

Roasted egg plant “parmigiana” with tomato and strawberry coulis is presented in such a way that it looked like it had come from Italy itself.

Secondi

Herbs sea bass “cartoccio” with spinach and mussel sauce. It was baked in parchment paper and presented to us in its original state. A lift on the paper reveals what the chef has whipped up for us. I thought they did a nice job on this one, the spinach and mussel sauce pairs perfectly with the sea bass.

Grilled beef fillet with purple potato and béarnaise sauce. Béarnaise sauce made of clarified butter, egg yolks, tarragon, shallots added some sweetness to the tender moist beef.

Rigatoni amatriciana with beef bacon, braised onions, tomato sauce and pecorino cheese. It is a delicious blend of tomatoes, white wine, and beef bacon with some hearty home made pasta.

Apple strudel with vanilla lavender sauce. The colour and presentation again was amazing. It was delicious too, with crispy layers of phyllo dough filled with freshly sliced apples combined with vanilla lavender sauce.

Almond parfait with chocolate sauce. After polishing off our mains, the almond parfait came shortly. The parfait’s texture was like nothing else – thick and creamy yet light and ultra smooth.

Salami bitter chocolate with berries compote. Salami what? Yes, you heard it right – chocolate salami, name as such because it has the same cylindrical shape as a salami. The accompanying berries compote gave a lighter kind of tang to the rich bitter chocolate salami.

Some wine and conversation before plunging ahead to your main meal? Go for the wine buffet at RM 45++ for free flow red and white.

Overall Villa Danieli is one of those authentic Italian restaurants that set itself apart from the rest. The food is always great, the wine selection is nice and the staff are very helpful and knowledgeable when it comes to recommending wine to pair with your food choices. It does come in a slightly hefty price tag but fret not because the set dinner at RM 125 nett is an excellent value for money.

Invitation from FoodStreet

Set Dinner (Promotion Valid till 31 December 2008)
Available daily from 6.30pm – 10.30pm.
RM125++ per person
Inclusive of free parking

Wine Buffet
Flowing freely on Monday and Tuesday evenings.
RM45++ per personVilla Danieli
Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Wilayah Persekutuan
Tel : 0327179922

After the convocation, we adjourn to dinner at Izzi Pizza Pasta and Coffee. Izzi is part of an Indonesian chain, they opened up the brand’s first flagship restaurant in Bukit Bintang and the new outlet at Damansara Uptown is coming soon. I called boolicious for direction before hand because the map provided in the website is too brief. Thanks boolicous! It is hard to miss out the striking coloured restaurant along the busy Jalan Sultan Ismail. I love the fact that they provide free jockey parking because getting a place around that area is hassle and stressful.

The restaurant is beautifully decorated with a modern contemporary feel. It is a spacious venue with plenty of seating, upstairs and downstairs, and even has a gorgeous area set at the third floor, available for all kinds of functions. The bright colours and comfy seating make it easy to relax awhile and let the pressures of the day slide away. A glimpse through the menu, I was impressed with trusty choice of east meets west cuisine. Other than the obligatory pizza and pasta, there is an extensive range of Asian favourites such as mee goring, hainan chicken rice and beef bo luc lac.

These refrigerated dessert display with an insulated curved front glass is very attractive. I couldn’t take my eyes off the dessert once I step into Izzi.

Steak (RM36.80). Chow and Poh ordered the roasted imported steak with Izzi’s Balsamico sauce on ratatouille pasta. They like their steak to be medium rare but the steak arrive overcooked. They did not send it back because they were famished by then! The ratatouille is pretty and rustic with a fresh herb flavour.

Arina’s prawn linguine with garlic and red chilli (RM17.80). The linguine is nicely tossed with olive oil, red chili flakes and garlic and it has a noticeable spicy smell. Arina could not take it after a few bites because it is burning her tongue. Her boyfriend happily took over the plate and devour. I nibble on some and find it nice, a pasta dish with a refreshing touch.

Lee Ping and I shared a chicken steak with pasta (RM 20.80).Grilled chicken cooked with mushroom sauce lies on a bed linguine. The skinless and boneless chicken piece is tender and succulent but the accompanying mushroom sauce though creamy, was too salty for my liking.

We ordered a regular Milano (RM27.80++) which came with lots of Italian beef sausage, gorgonzola cheese, mozzarella cheese and tomato. The distinctive and old fashioned pizza has great thin crust, generous amount of bubbly cheese and the right combination of toppings. Ten Ten finds it absolutely delicious!

Kah Yee’s Tom Yam Gong (RM 11.80). The initial taste was mild but comes with a piquant and intriguing spicy after taste. Only complain is that they skimped on the ingredients, we can only find some scarcely cut abalone mushroom and a few pieces of pathetic looking shrimps. You can add another RM 2 for a plate of appealing looking fragrant rice to fill up your stomach.

Strawberry Cheesecake, Mango Mousse, The Volcanic Looking Cake, Desire, Double Swirl Cheese (Top left to Bottom). My taste bud was doing the hockey pocky after I take a bite at Desire and The Volcanic Looking Cake, it was that good. I was hooked with the bittersweet taste of chocolate. The creamy and delicious Double Swirl Cheese is on par to Secret Recipe’s marble cheese cake while strawberry cheesecake is too dense and not fluffy as it should be. I’ll try to avoid the mango mousse on my next visit as it has a very strong artificial tasting and the sponge cake was wet and soggy.

The total bill comes at RM 140++ for the 8 of us. Thanks to Arina and Kah Yee for buying us the meal. Citibank card holders enjoy a 50% discount for every RM 100 spent at Izzi Kl until 31^st August. HSBC credit card holder are entitled to 50% discount for every RM 100 spent at Izzi KL until 31^st December and 75% off total bill for every RM 100 spent at Izzi Uptown from 12^rd September to 18th September. Overall, the service staffs are CUTE and they are very attentive towards our request, the ambiance is simple yet stylish. I wouldn’t mind coming back even though some of the food is good and some is just mediocre. I’ll know what to order next time.

Izzi Pizza Pasta and Coffee
44-2A, 44-3A and 44-4A
Jalan Sultan Ismail
Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 03 – 2141 4111

To avoid the mall crowds during Christmas Day, we had our dinner at this quaint and quiet little place, Vincenzo. The entrance to the restaurant is a stones paved walkway surrounded by lush greenery of the garden. Lovely!

The nine restaurants housed within the beautiful area served dishes from all around the world. Why not make a little gourmet tour around the world HERE, someday I perhaps.

Vincenzo is one of the chain of restaurant that occupies a two-floor unit along the One Bangsar strip.

I love the soft yellow lighting scheme that complements the modern furnishing, creating a warm and romantic ambience.

They have a built in wine rack to store their wine collection. This is the classy and quiet place to wine.

Complimentary buns comes piping hot. I love these crusty breads, especially the orange coloured pumpkin bun with slight sweetness.

The olive oil bread dippings

Venison flatted grilled with honey blue berry juice RM 58. The venison is tender but not juicy, glad that the blue berry juice washing over the venisons saved the day.

Squid Ink Pasta with Scallop, Smoked Salmon and Prawns RM 48. It was tossed with chilli, garlic and white wine sauce. It was great for me, maybe I was anticipating the worst – fishy smell from the squid ink.

The scallops and prawns are fresh like it’s from the ocean. Only complain is the dish is too oily, I couldn’t belive my eyes to see the amount of oil left when I finished my food.

Belgian Waffles RM 15. The waffle tastes is very similar to Pilbury’s pancake mix (we think lar) and the portion was way too small. Two spoonful is more than enough to get it done I guess?

Please tolerate with our cam whoring picture. It’s Christmas Day ok?

Anyway. it’s the best place for dates or family gathering. The waiters are humourous and attentive, food wise I still prefer Opus Bistro. A tips to my noob guy friends: if you have meet this fantastic girl and you want to win her hearts, bring her here. Haha

Last but not least, ice wine that match with most dessert style.

One Bangsar, 63H Jalan Ara
Bangsar Baru, 59100 KL.
03-22871686.