Espressamente Illy, Bangsar Village 1, Kuala Lumpur

“What shall we have for dinner?”

“Hmmmm….. Shall we try out Espressamente Illy since soooo many people have talked about how good the food is?”

And of course… that is exactly where we ended up!

Like most Italian restaurants, we were welcomed with a bread basket which came with an olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip. The bread served was normal white baguette.

Kav: The garlic-infused olive oil and vinegar was pungent, and flavoured the bread well. However, they could have used fancier bread.

Shiv: Although the bread was ordinary, I loved the idea of the garlic pip placed in the EVOO. Added a nice garlic-y flavour to the dip, and made for a pretty good starter.

Mien: Mediocre… nothing to shout about!

We had a starter, Crostini con Salmone e Alici, which is crostini with Tasmanian smoked salmon, horseradish, fresh dill, capers and anchovies (RM21).

Kav: The salmon and capers were salty and oily and the anchovies packed a punch. The dill also added freshness to the entrée. Beyond amazing!!!

Shiv: I absolutely adored this appetizer. It was tangy, yet not overwhelmingly sharp. The capers and anchovies, along with the sweetness of the dill, complemented the fresh salmon (that was smoked just right) perfectly. Would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this one!

Mien: Salmon was fresh and the anchovies were not too fishy - just right. However, I could not taste the horseradish! Bread was too stretchy!

The pastas we ordered arrived promptly thereafter. The first was the Spaghetti Aglio e Olie, spaghetti with garlic and chilli tossed with extra virgin olive oil (RM18).

Kav: The olio was earthy and flavourful. Love the garlic bits found in this dish. However, would have preferred if there was more garlic and at least one other ingredient.

Shiv: Was not wowed. The pasta was under-flavoured, and there was a pool of oil left in the bowl after polishing off the pasta.

Mien: Could have been flavoured more.

The second pasta was the Spaghetti al Pesto, spaghetti with chicken and Portobello mushrooms in basil pesto sauce (RM23).

Kav: As a pesto fanatic, this is probably one of the best pestos I have tried. The earthiness of the portobello and the flavour of the pesto was a good marriage, and the parmesan set the whole dish off to a new level.

Shiv: The pesto can easily be one of the best I’ve tried. Really strong basil flavour (in a good way) and the portobello was seasoned very well before being tossed along with the pasta. Hands down the best dish of the night! Small bone to pick (no pun intended!): The chicken chunks were too big.

Mien: REALLY GOOD! We were informed by the waitress that this dish was one of their bestsellers… and AMEN to that! One of the best pestos I have tasted! Just the right amount of pasta and sauce!

Mien and Shiv decided to “stop” with the mains as they wanted to have coffee and a dessert. Kav on the other hand wanted another main dish.

As such, Kav ordered the Vegetariana alla Griglia con Pollo, mixed grilled vegetables with marinated chicken breast served with basil pesto, pine nuts and toasted ciabatta (RM22).

We were so impressed with the food, we requested to have a quick chat with Chef James to pay him a compliment. To our surprise, he came out from the kitchen carrying our last dish of the night (more on Chef James at the bottom of the page).

Kav: I expected this dish to be perfection, as the bar was set pretty high for pesto dishes. However, it was a little bland, and the chicken was dried out. Also, the aubergines were not cooked till soft. Disliked the bread that came with this – it was as if the moisture had been sucked out of it. (Microwaved, perhaps?)

Shiv: Liked the earthiness of the bread, and again, they can do no wrong with the pesto. The vegetables were also grilled to charred-perfection (except the aubergines, which were slightly undercooked). I loved this dish so much, that I actually ended up finishing most of it!

Mien: Had a bite to taste. Hmmmm… found it very mediocre, will not order it again. The pesto saved this dish for me!

An Italian café definitely calls for a Tiramisu sampling, and Mien and Shiv chose to order the Tiramisu to share (RM15). Kav could not resist a mouth, and dug in as well.

Kav: Was overly sweet and the chocolate shavings had a cheap oily aftertaste. Not a big fan.

Shiv: Very poor. Where do I start? It was far from authentic; too sweet; and the sponge fingers was so dried out (you can actually notice that in the pic). Even the amazing coffee flavour, laced with liqueur, couldn’t help this one out.

Mien: DISAPPOINTING!! The Illy coffee is the only thing saving the tiramisu! There was something sickeningly sweet and ‘cough-mixture-like’ to the tiramisu, in my opinion!

Mien ordered the Caffè Fondente, a single espresso shot served with chocolate and topped with emulsified milk (RM12) while Shiv, the Caffè Latte Grande, large version of the Caffè Latte (RM13). Kav decided to go with the Hot Chocolate.

Kav: The chocolate used was really good, but I found the drink to be overly milky and sweet. Will not order it again.

Shiv: With coffee, my motto is: Go big or go home! And let me just say, this was a large cup of coffee-perfection! The flavour was STRONG and aromatic. It has since become the numero uno coffee in town – for me at least. Also, note the pretty tulip latte art. Errmmm… Starbucks who?!

Mien: The Caffè Fondente was mind blowing! Strong coffee flavour, yet it didn’t overpower the chocolate. AMAZING!

We were so impressed by the food, that Shiv and Kav brought a friend of theirs to the restaurant a week later!

The second time around, Shiv and Kav ordered two mains:

❶ Insalata Mediterraneo, mixed salad greens with artichokes, semi-dried tomatoes and feta (RM23).

Kav: Love love love! The sourness of the artichokes set off the entire salad. The chef could have been a little LESS generous with the oil though.

Shiv: Very fresh and well dressed. The artichokes were cooked well, and the feta added a burst of flavour. Overall, an A+ for this dish.

❷ Belezza Panino, grilled chicken breast with roasted pepper, aubergine, kalamata and melted mozzarella and pesto on wholemeal (RM19).

Kav: Love the bread used, but this was only mediocre. Tasted like something I could put together at home.

Shiv: The pesto was heavenly, again, and the olives added a nice twang. Tasty, but not superb.

And of course, no meal is complete without dessert and/ (or) coffee.

This time around, Kav ordered the Caffè Fondente, a single espresso shot served with chocolate and topped with emulsified milk (RM12).

*In a shocking twist to the saga, Shiv did NOT feel like having coffee! =)

Kav: Officially the best mocha I’ve tried. It was creamy-chococafe goodness.

Two desserts were ordered – first being the Affogato, vanilla ice cream in a shot of espresso (RM19).

Kav: The ice-cream was really bad – tasted cheap!!! Coffee was excellent, as expected.

Shiv: Did not live up to expectations, as you would imagine a café such as Illy, with its superior coffee selection, to make a mean affogato. The vanilla ice cream used tasted sub-standard, and although the espresso at the bottom of the glass was really good, I would still grade this as a fail.

Next up was the Panna Cotta, Italian creamy dessert served with wild berry coulis (thick sauce made from puréed and strained vegetables or fruits) (RM14).

Kav: TOO __ __ __ __ __ ! (Fill in the blanks guys. Clue: It’s a bad word in my dictionary.) Would have been really good otherwise as it was light and creamy all at the same time.

Shiv: Really enjoyed this one. There was a nice vanilla flavour, and although it was slightly sweeter than I would have liked, the texture of the cream and the tanginess of the coulis made this an absolute treat to the senses.

VERDICT: WOK ON!

PRICE: Slightly on the pricey side, but well worth every penny.

AMBIENCE: Modern, eclectic and sophisticated. (Love the portraits that adorn the walls.)

SERVICE: Staff are friendly, and attentive. Also, Chef James was kind enough to pay us a visit at our table to talk about his experiences (Thanks, Chef!).

FOOD: Excellent. Please head to Espressamente Illy right this moment if you’re in need of a coffee fix and something to whet your appetite!

ESPRESSAMENTE ILLY

LOT NO. F-12 & F-13,

FIRST FLOOR, BANGSAR VILLAGE 1,

BANGSAR BARU,

59100 KUALA LUMPUR

Tel: +603 2287 7078

Website: http://www.espressamenteilly.com.my/

Opening Hours:

10.00 am – 10.00 pm daily

*Note: Chef James is of Sarawakian origin and started off as a dishwasher 15 years ago in a restaurant. He has since worked his way up the ladder, and is now a chef at Espressamente Illy. He has previously worked in numerous other restaurants and dabbled in various cuisines i.e Italian, Spanish, etc.

Edo Ichi Japanese Restaurant, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur

A craving for Japanese food and rave reviews from friends and colleagues alike took us to Edo Ichi, a Japanese restaurant located at Solaris Dutamas. (To avoid confusion, Publika, which is a mall, is located in Solaris Dutamas. However, the restaurant is NOT located inside Publika).

We were greeted politely by the waitress at the entrance and couldn’t help but notice that the ambience was beautiful and elegant. [ Try spotting Nemo… =) ]

Left to right: Pickled Ginger, Shoyu (Japanese Soy Sauce), Wasabi, Shichimi Tōgarashi (Seven Flavoured Chilli Pepper)

For starters, we had Horenso Goma Ae, Chilled Spinach with Sesame Sauce (RM9), and Chawan Mushi (RM10).

Mien: I love spinach and this was really good. You could taste the sesame in the sesame sauce which I love. One of the best chawan mushis that I’ve had!

Kav: The sesame sauce and the spinach was a match made in heaven. I would have preferred a warm salad though. The chawan mushi was one of the better ones I have tried.

Gaj: The spinach was nice! I don’t like chawan mushi in general, but this was good.

Shiv: I am not a big fan of cold appetisers, but the spinach was really good. The sesame sauce coating the spinach was well-seasoned. Chawan mushi didn’t taste overly egg-y.

We then had Una Cheese Roll, Sushi Roll with Eel, Cheese, and Vegetables (RM32).

Kav: The unagi left much to be desired. The sweet sauce was not flavored well and was a little too sweet. Would have preferred it without the cheese.

Gaj: I am not a big fan of eel in general as it is usually prepared sweet, and this was no different as the teriyaki sauce at the bottom of the platter was sweet.

Shiv: I love unagi and this roll did not disappoint. I thought the cheese would overwhelm the eel, but I was mistaken, as it actually complemented it really well.

The next roll we had was Shake Tataki Roll, Sushi Roll with Crab stick, Cheese, Vegetables with Surface Salmon (RM30).

Kav: The sauce that accompanied this was too sweet and it masked the taste of the salmon which I disliked.

Gaj: Again, the teriyaki sauce at the bottom of the platter was sweet and spoilt this dish for me.

Shiv: Disappointing. It’s hard to go wrong with fresh salmon, but the sweet sauce made this roll a tad wanting.

Shake Sashimi, Salmon Sashimi was the next dish to arrive (RM25).

Mien: Really fresh, however I would have preferred the salmon belly.

Kav: The salmon was cut too thick. However, it was fresh, fatty and oily. Just the way I like it!

Gaj:  It was wait-for-it ................. ‘AMAZEBALLS’.

Shiv: Loved it! The salmon was well-marbled and very fresh. Despite being sliced rather thickly, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

The third roll that we were served was Spider Roll, Sushi Roll with Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab, Avocado and Cucumber (RM 24).

Kav: The soft shell crab was fried to perfection, it was crispy and savoury. The mush avocado complemented the crisp crab perfectly. LOVES!!!

Gaj: I did not like this dish as the soft shell crab had a rancid taste to it.

Shiv: There was a metallic oily taste to the soft shell crab – reeked of overused frying oil!

Moving away from the rolls, we had Hotate Mentai Yaki, Grilled Scallops with Cod Roe Mayo (RM25).

Mien: Really really good - fresh and nice!

Kav: The scallop was fresh and the sauce that accompanied it was really good. Was pleasantly surprised as I expected the mayo to overwhelm the dish.

Gaj: Yummy-licious. Could have had seconds.

Shiv: Was left wanting for more! The broth the scallop was contained in was light and flavourful.

Next up, we were served Age Dashi Tofu, Deep Fried Beancurd with Nameko Mushroom and Sauce (RM 10).

Mien: Love tofu, and this dish didn’t disappoint. Love the ‘chik-kut teh-ness’ of the broth.

Kav: I liked the herb-like taste of the broth. The skin of the tofu soaked in the broth was delicious!

Gaj: Generally, I love Age Dashi Tofu and this did not fail!

Shiv: Loved the shoyu broth, and the deep-fried tofu topped with bonito flakes was just sublime! Generous portion too.

The next dish that followed was Ginmutsu Konabe, Cod fish and vegetables in hot pot. This dish was accompanied with Miso paste sauce (Bean paste) (RM 35) and soba noodles (RM6).

 
*This dish can be ordered without adding noodles. If you want to add noodles, you can choose from a variety of noodles including Soba noodles, Udon noodles, plain noodles, and more. If noodles are added, there is an additional cost of RM6.*

Mien: Hmmm…. mega disappointment! The worst miso I have tasted – had a weird, fishy taste to it. The cod was the only saviour, as it was fresh. I think the mixture of the mushrooms, cod and miso produced a vedeke (fishy) taste… yuck!

Kav: This dish put all my senses to sleep. The soup was extremely bland, and the ingredients didn’t do much to help with the taste. The only redemption for this dish: cod was fresh.

Gaj: Disliked the Miso paste sauce, it had a bean paste taste to it. The broth was too creamy and was bad!

Shiv: Should have gone with the shoyu paste. Damnnit! The miso was so distasteful, and unlike the usual pleasant bean taste, this one tasted over-fermented (if there ever was such a thing!). Did not enjoy this one bit.

Shiv and Gaj had Shake Temaki, Hand Roll with Raw Salmon (RM8).

Gaj: The salmon was fresh and I enjoyed the hand roll immensely.

Shiv: WOW! The freshness of the salmon made this temaki absolutely delicious, and I would have had seconds if I wasn’t already so stuffed with all the rice.

Kav had Soft Shell Crab Temaki, Hand Roll with Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab, Shrimp Roe (RM8).

Kav: Love love love this temaki. They certainly know how to make their soft shell crab!

Last but not least, we had two desserts, the first being Goma or black sesame ice cream (RM10).

Mien: Good! I could taste the black sesame and the texture of the ice cream was creamy!

Kav: Not a big fan of sesame ice cream, but loved this one.

Gaj: LOVE Goma ice cream!

Shiv: Was too stuffed by the time this came, but it was delish nevertheless. Very creamy and packed with REAL sesame flavour, unlike some of the artificially flavoured ones you get.

The second dessert was Chocolate Parfait (RM16).

Mien: Just like a cheap average chocolate ice cream! No go!

Kav: Tasted like one of the commercial ice creams you find in tubs sold in supermarkets for a little more than RM5. There was nothing about this dessert that I enjoyed. (The other three goons made me finish it!)

Gaj: Did not enjoy this ice cream! The chocolate had a funky flavor to it.

Shiv: Only had one bite to sample, and did not miss a thing. The chocolate ice cream used was of poor quality, and it paled in comparison to the Goma.

Verdict : WOK OFF!

PRICE: Expensive (RM 256 for 14 dishes).

AMBIENCE: Beautiful, cosy and elegant. (Perfect location for that first date!)

SERVICE: Fairly good - food arrived promptly.

FOOD: The price did not justify the quality of food that was served.

EDO ICHI JAPANESE RESTAURANT

A4-G1-1, GROUND FLOOR SOLARIS DUTAMAS,

NO. 1, JALAN DUTAMAS 1,

50480 KUALA LUMPUR.

Tel: +603 6205 5228

Opening Hours:

11.30am – 3.00pm (Lunch)

6.00pm – 10.00pm (Dinner)