Capri Restaurant Bar and Pizzeria, Lumut

A recent visit to the coastal town of Lumut had us prowling the area for a suitable location to enjoy a leisurely lunch with loved ones. Once a fishing village, it is now the home base of the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Lumut jetty forms the entry point to the famed Pangkor Island – a popular tourist destination.

No doubt, Lumut is well-known for its abundance in seafood items, and as such, we chose to dine at an Italian-inspired restaurant, located unassumingly at one of the back alleys of the town.

Our samplings for the day included:

Pizza Salmone e Capperi – Smoked salmon and capers (RM36).

Shiv: Delicious! The salmon was super fresh and smoked to perfection and capers added a nice tartness to the pizza. The crust was done well and the resulting dish was just sublime.

Kav: The pizza was simply delicious. The smoked flavor from the salmon was complimented by the piquant flavours from the capers. The best part…unlike most salmon pizzas, this one did not have a cream cheese topping.

Linguine ai Gamberi e Capperi – Prawns and capers in spicy garlic sauce (RM26).

Shiv: The pasta was al dente and the prawns were succulent and flavourful. The spicy garlic sauce was deliciously savoury and carried the dish amazingly. Yummylicious!

Kav: The pasta was well quoted with the spicy garlic sauce. The fresh prawns and the accompanying flavors from the olives and capers made this dish grand.

Fish & Chips – Fish fillet dipped in batter, deep-fried and served with potato chips and salad (RM23).

Shiv: The fish was moist and fell apart instantly upon prodding! The batter was also not too thick, and added a lovely crisp exterior to the fantastically fluffy fish. Also, nice to know that they did not overlook the potato chips, as they were crispy and NOT rancid.

Kav: This dish would have been great if the batter was less thick. The winning point, however, was that the fish was cooked and seasoned well.

Fish Parmigiana – Pan-fried fish fillet topped with pizzaiola sauce and melted cheese (RM26).

Shiv: The pièce de résistance of Capri, this parmigiana was prepared beautifully with the fish taking centre stage and the cheese and tomato purée layer not overwhelming the entire dish (as it sometimes can). Again, the fish was really fresh and the potatoes were baked stunningly. Highly recommended!

Kav: Lovely dish. The cheese did not overwhelm the fish and the tomato purée was not overly sweet.

Tiramisu – Coffee soaked sponge fingers layered with mascarpone cheese (RM13).

Shiv: Amazing! The tiramisu was authentic and light, with attention paid to the individual layers. The distinct flavour notes of coffee and liqueur were very well-balanced and the mascarpone layer was whipped to a perfect consistency. Who would have thought, huh… =)

Kav: This one took me by surprise. It was just delish. The ratio of coffee-soaked sponge fingers to mascaporne was perfect, and had just the right amount of liqueur to enhance the dessert.

Mud Cake – Rich chocolate cake served with vanilla ice cream (RM13).

Shiv: OMG! They did not overstate the description on the menu, as it was chock-full of rich and moist chocolate, without being cloying! Good quality chocolate was used and the vanilla ice cream elevated this to a whole different level. A mighty fine creation, I might add.

Kav: Again, kudos to the chef, as it was an excellent chocolate cake. The cake was moist, rich and just heavenly. Loves!!!

Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Ice Cream (RM10 per single scoop or RM19 for double scoop).

Shiv: I am not a big fan of chocolate ice cream, but this was good. It was light, easy to eat and had just the right amount of cocoa.

Kav: Love chocolate ice creams and this one was really good!!!

Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Average. RM170.50 for 4 mains and 3 desserts (5pax).

AMBIENCE: Cool café atmosphere with a warm and cosy interior, and a rustic bar adorning one side of the restaurant. Reminiscent of an old English pub, this eatery has al fresco dining options available for those who want to enjoy the lovely sea breeze.

SERVICE: Excellent. The staff was pleasant and attentive, and food arrived promptly.

FOOD: Delicious. Very fresh seafood, with good flavour infusions. A must-try, if you happen to find yourself in Lumut!

CAPRI RESTAURANT, BAR AND PIZZERIA

4174, JALAN SULTAN IDRIS SHAH,

32200 LUMUT

PERAK

Tel/Fax: 05-683 3112

Opening hours:

Mon - Sun: 11:30 am - 11:30 pm

Ante Kitchen and Bar, Solaris Dutamas

What do you do when you come across a menu on an easel outside a restaurant with too many delicious sounding items that you just have to stop and consider dining there? Well, we found ourselves in one such situation and without much ado, gave in to temptation. =)

Once seated, we were greeted by a feisty waiter eager to take our order. We were informed that they had a full house for lunch, and some of their favourites were finished. But fret not, as we are sharing some pretty amazing things that our palates experienced here.

Now, on to the good stuff…

1. Angry Piglets: Very very spicy pork sausages and crispy bacon strips (RM20).

Kav: Yummylicious!!! Loved the savoury and somewhat spicy sausages. They were moist and the additional pork flavour from the bacon, made this dish sing!!! The sweet sauce was a good contrast to the briny sausage, but I still prefer the sausages on its own.

Shiv: Delicious! The pork sausages were flavoured and crisped well and the bacon was sublime! I didn’t care much for the accompanying sweet sauce, as the porky flavour was more than enough to carry the dish. The sausages were not as spicy as warned on the menu, so chilliphobes, go right ahead and order this.

Gaj: I enjoyed this dish, very nicely done. =) I passed on the sauce, as it was too sweet for my liking!

2. Signature Chorizo & Bacon Pizza: An all-time favourite pizza in Ante. Generous amounts of pork chorizo, bacon, tomato purée and heaps of cheese (RM27).

Kav: The pizza had a crispy crust. However, the tomato puree overwhelmed the entire dish, making it overly sweet. To top it off there was an insufficient amount of chorizo and bacon, making for a slightly bland pizza.

Shiv: A simple, easy-to-eat pizza, with a well-made crust. I would have appreciated a bit more pork chorizo and bacon bits, as the cheese and tomato puree overwhelmed the pizza slightly. May not be the best pork pizza around, but a good effort nonetheless.

Gaj: The base was too tomato-y, but it was not bad! More sausage and bacon bits would have helped to make it less tomato-y.

3. Sweet Belly: Roasted Pork Slices, ready to be dipped in Ante’s house made caramelized sauce (RM23).

Kav: The pork belly was cooked perfectly, with the edges crispy and yummy. Sadly there was just way too many layers of fat, making the dish slightly cloying. I couldn’t eat more than one.

Shiv: Holy mother of god, this should come with a government health warning! A generous platter of melt-in-your-mouth goodness, with a terrifically thick layer of lard and super scrumptious crisp on the skin. Definitely not heart or hip healthy, but oh-so-worth the sin. If you are a siew yoke fan, this one should not be missed.

Gaj: I found the pork belly to fatty for my liking. The skin was very well done and crisp, but the fat was too overwhelming. Not a big fan!

4. Caramelized Garlic Olio Pasta: A simple but tasty pasta with bacon, topped with caramelized garlic (RM23).

Kav: The pasta was good, but perhaps not the best pork pasta I have had. Perhaps they should consider replacing the caramelized garlic with sautéed garlic, as it would be more pungent and less sweet. Nevertheless, the savoury bacon and earthy mushrooms permeated the pasta and the oil used was just the right amount. Good effort.

Shiv: The pasta was coated well with beautifully caramelized garlic bits and the bacon and mushroom provided fantastic flavour. The best part – the pasta had the right amount of lubrication (if you will) and no repulsive pool of oil at the bottom of the bowl. Kudos to the chef!

Gaj: This pasta was really good – the mushroom complemented the bacon bits and there was a generous serving of bacon bits.

5. Up The Ante Pork Burger: Between this burger’s raisin buns are fresh lettuce, tomato, onions, sautéed mushroom, an egg with a runny-yolk and Ante’s special pork patty – wrapped in prime cuts of bacon strips (RM35).

Kav: Definitely one of the finest pork burgers I have tasted. The patty was like none other, savoury and perfectly flavoured. Not a big fan of the raisins. The bacon provided that oomph, which elevated the flavours in the burger. This is a serious pork burger for all you serious burger fans out there!!! Just too good!!!

Shiv: One of the best pork burgers I’ve tasted in recent times. I typically don’t like raisins, but was able to look past the buns as the burger in its entirety was deliciously juicy and savoury (with mild hints of sweetness). The burger did not turn soggy even after sitting a while on the table, and yet, the patty turned out to be so succulent. A true lip-smacker!

Gaj: The patty had some sweet elements to it, which I could not put a finger to, but it was still a good burger!

6. Char-grilled Pork Steak: Signature pork chop with berry cream sauce, served with mashed potatoes and baked apple (RM33/Boston cut and RM42/New York cut).

Kav: Hands down the best dish of the night!!! Just perfectly flavoured meat. The chef kept the flavours simplistic and allowed for the pork to shine. The cook on the pork was perfection and therefore the meat was juicy and had just the right amount of fat to give it flavour. I would suggest you eat the meat without the creamy cranberry sauce, as it takes away from the delicious pork flavour. Speechless!!!

Shiv: Sheer brilliance! The pork was simplistically flavoured with a salt and pepper rub hitting the palate, and the meat was not dried out. The New York cut, which we opted for, had loads of marbling and the resulting steak was juicy and very obviously in a league of its own!  Marvelous in its monstrosity, this one can easily be shared by 4-5pax.

Gaj: The pork was done very well though a tad salty.  Whilst I am not a big fan of huge steak pieces, this was quite enjoyable.

7. Baileys Brownies with Chocolate Ice Cream (RM15).

Kav: Simply scrumptious!!! I could hardly taste the Baileys, however the brownie was moist and chocolate-y. It was served with a very simplistic chocolate ice-cream, which I thought was really delicious, as it was not too sweet and just yummy. So yummy that we ordered an extra serving of the ice-cream.

Shiv: Absolutely divine! The brownie on its own was super moist, nutty and chocolate-y all at once, but when paired with the silky smooth chocolate ice cream, this dish was truly mouth-watering. They were a bit light-handed with the liqueur, but really, who’s counting… 

Gaj: The best dish of the night!!!! Omg, it was soo good, I could have had seconds all by myself. =) I would come back just for this dessert – amazing!!!

* We threw caution to the wind and ordered an additional scoop of chocolate ice cream, as we just couldn’t seem to get enough of this simple yet scrumptious treat (RM5).

Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Moderate to expensive. RM209.00 for 7 food items (3pax and some leftovers).

AMBIENCE: Cool café atmosphere with a relaxed, modern-minimalist setting. Al fresco dining option is available.

SERVICE: Excellent. The staff was pleasant and attentive, and food arrived swiftly despite a full house (impressive!). Plates were cleared quickly and glasses were refilled continuously.

FOOD: Simply amazing. Every single one of the 7 items ordered was note-worthy if not mind-blowing. A definite must-try, especially if you’re a sucker for swine!

ANTE KITCHEN AND BAR

A2-G1-09, SOLARIS DUTAMAS,

NO.1, JALAN DUTAMAS 1,

50480 KUALA LUMPUR

Tel: 03-6206 3364

Opening hours:

Mon - Sun: 11:00 am - 1:00 am.

G3 Kitchen and Bar, Bangsar Baru

From the previous owners of Telawi Street Bistro comes G3 Kitchen and Bar, a more recent culinary endeavour which boasts a wide selection of food, including but not limited to, Mediterranean, Italian, and English.

If you head there before 3.00pm during weekends, you may fancy yourselves a magnificent morning meal from the wide variety of interesting and delicious sounding food items from their special weekend-only breakfast menu.

Let’s not waste time and head straight to the food…

1)  Pan-fried Potatoes with Mushrooms and Onions (RM10).

Mien: I liked the simplicity of dish. The perfect combination of onions, garlic and herbs was all that was needed.

Shiv: Delicious! Savoury and light, this was a good way to start the meal. Would have preferred if they had used a different variety of mushrooms, but the dish was tasty all the same.

Kav: Nicely done! The sweet onion, with the combination of earthy mushrooms and potatoes, was really delicious.

Gaj: I enjoyed this dish, very simple but tasty, good option for vegetarians.

2)  Salami Pizza, with Chicken Salami, Spicy Lamb Sausage, Mushroom, Tomatoes, Olives and Basil (RM27).

Mien: The pizza was good although not the best I have tasted. The crust was done well and the toppings were a good combination.

Shiv: Had a nice meaty flavour and the crust was done well, but the scarcity of lamb sausages was a bit of a disappointment. Thank god for the salami though, as it supported the pizza well.

Kav: Pizza was average. They could have been more generous with the sausages and olives.

Gaj: Could have been more generous with the sausage, but it was still good nonetheless.

3)  Crabmeat and Tuna Spaghetti, Olio style (RM23).

Mien: VILE! I think the recipe for this pasta: cooked spaghetti, canned tuna and crabmeat, olive oil, salt, pepper, dried Italian herbs; just mix the ingredients all together then serve!!!

Shiv: The tuna was dried out, and the olio was severely under-flavoured. Even the little crab used could not save this dish. I’m sorry, but a dish like this is unacceptable anywhere, much less in a place of this nature. Shame!

Kav: Really?!?!?! Could you actually get away with serving a dish like this in a restaurant??? You don’t need a chef to open a can of tuna and dump it onto some poorly- flavoured spaghetti – a three year old could do that.

Gaj: Really really bad! The dish was so dry, it felt like eating pasta that was refrigerated.

4)  Spicy Clam & Prawns Spaghetti with Olive Oil (RM26).

As we do not fancy clams, we opted for more prawns to replace the clams.

Mien: Another let-down. Not much flavouring at all! Plain bland!

Shiv: Unfortunately, we had little luck with pastas on this occasion, as this one was terrible as well. The prawns were mushy (an indication of staleness) and there was a glaring absence of the seafood flavour that is so fondly found in gamberi pastas usually.

Kav: I believe this chef has not got a clue when it comes to pastas. There were hardly any ingredients, and to top it off, the pasta was poorly seasoned. What a waste of some good prawns.

Gaj: Such a big let-down! You would think an olio gamberi pasta would be fairly easy to get right, but this was such a lacklustre pasta.

5)  Chocolate Pumpkin Cake (RM9)

Mien: Surprisingly delicious!!!!

Shiv: A true palate pleaser, this was the best dish of the night! The pumpkin cake was moist and very moreish and coupled with the vanilla ice cream, this dessert was just divine. I could come back here just for this! =)

Kav: This cake saved the day, or rather my taste buds. Truly scrumptious, as the cake was moist, not overly sweet and the ice-cream just elevated the dessert to the next level. YUM!!!

Gaj: This cake was really good! Yummy!

6)  Coconut Tart (RM9)

Mien: Hmm… I love anything coconut... but this was a let-down!!!

Shiv: I am NOT a fan of coconut desserts, and this did little to change my stance on the matter. It was dry and had an unpleasant texture, although the nuts added much-needed crunch and flavour.

Kav: Way too dry!!! Dislike!!!

Gaj: I am game for most things coconut, but this was just bad! Some funky flavour was going on in there!

7)  Red Velvet Cake (RM9)

Mien: This was a good rendition of this classic favourite. However, I found it a bit too creamy! Cream lovers... this is your paradise!

Shiv: One of the finest red velvet cakes around! The cake was super moist, dense and not overwhelmingly creamy. They manage to strike a very good balance between the chocolate and lemon flavour notes. Highly recommended!

Kav: Delicious, however, there should have been more cake than cream. Nevertheless, I loved the cake as it was moist and yummy.

Gaj: Love the red velvet cake!!!! =) Super yummy!

8)  Carrot Cake (RM9)

Mien: Another delicious classic, but the chocolate pumpkin wins hands down!

Shiv: Good, but not great. The lemon cream cheese frosting was delicious, but the cake was slightly less moist than I would have enjoyed. I would have also preferred nuts instead of raisins, but overall, not a shoddy attempt.

Kav: This cake was good, but not great. Loved the icing on the cake, as it was not too sweet.

Gaj: Not a big fan of raisins in my cakes, walnuts would have been a better alternative. Having said that, it was pretty good!

Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Affordable. RM141.50 for 1 appetiser, 3 mains and 4 desserts (4pax).

AMBIENCE: Cosy and unique, with a rather extensive rack of food items on display on one wall of the restaurant. There is an outside dining area available with a view of the popular Telawi 3 street.

SERVICE: Good. The manager was quite willing to accommodate changes to certain ingredients in particular dishes, but, it’ll be nice if they would consider serving hot drinking water, and not limit you to the likes of Esprit, San Pellegrino or Aqua Panna.

FOOD: Almost an even number of hits and misses, however, the desserts and pizza will keep us coming back for more. =)

G3 KITCHEN AND BAR

19, JALAN TELAWI 3,

BANGSAR BARU,

59100 KUALA LUMPUR

Tel: +603 2282 8019

Opening Hours:

10am till late, daily.

Leonardo’s Dining Room and Loft, Bangsar

‘I am absolutely famished after that session in the gym.’

‘Yeah, let’s have dinner, how about Leonardo’s?’

‘Great idea, I have heard some good reviews.’

And that’s how we found ourselves at Leonardo’s Dining Room at Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar.

Leonardo’s is located on the 1^st floor and has a really cosy ambience. It was buzzing on a Friday night and a reservation would be recommended.

As we were starving, we decided to get straight to the food. =)

Basket of Bread

*We were served a complimentary basket of bread with olive oil and vinegar.

Shiv: A bunch of unappetizing looking bread rolls arrived to our dismay! Disappointing, as you would expect something a tad classier in a place like this. We even had to request for butter, as the rolls simply did not pair well with the olive oil-balsamic dressing.

Gaj: The bread was alright, pretty standard buns.

Kav: This was not bread meant for an olive oil and balsamic dressing, more like buns from a kopitiam that would pair well with butter and a cup of black coffee. Shady!!!

Scallop Wrapped with Bacon, RM32

Shiv: Whether you consider this artful presentation or the creation of a mad scientist, the loud trimmings were there for a reason – to distract from the awfully stale scallops. It was rubbery in texture, and the dish was not even flavoured adequately. A waste of a beautiful ingredient!

Gaj: The dish had so much potential, but alas the scallop was not fresh. The accompanying garnishing was really good though.

Kav: How can you serve stale seafood at RM32 a plate!!! Unacceptable!!!

Grilled Pork Chorizo Sausage with bacon, potato and apple rosti, RM38

Shiv: The piquancy of the chorizo was too subtle and the dish was just not savoury enough for me. The bacon and potato topping did little to impress me, although, the apple rosti did surprise me with its deliciously rich taste.

Gaj: The pork sausage was just alright. I would have thought that the apple rosti would have made the dish too sweet, but it was really good and complemented the dish really well.

Kav: Average pork sausage and as a whole the dish was rather bland (shocking, as we are talking about pork sausages-hard to imagine anything going wrong). The apple rosti was quite scrumptious as it was not too sweet, and in fact it added a little oomph to the dish. Not enough to save it though. =(

Pizza - Mamma Mia, jamón serrano, mozarella, rocket, RM35

Shiv: Not the best cured ham pizza I have sampled, but tasty nevertheless. The crust was way too thick and a tad underwhelming, but there was a strong porky flavour that came through and the abundance of mozzarella supported the dish well. The taste may have been escalated further had they used jamón iberico instead. Oh well…

Gaj: I enjoyed this pizza, the jamón serrano was delicious, and though the pizza was lacking in flavor, I still enjoyed it.

Kav: Pizza lacked flavour and the ham used did little to help the pizza. To top it off, the crust was thick and chewy. ‘Dear chef, please STOP trying to make pizza, you’re killing me.’

Ranjit’s Pasta, mushroom, bacon, chilli padi and garlic, RM33

Shiv: Deliciously savoury and the combination of ingredients used was genius. The flavours blended well, with no one flavour overwhelming the other, and the resulting dish was spectacular! Yummy-in-my-tummy!

Gaj: The best dish of the night, without a doubt! The combination of bacon, garlic and mushroom was good. Generous amounts of bacon served as well.

Kav: Alas, a dish I can call decent in this place. Pasta was flavoured well, with savoury bacon that was a good contrast to the earthy flavours from the mushroom and sweet garlic.

Verdict: WOK OFF!

PRICE: Expensive. RM160.10 for 4 dishes (3pax).

AMBIENCE: Cozy and comfortable – perfect for entertaining clients or simply a quiet dinner with family. There is a bar and lounge upstairs, with a louder and more energetic vibe.

SERVICE: Average. It was a crowded night and we had to wait long for our orders to be taken. Also, it can be difficult to get the attention of the staff at certain, less strategic tables.

FOOD: Mediocre. Some of the dishes were below par, whilst others were average.

LEONARDO’S DINING ROOM AND LOFT

61-1, JALAN BANGKUNG,

BUKIT BANDARAYA, BANGSAR

59100, KUALA LUMPUR

Tel: 03- 2096 2226

Opening hours:

5PM-1AM, DAILY.