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.

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.

Acme Bar and Coffee (ABC), Troika, Kuala Lumpur

One Saturday evening saw us make our way to Acme Bar and Coffee (ABC) located at Troika.

We were welcomed by a beautiful, chic and modern interior.
 

We decided to have two starters, the first being Grilled ‘Bacon’ Wrapped Snails, which was escargot served with coco beans and parsley garlic sauce (RM19).

*The 'bacon' used is made from turkey meat.

Gaj: AMAZE-BALLS, wouldn’t have minded having seconds.

Shiv: Best dish of the night, and set the bar really high for the rest of the meal. Thanks ABC for making my first escargot experience quite delightful. Highly recommend this one.

Mien: Hands down the best dish of the night.

Kav: My first time eating escargot. Loved it!!! The meat was bouncy and the garlic-y flavour complemented the snails beautifully.

The next starter was Chorizo Fried Mushrooms, with man tau pau croutons (RM17).

Gaj: This dish was not memorable. The mushrooms were tasty, but the croutons were a tad tasteless.

Shiv: Expected the chorizo bits to flavour the dish, but could barely taste it. However, I thought that the man tau pau was a unique substitute to ordinary bread.

Mien: The man tau pau croutons were bland, and the flavour from the mushroom did not go well with it.

Kav: It was unique. However don’t expect a burst of flavour as the dish was only mildly flavoured. I liked the man tau pau.

We had Green Chili Pesto Fettuccine for our first main course. The pasta is usually prepared with prawns, mussels, clams and squid. As we are not big on mussels, we requested for the dish to be omitted of this and replaced with more prawns and squid instead (RM35).

Gaj: I did not enjoy this pasta, I felt like the prawns and squid were not done well.

Shiv: This lacked the flavour that you would normally expect in a seafood pasta. Also, the pesto coated the pasta very poorly.

Mien: The pasta tasted very average, and the pesto sauce was BAD!

Kav: The squid was tough and the pesto sauce was below average. Poor!!!

This was followed by Moroccan Lamb Stew. The lamb was served with carrots, papadum and cilantro rice (RM35).

Gaj: The sauce that accompanied the lamb was sweet.  Dislike!

Shiv: The rice did not have hints of cilantro, as the name suggested, and the sickeningly sweet sauce may have even dampened my hankering for dessert. =) The only consolation for this dish was the tenderness of the stewed lamb.

Mien: I expected the dish to be prepared in a tagine, but it wasn’t. =( The lamb was too gamey, hence I didn’t like it. The gravy was wwwaaayyy beyond my threshold for sweetness.

Kav: The only thing edible in this dish was the rice and papadum!!! The lamb tasted like they had poured a butter scotch sauce over it!!! Let’s just say I have tasted better desserts before.

As we were unsatisfied with the lamb, we decided to try another main, Roasted Lemon Sole served with Artichokes, fried lettuce, capers, confit lemons and butter (RM37).

Gaj: The fish was overcooked and though the artichokes were done well, this dish was definitely not up to par.

Shiv: We should have just stopped at the lamb. Fish was dried out, and stale tasting and the lemon-butter dressing didn’t do much to help with the overall flavour.

Mien: Fish was overcooked. Will not order this again, ever ever ever!

Kav: The lemon sole was far from soulful!!! It was dry and rubbery. What a waste of delicious artichokes and capers!!!

Moving on to desserts, we first had the Cempedak or Jackfruit cake, with pistachio nut coating (RM15) and we ordered cappuccino (RM13) to go with our desserts.

Gaj: This cake tasted like pandan-laced medicine.

Shiv: Another major letdown. The cake was laced with WAY TOO MUCH sugar, and it tasted chemical-y. I stopped after one bite.

Mien: There was a nice natural jackfruit flavour, however, it was too creamy. Kav and I finished the cake.

Kav: I think ABC spends most of their budget on sugar!!! Too sweet. However I thought that it had an authentic jackfruit flavour. I dipped the cake in my sugarless cappuccino to balance out the taste. Loved their coffee.

The second cake we ordered was Raspberry Chocolate Cake moist layers of raspberry and chocolate ganache (RM15).

Gaj: This cake was definitely better than the first cake, but definitely not the best chocolate cake in town.

Shiv: Mediocre. Again, too sweet, and could have been more moist. I may have said it was bad if I hadn’t tried the first cake.

Mien: Not a fan, it was like eating sugar!!!!!!

Kav: After eating this cake I was convinced that they were getting free sugar supplies. Tooooooooo sweet!!!!! I preferred the first cake.

Verdict: WOK OFF!

ABC definitely did not live up to its hype and whilst it boasts a great ambience to chill and hang out, the food here leaves much to be desired. Our humble suggestion: Skip the mains altogether and have coffee (and maybe starters) to enjoy the lovely atmosphere.

ACME BAR AND COFFEE (ABC),

THE TROIKA, JALAN BINJAI,

50450 KUALA LUMPUR 

Tel: +603 2162 2288

Website: http://acmebarcoffee.com 

Opening Hours:

Mon - Thur: 11am to 12am

Fri: 11am to 1am

Sat: 9.30am to 1am

Sun: 9.30am to 12am