“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
Opening Hours:
10.00 am – 10.00 pm daily
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