Cava, Jalan Bangkung

After a loooong day’s work, we found ourselves craving for GOOD food! We had heard a lot about the food at Cava, a Spanish restaurant at Jalan Bangkung, Bangsar.

As bonafide tipplers, we have had drinks, but hadn’t got an opportunity to dine there.

So, we FINALLY decided to give the food a try!

Tucked away in the quieter area of Bangsar, away from the hustle and bustle of the Telawi area, you will find Cava, located on the same row as Leonardo’s, Opus, Madisons and Midi to name a few.

Cava serves modern and traditional Spanish cuisine. It is not your typical Spanish bar; it has a bit more of a ‘fine-dining’ feel to it.

We were served with complimentary bruschetta.

Shiv: Bad! Sugar was the only flavour carrying the dish. It’s a good thing that we didn’t have to pay for it.

Kav: Not one of my favourite things. Sweet!!!

Mien: Loved the bread they used. Found the toppings a bit sweet due to the presence of the sweet corn! Would have been better without it.

Gaj: I didn’t really enjoy it – generally dislike sweet elements in my food.

For appetisers, we ordered the following tapas:

1)  Cod and Kalamata Fritters (RM15)

Shiv: Was too tomato-ey and I could hardly taste the flavours from the cod. This dish was just too overwhelmingly tangy. No likey!

Kav: Alrighty, I guess. The sweetness from the tomatoes were overwhelming, hence I couldn’t really taste much of anything else. Overall, not great.

Mien: Hmmm… it was not tooooo bad… had a unique ‘Indian-y’ taste to it. Might actually order it again.

Gaj: This dish was just OK for me – not sure if I would have it again.

2)  Baked Portobello Mushrooms with Roasted Garlic and Walnuts (RM15)

Shiv: Fantastic! The meatiness of the Portobello married with the nuttiness of the walnuts provided for a merry marriage of flavours. Saved the day, where appetisers were concerned.

Kav: Yummy! Something about the way garlic and mushrooms taste together, makes me want to sing!!! Plus the roasted walnuts added crunchiness and a nutty flavour that elevated this dish to the next level.

Mien: Love this! The flavours infused well together, with a slight chilli flavour! Really good!

Gaj: I LOVED this dish – it was really good! Oooo..the garlic and walnuts just gave it an extra oomph –yumms!

Moving on the mains, we ordered:

1)  Galician Styled Cod, baked cod with olive tapenade cream sauce (RM58)

Shiv: Best main of the night! Super moist and flaky, and they were smart about keeping the flavours to a minimal, to allow the amazing fishy flavours from the cod to carry the dish. Could have come all on its own, as the sides were easily ignored with the fish being so fantastic!

Kav: This dish gave me a screaming……lol! The cod was fresh and cooked to perfection, with all its oily fattiness still intact. The tapenade cream sauce complemented the cod and was not too creamy.

Mien: OH MY DAYSSSS!!! TOO TOO GOOD! The cod – EXTREMELY FRESH, just melts in your mouth! The sauce did not overwhelm the cod… it was a good marriage! The mashed potatoes had been infused with truffle – so delish! Went back the next day again for it! Guilty as charged! :S

Gaj: AMAZE-BALLS! The cod was melt in your mouth goodness and the mashed potato – gosh, I could have it all day! Soooo YUMMY!

2)   Cava’s Braised Spanish Lamb Shank with Pearl Onion (RM56) (P.S : Can’t take the Indian away from their lamb! :P)

Shiv: Good rendition on this classic main. The lamb was done very well, with a nice concentration of sweet and savoury nuances. I typically don’t enjoy sweet elements in my mains, but this was excusable, as the juice from the lamb created a nice strong meaty flavour.

Kav: The lamb was cooked well. The gravy that accompanied the lamb had Moroccan-Indian flavours, full of sweet and smoky flavours from the spices, which went well with the meaty lamb.

Mien: Hmmmmm….. found this tooooo gamey… sooooo DISLIKE!

Gaj: The braised lamb shank was done very well – it was tender and juicy. There was a tinge of sweetness probably from the onion, but it was not overwhelming and complemented the dish well.

Finally, moving on to the dessert (we girls need to fulfill our sweet craving!) Surprisingly, we only ordered ONE dessert………Hallelujah!

We ordered Cava’s most famous dessert, the Chocolate Dream (RM16)

Shiv: Very ordinary and you can probably find this at any one of those commercialised eateries sprouting all over KL. The cake lack moisture and they relied too heavily on the subpar custard cream, which in-turn was insipid! Skip this altogether, please!

Kav: Blah blah blah…..very ordinary tasting dessert.

Mien: I am sick and bored of this Chocolate Lava type of desserts, hence it would be unfair for me to judge… but nevertheless….not a fan!

Gaj: This dessert was OK, a pretty standard rendition of chocolate lava cake.

Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Slightly on the pricey side – RM185.60 for 2 appetisers, 2 mains and 1 dessert (4pax).

AMBIENCE:  Cosy and comfortable – perfect for a date and/ (or) a night out with friends. There is the option to dine alfresco, but be there early, or be sure to make reservations, as these seats get grabbed fast.

SERVICE: Good - waiters were pleasant, efficient and attentive.

FOOD: Tasty – this restaurant focuses on quality not quantity, which is a refreshing change.

CAVA

71, JALAN BANGKUNG

BUKIT BANDARAYA

BANGSAR

59100 KUALA LUMPUR

Tel: +603 2093 6637 / +6017 356 0133

Email: mailus@cava.my

Website: http://www.cava.my

Opening Hours:

Mon-Sat: 12.00pm – 3.00pm; 5.00pm-1.00am

Sun: 6.00pm – 12.00am

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.