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

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

Mezze Lounge, Medan Damansara

‘We have been stuck in a traffic jam for at least three hours now’.

‘I know, I am starved, shall we make a make a pit stop at Mezze as it is on the way home?

‘Yeah, great idea. Let’s go’.

And that’s how we found ourselves in Mezze on a cold, rainy Friday evening craving for some warm food.

We entered Mezze to find the bar at the entrance. There is a lounge upstairs, which serves a slightly different menu compared to the bistro downstairs.

We were seated downstairs where the surrounding was pretty, cosy and fairly crowded. Patrons would be advised to make reservations.

Now, on to the main event...

BEVERAGES:

Gaj had Fresh Apple Juice (RM16).

Gaj: Nice, a thirst quencher!

Shiv had Pimms with Ginger Ale (RM17).

Shiv: Bad! Extremely watered down. The delicious spicy flavour of the Pimms liqueur was drowned out by the copious amounts of ale added. Shame that a place such as this couldn’t make a decent drink.

Kav had a Passion Fizz (RM18).

Kav: Just too sweet! I sent it back, but it came back a little diluted. =(

FOOD:

Duck and Chicken Spring Roll, signature spring rolls with roasted duck, chicken, feta and mushroom with a spicy sambal relish (RM21).

Gaj: The spring roll was tasty, I could not taste the duck, but it was a good dish nonetheless.

Shiv: Deliciously savoury and very flavourful. The mushroom and feta bits were scarce, but in their defense, the spring rolls didn’t need them, as the flavour from the meat was enough to support the entire dish.

Kav: Loved the spring roll. It was very meaty (in a good way) and had good flavour. However, would have liked it if the exterior had a little crunch!

Roasted Pork Belly, Asian style roasted pork belly and crackling served with slightly sweet and spicy garlic chili sauce (RM19).

Gaj: This is exactly like ‘siew yoke’ right down to the sauce and it was pretty darn good!

Shiv: Wowza! One of the better pork belly dishes I’ve tasted. The crackling on the meat was perfection, and the brininess of the pork was just sublime! I could have polished off the entire portion with no help. A definite MUST TRY here!

Kav: Yummy….the pork was cooked to perfection and the texture was on the money. The crunchiness and the fatty pork flavour came together to create the perfect dish.

Charcuterie Platter, Chef’s pick of week platter of fine cooked and dry cured meats, ham, sausages, home-made pâtés and terrines with condiments of pickles served with bread basket and butter (RM44 for small).

Gaj: Omg, I was in pork heaven! This was soo good, everything served was amazing – the ham, salami, pâté - soo yummylicious!

Shiv: Meat-loving me wanted to get up and do some cartwheels when this arrived. It was such a handsome platter, in all its meaty glory! Comprised of pickled vegetables and 6 different meats – pork pâté, meatloaf, pork salami, and 3 different varieties of ham, including my personal favourite, the famed Iberico ham. Everything on the platter was pure porky perfection, and each component was downright delectable on its own, and even more so when paired with the pickled vegetables and breads. Most of the bread selection was your typical run-of-the-mill types, but one particular variety was worth mentioning. Reminiscent of Indian naan, this one was soft and fluffy, and made for some pretty good comfort food (the wedges on the left-hand side most in the photo above).

Kav: For pork lovers everywhere, this one’s for you!!! I must say the selection of cold cuts was truly flawless, from the scrumptious Iberico ham to the salami, just ridiculously delicious. The accompanying pickled vegetables provided great contrast to the fatty pork. The bread served was ordinary.

Olio Bacon, pasta olio style with bacon, chili, garlic and sundried tomato (RM31).

Gaj: Definitely one of the best pastas that I have ever had! Melt-in-your-mouth goodness!

Shiv: OMG!!! This was seriously delicious and could easily qualify as THE best plate of pork pasta out there. The dish was not overly meaty, and had a well-balanced flavour with the sundried tomato and olive oil.

Kav: The hero of the night, and definitely one of the better pastas I have tried. The fatty-briny-porky flavour combined with the sweet sundried tomatoes and garlic, made for excellent flavour. The chili gave it that edge, which took this dish to the next level.

San Daniel pizza, cured ham, brie, oregano and a drizzle of olive oil (RM37).

Gaj: Probably the only dish that was short of amazing. I did not enjoy the crust, but the meat was good.

Shiv: This one was an experiment in minimalism – simplistic with the opportunity for the cured ham to shine. Unfortunately, the pizza was very dry, and the crust was tough. Would not order this again.

Kav: This dish is really not worth mentioning in my books. The crust was dry, hard and to top it off, the tomato purée used was flavourless (tasted like watered down canned tomato purée). The delicious cured ham, I believe, was wasted on the cardboard-like pizza.

DESSERTS:

Sticky Toffee Pudding, a moist sponge cake, with thick caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream (RM17).

Gaj: AMAZEBALLS! It was soo good that we recommended it to the patrons sitting next to our table. The marriage of sponge cake, caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream was nothing short of amazing! *Drools*

Shiv: Tasted like a dream!!! The sponge cake lived up to its description and was truly moist. The thick caramel sauce did NOT overwhelm the entire dessert as it sometimes can. One of the best sticky toffee puddings’ I’ve tried. I could come back here just for this.

Kav: I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. Initially, I was not too keen on a sponge cake dessert as it is really hard to get sponge cake desserts right (they tend to be a little dry). But boy was I glad to have been persuaded into ordering this dessert…it was soft, fluffy and nowhere near being dry. To my surprise, the sticky toffee pudding and caramel sauce was not too sweet. Loves!!!

Chocolate Royale Cake (RM18)

Gaj: The cake was good, not too chocolate-y which can be cloying.

Shiv: Good, but not great. The cake was rich without being overwhelmingly chocolate-y. However, they could improve slightly on the texture of the cake, as it was not very moist.

Kav: I liked it, but I did not love it!!!

Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Expensive – the total bill came up to RM 269.10 for 7 dishes and 3 drinks (3pax).

AMBIENCE: Cosy and comfortable – there is a lounge and bar upstairs (food offerings are from a separate menu) with a laid back vibe, where musicians and bands perform live on certain nights. The downstairs area is suitable for dining patrons and families with kids.

SERVICE: Good – the staff was knowledgeable and happy to help.

FOOD: Very good – the meat was of good quality, fresh and prepared very very well. Will definitely visit this place again.

MEZZE, BISTRO AND WINE

NO 132, JALAN KASAH,

MEDAN DAMANSARA, 50490,

KUALA LUMPUR

Tel: 03 -20950122

Email: reservations@mezze.my

Website: www.mezze.my

Opening Hours:

Monday – Thursday:

Bistro – 3pm to 1am

Lounge – 4pm to 1am

Friday – Saturdays:

Bistro – 12pm to 1am

Lounge – 4pm to 1am

Closed on Sundays