Fahrenheit 600, Solaris Dutamas

Oven-fresh soft and crispy dough, stringy mozzarella, sweet yet spicy tomato sauce… guess what we’re having for dinner??? That’s right, party people – its pizza on today’s menu!

So we found a place that has pizzas AND coffee as well – how amazing is that?! Being the coffee lovers that we are, this place was a must-try.

As we stepped inside, the view of chefs kneading dough tirelessly and adding various toppings to the pizzas certainly got our gastric juices flowing. The rustic interior with a wood-burning stone oven added to the warmth and cosiness of the joint.

Now, on to the part where we confirm as to whether it was heavenly or otherwise… lol!

Let’s start with: Armenian Pizza – Fahrenheit 600 Signature Tomato Sauce, Lean Minced Beef, Beef Pepperoni, Mushroom, Green Pepper, Caramelized Onions (RM24.90 per 9” / RM28.90 per 12”).

Kav: This was really good. The combination of earthy olives, spicy jalapeños, and smoky mushrooms made for a delicious pizza. The thing I love about this pizza, and their pizzas in general, is that they’ve got the perfect tomato base - not too sweet and does not overwhelm the entire pizza.

Gaj: This was a good rendition of beef pepperoni pizza - the olives and jalapeños complemented this dish very well and I will definitely have it again.

Then comes: Tuna Pizza - Fahrenheit 600 Signature Tomato Sauce, Tuna, Black Olives, Jalapeño, Caramelized Onions (RM18.90 per 9” / RM22.90 per 12”).

Shiv: One of the better renditions of tuna pizza, with the accompanying ingredients providing a beautiful marriage of flavours. The tuna could have been less dried out, though.

Kav: Well this was not bad, although I’m probably not the best judge of tuna pizza, because I’m not a big fan. However, the jalapeños and olives helped take away from the tuna flavour. Again, the tomato base was simply divine.

Mien: Tuna tastes best when it is EXTREMELY fresh… once it is stale, or canned, it is just plain bad! I think canned tuna was used, and hence, made the pizza taste bad.

Gaj: I am not a big fan of tuna pizza, but this was probably one of the better ones that I have tasted.

In the running also: I’m Vegetarian Today Calzone – Roasted Eggplant, Mushroom, Tomato, Green Pepper, Olives, Onions, Cheese (RM16.90).

Shiv: The worst dish of the night - this was all dough and no filling! The texture of the dough was all wrong, and the resulting dish tasted floury, dry and flavourless. Even the rich combination of ingredients provided no salvage. Shame!

Kav: Really disliked the calzone. The dough was soggy and pasty. The filling lacked flavour and there was just a general blandness to the calzone. Poor!!!!

Mien: This was really really bland... more dough than filling. The filling itself was bland and couldn’t save this dish.

Gaj: The calzone was really bad! The dough was too thick and wasn’t well baked/cooked. The filling wasn’t great and really didn’t help this calzone!

Moving on: Salmon Caprese Pizza – Special of the Day (RM29.90 per 9” / RM32.90 per 12”).

Shiv: Tangy, tart and simply terrific! They allowed for the salmon to shine through and carry the dish without the use of overwhelming supporting ingredients. Also noteworthy – the salmon used was really fresh, and they were quite generous with it.

Kav: This pizza was delish. You can never go wrong with a combination like salmon and capers, because it fulfils the eternal equation of essence, which is {Salty + Salty = Tasty}. The spicy rocket just added to the already loaded flavours on the pizza. The incredible thing about their salmon pizza is that they did not douse the pizza with cream cheese dressing, as is normally the case with most salmon pizzas, and I hate when they do that!!! (Although for those of you cream fans out there, they do have the cream-based option)

Mien: Kav has low blood pressure, that’s why she loves her SALT! Hehehe… jokes! This was the best pizza, and I have to agree with Kav, they didn’t add cream cheese, which I am not a big fan of. The tomato base, salmon and capers were a really good combination.

Gaj: OMG! So AMAZE-BALLS! Salmon was amazing and fresh and the tomato base was perfect! Soo good!

Next up was: Henry The Duck Pizza - Fahrenheit 600 Signature Tomato Sauce, Smoked Duck, Avocado, Orange, Cherry Tomato, Caramelized Onions (RM27.90 per 9” / RM31.90 per 12”).

*Poor Henry, hope he didn’t die in vain. Let’s find out shall we… Oh, and also, we requested the orange slices to be removed, as none of us are fans of fruit in our pizza.

Shiv: Absolutely love duck, and no, Henry did not give his life in vain. The meatiness of the duck coupled with the creamy avocado was perfection on a plate. Highly recommended for flavour and wholesomeness!

Kav: Again the tomato base… D to the VINE, with just the right amount of tang and sweetness. The duck was very savoury and cooked well. My one complaint would be that there could have been more duck on the pizza. Otherwise, was a really good pizza.

Mien: Not a big fan of duck, hence, not a fan of this pizza.

Gaj: Truly yummylicious! Agree with Kav that there could have been more duck on the pizza, but otherwise, just yummy!

Last dish on the savoury menu was: Olivia Pasta – Black Olives, Olive Oil, Chilli Padi, Rosemary, Capers, Garlic, Spaghetti (RM13.90 + RM5 to add prawns).

Shiv: I liked this – there was no pool of oil at the bottom of the bowl, the olives complemented the prawns beautifully and the chilli padi and capers gave the dish a nice kick. Provided for a nice ‘palate cleanser’ in between all the pizzas we were consuming!

Kav: The pasta was well coated with the olive oil dressing. The prawns were fresh and the flavours permeated the pasta well. My suggestion is that you add chilli flakes to this pasta, because that was all it was lacking. Overall, it was a decent pasta.

Mien: The pasta was mediocre. This place is good for its pizzas, not pastas!

Gaj: The pasta was just alright for me, not sure if I will have it again.

And of course, no meal is complete without dessert and coffee…

First up: Chocolate Mousse Cake (RM10.90).

Shiv: Nothing extraordinary, as it tasted like most other chocolate mousses I’ve tried. However, thumbs up for not being suffocating-ly saccharine.

Kav: This was not bad. The cake was not too sweet and there were no overwhelming elements. Nice!

Mien: The chocolate mousse cake was not too sweet, thankfully! Not a bad one…

Gaj: Not too overwhelmingly chocolate-y, which is a pleasant change for most chocolate cakes.

Next: Tiramisu (RM10.90).

Shiv: To begin with, this couldn’t even have been called Tiramisu. The coffee-flavour infusion was insufficient; it was low on liqueur; the sponge cake was downright dry and the dessert was just an epic fail on the whole!

Kav: Well you may have got the pizza right, and even your pasta was nice, but Italian dessert clearly requires a whole new skill. Probably the worst tasting Tiramisu I have tried… what in the world!?@#$*

Mien: I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE DO NOT FOLLOW THE FUNDAMENTAL RULES OF TIRAMISU AND SCREW IT UP. BAD BAD BAD!

Gaj: Tiramisu was not good, definitely will not have it again.

Finally: Mocha (RM10.90), Cappuccino (RM10.90) and Caramel Latte (RM10.90).

Kav: The Mocha was just alright. Also tried the Caramel Latte, and it was way too sweet.

Shiv: The Cappuccino was really good – smooth and strong, just the way I like it.

Mien: The Mocha was ok. Not one of my favourite coffee places!

Gaj: I had the Caramel Latte, which was a tad too sweet, but not bad.

Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Above-average – RM235.25 for 6 dishes, 2 desserts and 4 drinks (4pax).

AMBIENCE:  Rustic and cosy – good for family outings or just a girls/guys night out.

SERVICE: Very good – they were more than willing to accommodate our various demands with regards to toppings, as we switched around toppings for most of our pizzas.

FOOD: Great pizzas - would definitely come back for more!!!

FAHRENHEIT 600

LEVEL G2, BLOCK A, NO. 1,

JALAN DUTAMAS 1, SOLARIS DUTAMAS,

50480 KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

Contact: 03-6206 3417

Website: http://www.fahrenheit600.com

Opening Hours:

8.00am- 11.00pm (Mon-Sun)

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