Sassorosso, Lorong Yap Kwan Seng

As usual, it was an impromptu decision to dine here. A friend, who is also a renowned restaurateur, suggested we try this place and therefore called Mr.Giovanni, the chef/owner to make a last minute reservation.

Walking in, you are greeted by this incredible view of the Petronas Twin Towers. The place was cozy and had a modern setting. The chef/owner, a pleasant chap, was there with his wife and cute little son.

If you like a side of fresh air, there’s always the al-fresco dining option with a nice view.

They also cater for private events of up to 85pax indoors, 35pax in the private room and 60pax outdoors on the terrace.

Sick of Sunday brunches…well now you can have brunch on Saturday instead… hehe. They have a special brunch menu which can be found on their website.

For starters, we had what was recommended by the chef/owner… However, please bear in mind that these dishes cannot be found in the à la carte menu, so you will have to check with your waiter to see if the chef can prepare these for you.

Complimentary bread basket.

Kav: Loved the thin crispy ‘papadom’ like bread. Yum!!!

Mien: Love the variety provided. I am a bread person, and hence loved all of them!

Shiv: There was an assortment of breads-all quite nice. My favourite was the crispy, buttered and herb-ed variety. Very flavourful, and in no need of the olive-oil-balsamic dressing.

Dish #1: Burata Mozzarella.  Fresh air-flown Burata cheese with wild rocket and fresh tomatoes. (RM48)

Kav: There’s never a combination like cheese, tomatoes and fresh herbs. It was so simple yet fresh, creamy and simply scrumptious.

Mien: AMAZING!!! The Mozzarella was so so fresh! Carried the dish! Loved it!

Shiv: This one was simplistic, and yet so damn delicious! Very fresh and sumptuous-the burrata was a worthwhile indulgence, and the accompanying rocket and tomatoes were super fresh and made for a perfect harmonious marriage of ingredients.

Dish #2: Gratinated eggplant parmigiana: layers of eggplant, tomato, mozzarella. (RM28)

Kav: Most eggplant parmigianas are way too cheesy. This one however was just the right balance of stringy cheese, eggplant and tomatoes (which were not too sweet). Perfection!!!

Mien: Love parmigianas and this blew my mind! Delicious, and not overwhelmingly cheesy.

Shiv: The best of our starters. I typically do not enjoy gratinated dishes, but this was an exception. All flavours were very well-balanced, with no one overwhelming the others (a feat where cheese is involved!). A definite must try here.

Dish #3: Bruschetta. (RM22)

Kav: Bruschettas were fresh tasting. Not the best I have tried though.

Mien: Simple.

Shiv: Tasty in its mediocrity. I probably would not order this again, simply because there’s a lot of variety to choose from the starter menu, and this was not very memorable, although it did have some good savoury notes to it.

Now on to the portata principale or main course.

Dish #4: Sri Lanka live crab penne with olive oil, garlic, fresh basil leaves and prawns bisque. (RM38)

Kav: Never liked penne, regardless of the preparation, as it is extremely hard to flavour and ends up tasting more of flour than anything else. This one was no different, as the pasta lacked flavour. The crab died in vain. RIP Sebastian.

Mien: The penne was bland and lacked flavour. As a whole, this dish was nothing to shout about! Would not order it again!

Shiv: I expected so much from this dish, with its promise of luxurious ingredients, but to my disappointment, it was bland and bordering on insipid. Among my complaints: too little crab flesh, the sauce did not coat the penne well, and the prawn bisque lacked flavour.

Dish #5: Squid ink tagliatelle with scallops, broccoli, olive oil, garlic and chilli. (RM42)

Kav: A….wait for it………….MAZING!!!!! The best squid ink pasta I have tried, with just the right amount of tanginess complementing the seafood flavour from the fresh scallops. Just impeccable!!!

Mien: THIS WAS TOO GOOD! Love the combination of scallops with garlic, olive oil and chilli.

Shiv: One of my favourites of the pasta variety, this one deserves all the praise it can get. The use of tagliatelle was genius, as it soaked up the flavourful and extremely palatable broth. Scallops were also very fresh. I highly recommend this one!

Dish #6: Sassorosso pizza - tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, escargots, marinated mushrooms, prawns and fresh basil. (RM46)

Kav: Nice crust and flavoured well, however I could hardly taste the escargots. Good pizza though!!!

Mien: The crust is thin, very authentic. This particular pizza was mediocre as I felt it lacked flavouring. I wouldn’t order the same flavour, would try a different one, as I am confident the pizzas here are good, as they have got the fundamentals right – the crust!

Shiv: Fantastico! The pizza was chock-full of savoury ingredients, each bringing its own unique blend of flavour to the dish. The crust is also worth mentioning, as it was thin and not chewy. My only gripe was that the escargots used were scarce.

Time for some Dolce (Dessert)…

Dish #7: Sassorosso tiramisu. (RM18)

Kav: Mmmm….the Mascarpone was divine, with perfect texture and just the right amount of sweetness. The perfect balance of coffee soaked sponge fingers and cream cheese. I could write a thesis on this dessert to be honest, because that’s how much I loved it!!!

Mien: OMG!!!! ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD!!! Everything was right! Just phenomenal!

Shiv: Probably the best tiramisu I have ever tried! Super authentic and each layer was prepared with a lot of thought and care. The Mascarpone layer was not too creamy, nor too egg-y and the coffee-soaked Savoiardi was just pukka! You can “pick me up” anytime with this one! ;-)

Dish #8: Cheesy vanilla crème brule. (RM16)

 

Kav: Holy Mother of GOD!!! This dessert was just sooo creamy and delicious. Again, the perfect texture and not too sweet.

Mien: Not big on crème brule, but this was delicious! Would definitely order it again!

Shiv: An excellent rendition of this classic! Again, very authentically prepared with no adulteration of the custard base with foreign flavours – they kept it simple with traditional vanilla. Also, the top caramelized layer was torched to perfection!

Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Expensive. RM299.30 for 3 starters, 3 mains and 2 desserts – 4pax.

AMBIENCE: Minimalist and modern. A bar and wine cellar adorn the otherwise simple décor.

SERVICE: Excellent. Our waiter was very attentive and informative. Also, the chef /owner (who is very passionate about his art, we might add!) visited our table and took time to recommend special selections based on our preferences.

FOOD: Delicious and authentic Italian food, with a lot of attention paid to flavour and freshness of ingredients.

SASSOROSSO

9 LORONG YAP KWAN SENG
50450, FEDERAL TERRITORY OF KUALA LUMPUR

Tel: +603- 21666428

Email: ask@sassorosso.com.my

Website: http://www.sassorosso.com.my

Opening hours:

Mon-Fri: 12pm-3pm (Set lunch & Ala Carte menu) & 6pm-11.30pm (Ala Carte & Dinner Specials)

Sat: 12pm-3pm (Saturday Brunch) & 6pm-11.30pm (Ala Carte & Dinner Specials)

Sun: 6pm-11.30pm (Ala Carte & Dinner Specials)

Osteria RealBlue, Publika, Kuala Lumpur

Finding ourselves craving for Italian food, we decided to try Osteria RealBlue (having heard good reviews from friends).

Getting to Osteria RealBlue proved to be a bit of challenge as Publika's layout is a bit of a maze. 

However, after much walking around, we finally found it in a corner on the first floor.

Stepping into Osteria RealBlue, we were greeted by an unassuming ambiance and the smell of food emitting from the kitchen.

We were presented with a complementary serving of bruschetta and warm bread accompanied with olive oil and vinegar and to our surprise, 'sambal'.

Unlike most bruschettas, the vinaigrette did not overwhelm the salsa. It had simple flavours which were really nice.

Gaj: The 'sambal' with the bread was amaze-balls :) Unlike a lot of 'sambals' out there, this was not tainted with sugar.

Kav: Agreeing with Gaj that the 'sambal' was not sweet, and that the 'sambal' tasted better than most nasi lemak 'sambal's' that I have tried. The bread was soft and crispy on the edges. The condiments complemented the bread very well.

Shiv: Comfort food at its best. I was left wanting for more.

Mien: The warm white bread was fluffy and nice, good on its own and also with the condiments.

The starter we ordered was a special salad recommended by Sherry, the person who was attending to us. The salad had capsicum, olives, basil, balsamic vinegar and the dressing was laced with Parmesan cheese (RM18).

Gaj: The salad was very yummy-licious and there was a combustion of flavours in my mouth.

Kav: The salad had a distinct taste and the ingredients complemented each other well. It was far from an ordinary salad.

Shiv: The salad was unique and fresh.

Mien: It was a really good salad. It was so memorable that the flavours were lingering in my mouth long after the dish had finished.

Our first main course was a pesto pasta with scallops which was a house special (RM45).

Gaj: I felt like the pasta was not done al dente - not overly impressed by this dish.

Kav: Generally, I am not a big fan of cream in my pesto or any cream based pasta for that matter. However, this particular pasta was light despite the hint of cream and it did not overwhelm the pesto. The scallops were fresh and overall I enjoyed the dish. My only complaint was that the pasta was not done al dente.

Shiv: The pesto base coated the tagliatelle really well. Well flavored in a simplistic manner - would probably recommend it.

Mien: I love pesto based pasta and this is one of the better ones that I have tasted. I did not mind the tinge of creaminess in the pesto and the scallops complemented the dish well. Really good!

Our second main was the tagliatelle balsamico (RM42). This dish had duck, bacon bits and balsamic vinegar.

Gaj: I did not enjoy this dish as there was a tinge of sweetness from the balsamic vinegar.

Kav: I was not crazy about this dish as the pasta was not coated well with the balsamic sauce and it felt like I was eating flour for the most part.

Shiv: Because the duck was chopped up into tiny bits, most of it ended up at the bottom of the bowl and hence, the pasta was very bland initially. As we got to the bottom of the bowl, the flavours came together. IMHO, the chef should have sliced the duck pieces slightly bigger so it would have stood equal ground with the pasta.

Mien: I do not eat bacon, but tried the tagliatelle with the balsamic vinegar and I felt that there was not much flavouring to the pasta.

The third main was the eggplant parmigiana, which had eggplant, cheese and tomato paste (RM60). This serves two.

Gaj: I enjoyed this dish, but felt like RM60 was too steep for dish with eggplant, tomato paste and cheese.

Kav: This dish was just cheesylicious. The cheese and eggplant was a match made in heaven. However, a word of advice, too much might prove to be TOO MUCH.

Shiv: The cheese was too cloying - #jelakmuch.

Mien: Liked the dish, however, too much cheese and too little tomato paste. Will not order it again.

Moving on to the desserts, we initially had tiramisu and crème brûlée.

Crème brûlée (RM16):

Gaj: The crème brûlée was one of the best that I've had. The only complaint was that the top layer was burnt a bit too much.

Kav: The crème brûlée was to die for. It is hands down the best I have ever tried. The custard cream like texture melted in my mouth and left me wanting for more. My only complaint was that the flambéed top layer was burnt.

Shiv: Apart from the burnt sugar, this dessert was exquisite and would definitely come back for more.

Mien: Will never ever order crème brûlée in any restaurant, but this was truly out of this world.

Tiramisu + liquor infusion (RM16+RM8=RM24):

Gaj: Did not enjoy the tiramisu as the liquor was overwhelming.

Kav: Although tiramisu is one of my favourite desserts, when eating this one, I felt like I was tasting Kahlua and rum with a hint of cake and cream.

Shiv: To sum this one up, it was alcohol with a tinge of tiramisu flavour (lol!). Would come back for the teetotaler’s version though (RM16).

Mien: For someone who goes weak in the knees for tiramisu, it is impossible for me to resist the temptation of one. As such, I have tried a whole lot of tiramisu's, and my expectations of it are pretty high. Sadly, this tiramisu fell short of my expectations. Instead of it being laced with alcohol, this was DROWNED in it, and the entire dessert ended up being overwhelmed by the brandy.

*The crème brûlée was so good that we decided to go for a second round (sadly, the flambéed sugar was burnt, YET AGAIN!). In addition to that, we also ordered the panna cotta (upon Sherry’s recommendation, as it was apparently their best-selling dessert).

Panna Cotta (RM16):

Gaj: This dessert tasted like blueberry jam, and not in a good way.

Kav: This tasted like a jelly-like cheese cake, and it did not have the usual creamy texture of a panna cotta. The blueberry topping was overly sweet. This one failed miserably in my books.

Shiv: I’m always one for a panna cotta dessert in any Italian restaurant, but this one was a letdown. It was almost gooey and the blueberry topping tasted like it was artificially flavoured.

Mien: It brought back childhood memories of eating Sugus. A big NO NO!

Verdict: WOK ON!

Generally, the prices did not justify the quantity and quality of food here. We will not be frequenting this outlet in the near future. Sorry Osteria RealBlue!

OSTERIA REALBLUE,

PUBLIKA, A3-UG-06, SOLARIS DUTAMAS,

JALAN DUTAMAS 1, 50480 KUALA LUMPUR.

Tel: +603 6207 9799

Email : OsteriaRealBlue@hotmail.it

Webpage : http://www.osteriarealblue.com/

Opening Hours:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 12.00pm to 2.30pm and from 6.00pm to 10.00pm
Friday and Saturday last order 11.00pm
Closed on Monday