Ante Kitchen and Bar, Solaris Dutamas

What do you do when you come across a menu on an easel outside a restaurant with too many delicious sounding items that you just have to stop and consider dining there? Well, we found ourselves in one such situation and without much ado, gave in to temptation. =)

Once seated, we were greeted by a feisty waiter eager to take our order. We were informed that they had a full house for lunch, and some of their favourites were finished. But fret not, as we are sharing some pretty amazing things that our palates experienced here.

Now, on to the good stuff…

1. Angry Piglets: Very very spicy pork sausages and crispy bacon strips (RM20).

Kav: Yummylicious!!! Loved the savoury and somewhat spicy sausages. They were moist and the additional pork flavour from the bacon, made this dish sing!!! The sweet sauce was a good contrast to the briny sausage, but I still prefer the sausages on its own.

Shiv: Delicious! The pork sausages were flavoured and crisped well and the bacon was sublime! I didn’t care much for the accompanying sweet sauce, as the porky flavour was more than enough to carry the dish. The sausages were not as spicy as warned on the menu, so chilliphobes, go right ahead and order this.

Gaj: I enjoyed this dish, very nicely done. =) I passed on the sauce, as it was too sweet for my liking!

2. Signature Chorizo & Bacon Pizza: An all-time favourite pizza in Ante. Generous amounts of pork chorizo, bacon, tomato purée and heaps of cheese (RM27).

Kav: The pizza had a crispy crust. However, the tomato puree overwhelmed the entire dish, making it overly sweet. To top it off there was an insufficient amount of chorizo and bacon, making for a slightly bland pizza.

Shiv: A simple, easy-to-eat pizza, with a well-made crust. I would have appreciated a bit more pork chorizo and bacon bits, as the cheese and tomato puree overwhelmed the pizza slightly. May not be the best pork pizza around, but a good effort nonetheless.

Gaj: The base was too tomato-y, but it was not bad! More sausage and bacon bits would have helped to make it less tomato-y.

3. Sweet Belly: Roasted Pork Slices, ready to be dipped in Ante’s house made caramelized sauce (RM23).

Kav: The pork belly was cooked perfectly, with the edges crispy and yummy. Sadly there was just way too many layers of fat, making the dish slightly cloying. I couldn’t eat more than one.

Shiv: Holy mother of god, this should come with a government health warning! A generous platter of melt-in-your-mouth goodness, with a terrifically thick layer of lard and super scrumptious crisp on the skin. Definitely not heart or hip healthy, but oh-so-worth the sin. If you are a siew yoke fan, this one should not be missed.

Gaj: I found the pork belly to fatty for my liking. The skin was very well done and crisp, but the fat was too overwhelming. Not a big fan!

4. Caramelized Garlic Olio Pasta: A simple but tasty pasta with bacon, topped with caramelized garlic (RM23).

Kav: The pasta was good, but perhaps not the best pork pasta I have had. Perhaps they should consider replacing the caramelized garlic with sautéed garlic, as it would be more pungent and less sweet. Nevertheless, the savoury bacon and earthy mushrooms permeated the pasta and the oil used was just the right amount. Good effort.

Shiv: The pasta was coated well with beautifully caramelized garlic bits and the bacon and mushroom provided fantastic flavour. The best part – the pasta had the right amount of lubrication (if you will) and no repulsive pool of oil at the bottom of the bowl. Kudos to the chef!

Gaj: This pasta was really good – the mushroom complemented the bacon bits and there was a generous serving of bacon bits.

5. Up The Ante Pork Burger: Between this burger’s raisin buns are fresh lettuce, tomato, onions, sautéed mushroom, an egg with a runny-yolk and Ante’s special pork patty – wrapped in prime cuts of bacon strips (RM35).

Kav: Definitely one of the finest pork burgers I have tasted. The patty was like none other, savoury and perfectly flavoured. Not a big fan of the raisins. The bacon provided that oomph, which elevated the flavours in the burger. This is a serious pork burger for all you serious burger fans out there!!! Just too good!!!

Shiv: One of the best pork burgers I’ve tasted in recent times. I typically don’t like raisins, but was able to look past the buns as the burger in its entirety was deliciously juicy and savoury (with mild hints of sweetness). The burger did not turn soggy even after sitting a while on the table, and yet, the patty turned out to be so succulent. A true lip-smacker!

Gaj: The patty had some sweet elements to it, which I could not put a finger to, but it was still a good burger!

6. Char-grilled Pork Steak: Signature pork chop with berry cream sauce, served with mashed potatoes and baked apple (RM33/Boston cut and RM42/New York cut).

Kav: Hands down the best dish of the night!!! Just perfectly flavoured meat. The chef kept the flavours simplistic and allowed for the pork to shine. The cook on the pork was perfection and therefore the meat was juicy and had just the right amount of fat to give it flavour. I would suggest you eat the meat without the creamy cranberry sauce, as it takes away from the delicious pork flavour. Speechless!!!

Shiv: Sheer brilliance! The pork was simplistically flavoured with a salt and pepper rub hitting the palate, and the meat was not dried out. The New York cut, which we opted for, had loads of marbling and the resulting steak was juicy and very obviously in a league of its own!  Marvelous in its monstrosity, this one can easily be shared by 4-5pax.

Gaj: The pork was done very well though a tad salty.  Whilst I am not a big fan of huge steak pieces, this was quite enjoyable.

7. Baileys Brownies with Chocolate Ice Cream (RM15).

Kav: Simply scrumptious!!! I could hardly taste the Baileys, however the brownie was moist and chocolate-y. It was served with a very simplistic chocolate ice-cream, which I thought was really delicious, as it was not too sweet and just yummy. So yummy that we ordered an extra serving of the ice-cream.

Shiv: Absolutely divine! The brownie on its own was super moist, nutty and chocolate-y all at once, but when paired with the silky smooth chocolate ice cream, this dish was truly mouth-watering. They were a bit light-handed with the liqueur, but really, who’s counting… 

Gaj: The best dish of the night!!!! Omg, it was soo good, I could have had seconds all by myself. =) I would come back just for this dessert – amazing!!!

* We threw caution to the wind and ordered an additional scoop of chocolate ice cream, as we just couldn’t seem to get enough of this simple yet scrumptious treat (RM5).

Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Moderate to expensive. RM209.00 for 7 food items (3pax and some leftovers).

AMBIENCE: Cool café atmosphere with a relaxed, modern-minimalist setting. Al fresco dining option is available.

SERVICE: Excellent. The staff was pleasant and attentive, and food arrived swiftly despite a full house (impressive!). Plates were cleared quickly and glasses were refilled continuously.

FOOD: Simply amazing. Every single one of the 7 items ordered was note-worthy if not mind-blowing. A definite must-try, especially if you’re a sucker for swine!

ANTE KITCHEN AND BAR

A2-G1-09, SOLARIS DUTAMAS,

NO.1, JALAN DUTAMAS 1,

50480 KUALA LUMPUR

Tel: 03-6206 3364

Opening hours:

Mon - Sun: 11:00 am - 1:00 am.

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.

D' Legends bar, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur

Armed with our rumbling tummies, and seriously spoiling for some swine, we made our way to the friendly neighbourhood pub that is D’ Legends bar.

With a place that boasts a plethora of porcine pleasures, our dining location was a no-brainer.

Atmosphere of the joint was rather quiet (though hardly dull) on the night of our visit, which could be due to the long Chinese New Year weekend.

The ambience was made that much more pleasant by pop paraphernalia adorning the walls and cozy lighting embellishing the place.

Food wise, we started with some Bar Bites:

1. Chicken Tikka (RM16)

Juicy chicken breast marinated with our secret spices. Served with chutney and a side salad.

Shiv: The chicken pieces were tender and flavoured well, and the mint chutney was simple and delicious. Generous serving, which makes this a suitable starter to be shared by the pork averse.

Gaj: Very nicely done. If you are not a pork fan, this is a great starter to dig into.

Kav:  The chicken was cooked to perfection, and the tandoori marinade was spicy and tangy. The perfect balance of yogurt and spice. The mint chutney added a certain freshness to the savoury dish.

Mien: It was good, however, I felt it was toooo meaty. The chutney was amazing, accompanied the chicken well.

2. Pork Satay (Cannot be missed!) (RM24)

Plump and juicy! Served with our very own Chili Peanut Sauce and a side salad.

Shiv: I don’t know why I’ve stayed a pork satay virgin for this long, as it is maddeningly mouthwatering! Every plump morsel was so juicy and savoury, and the chili peanut sauce was crunchy and moreish. Again, generous portion size which can easily be shared 4 ways.

Gaj: OMG! Super yummy! I can’t say enough good things about the chili peanut sauce which was savoury and right on the money! A must-have indeed.

Kav:  Firstly, the satay serving was as generous as it gets. This was a first for me, eating pork satay, and God was it good!!! The meat was juicy and tender, and had a rendang-like flavour with a hint of sweetness. The satay was accompanied by a delicious peanut sauce which was spicy and not too sweet. Loves!!!

Next up were some Entrées:

3. Two-way Mushroom Tapas (Vegetarian) (RM15)

Creamy garlic mushrooms with crusty bread OR Olive oil, garlic and herb mushrooms with crusty bread. (We opted for the latter)

Shiv: The abundance of garlic and the strong herb-y flavour of the mushrooms was a treat to my taste buds. Would have preferred if they had served slightly fancier bread, but that’s just me being fussy.

Gaj: I had a bit of hesitance when I saw this on the menu as it said ‘creamy garlic mushroom’.  Fortunately, there was an alternate option which didn’t have that creaminess, and in fact, was light and had a nice garlic flavour.  A good dish for vegetarians.

Kav:  Garlic and I are best buds, so there wasn’t a chance in hell that I was going to dislike this dish. Yummy-earthy-herby-garlic-y goodness!!!

Mien: Amazing… loved it! So much flavour for a simple dish. It went so well with the simple baguette!

4. Baked Nachos (RM20)

Tortilla chips smothered with melted Cheddar, Parmesan & Mozzarella. Served with lamb chili, our own salsa and sour cream. For a vegetarian option, swap lamb chili for a creamy spinach & artichoke dip.

Shiv: The nachos really were SMOTHERED in those cheeses, which made every bite super-duper lip-smacking. The salsa was really good, although the lamb was a little scarce. We requested for additional salsa, which was slightly different, but as good as the earlier one if not better.

Gaj: I could not taste the lamb chili, but it was still an alright dish. The accompanying salsa was really good!

Kav:  This dish was not bad. The salsa was tangy and was flavoured well. However, was not the best nachos I have tried.

Mien: Hmm.. good.. but not the best as Kav puts it. The salsa was really good! It was a very simple Nacho dish; there could have been guacamole, jalapeños, etc.

We followed through with Mains:

5. Heaven is Pork Pizza (RM28)

10” kitchen made thin crust, spicy tomato sauce, minced pork, minced Italian sausage, spicy pork sausage, smoked streaky bacon, back bacon, olives, onion rings, cheddar, mozzarella & parmesan.

Shiv: I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that this is the best pizza I have ever tried in my life! It had such a strong savoury-cheesy-porkylicious flavour without having that overwhelming porky smell. The briny bacon married with the pungent olives made this an absolutely brilliant creation! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Gaj: Heaven is indeed pork pizza! =) The minced pork, pork sausage and streaky bacon just melted in my mouth. I could not get enough… gimme more! MUST MUST HAVE!

Kav:  I had many firsts in this restaurant – first pork satay, now pork pizza. This pizza could not be more perfect. Every mouthful was a dream. The salty and savoury bacon with the melty cheese was just to die for. What can I say, pork is life…life is pork.

6. Pork Burger (MUST HAVE!) (RM22 + RM3 for the extra bacon)

Tucked inside our buttery light brioche bun is 200grams of juicy spicy pork patty made from scratch, salsa and gooey mozzarella cheese. Served with side fries and a dressed salad. (There was an option of egg and bacon add-ons – we opted for the latter only)

Shiv: Delicious! This place really knows how to get their pork right. The pork patty was crazy juicy and tangy and the mozzarella cheese offered a sublime gooeyness. The addition of bacon was genius and I only wish my dining companions allowed me the egg as well, because God knows a burger is nothing without a fried egg. =)

Gaj: Sorry Shiv! I hate egg in my burgers and this burger did not need help as it was AMAZING all on its own. =)

Kav: God, the patty was so good. It was flavoured well and the mozzarella was just stringy perfection, as it added that additional body a perfect burger needed. My only complaint was that the fries had a rancid taste.

And to end the night, some Cocktails:

7. Strawberry Margarita (RM20)

Jose Cuervo Tequila, Triple Sec & lime juice.

Shiv: Slightly more light-on-the-liquor than I would have liked, but tasty nevertheless.

Gaj: I enjoyed this margarita! Quite yummy indeed.

Mien: It was alright…. It was rather diluted.

Verdict: WOK ON

PRICE: Reasonable, with big portion sizes justifying most of our buck. (RM148.00 for 7 items – 4pax)

AMBIENCE: A stylish neighbourhood watering hole which is as trendy as it is cosy. Suitable place for after work drinks or simply a quiet dinner with loved ones.

SERVICE: Excellent. The staff was well-mannered, informative and very accommodating to some of our demands requests.

FOOD: Delicious, almost flawless food, with an extensive variety to choose from. Quite a number of vegetarian options are available too. One of the few pubs that take its cuisine as seriously as it does its cocktails. A MUST TRY!

D' LEGENDS BAR

24, JALAN DATUK SULAIMAN,

TAMAN TUN DR ISMAIL,

60000 KUALA LUMPUR,

Tel: +603-7725 6270

Email: hans@hansconnection.com

Website: http://www.facebook.com/dLegendsbar

Opening Hours:

Monday - Friday: 4.00pm – 2.00am

Saturday & Sunday: 11.00am – 2.00am