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)

G3 Kitchen and Bar, Bangsar Baru

From the previous owners of Telawi Street Bistro comes G3 Kitchen and Bar, a more recent culinary endeavour which boasts a wide selection of food, including but not limited to, Mediterranean, Italian, and English.

If you head there before 3.00pm during weekends, you may fancy yourselves a magnificent morning meal from the wide variety of interesting and delicious sounding food items from their special weekend-only breakfast menu.

Let’s not waste time and head straight to the food…

1)  Pan-fried Potatoes with Mushrooms and Onions (RM10).

Mien: I liked the simplicity of dish. The perfect combination of onions, garlic and herbs was all that was needed.

Shiv: Delicious! Savoury and light, this was a good way to start the meal. Would have preferred if they had used a different variety of mushrooms, but the dish was tasty all the same.

Kav: Nicely done! The sweet onion, with the combination of earthy mushrooms and potatoes, was really delicious.

Gaj: I enjoyed this dish, very simple but tasty, good option for vegetarians.

2)  Salami Pizza, with Chicken Salami, Spicy Lamb Sausage, Mushroom, Tomatoes, Olives and Basil (RM27).

Mien: The pizza was good although not the best I have tasted. The crust was done well and the toppings were a good combination.

Shiv: Had a nice meaty flavour and the crust was done well, but the scarcity of lamb sausages was a bit of a disappointment. Thank god for the salami though, as it supported the pizza well.

Kav: Pizza was average. They could have been more generous with the sausages and olives.

Gaj: Could have been more generous with the sausage, but it was still good nonetheless.

3)  Crabmeat and Tuna Spaghetti, Olio style (RM23).

Mien: VILE! I think the recipe for this pasta: cooked spaghetti, canned tuna and crabmeat, olive oil, salt, pepper, dried Italian herbs; just mix the ingredients all together then serve!!!

Shiv: The tuna was dried out, and the olio was severely under-flavoured. Even the little crab used could not save this dish. I’m sorry, but a dish like this is unacceptable anywhere, much less in a place of this nature. Shame!

Kav: Really?!?!?! Could you actually get away with serving a dish like this in a restaurant??? You don’t need a chef to open a can of tuna and dump it onto some poorly- flavoured spaghetti – a three year old could do that.

Gaj: Really really bad! The dish was so dry, it felt like eating pasta that was refrigerated.

4)  Spicy Clam & Prawns Spaghetti with Olive Oil (RM26).

As we do not fancy clams, we opted for more prawns to replace the clams.

Mien: Another let-down. Not much flavouring at all! Plain bland!

Shiv: Unfortunately, we had little luck with pastas on this occasion, as this one was terrible as well. The prawns were mushy (an indication of staleness) and there was a glaring absence of the seafood flavour that is so fondly found in gamberi pastas usually.

Kav: I believe this chef has not got a clue when it comes to pastas. There were hardly any ingredients, and to top it off, the pasta was poorly seasoned. What a waste of some good prawns.

Gaj: Such a big let-down! You would think an olio gamberi pasta would be fairly easy to get right, but this was such a lacklustre pasta.

5)  Chocolate Pumpkin Cake (RM9)

Mien: Surprisingly delicious!!!!

Shiv: A true palate pleaser, this was the best dish of the night! The pumpkin cake was moist and very moreish and coupled with the vanilla ice cream, this dessert was just divine. I could come back here just for this! =)

Kav: This cake saved the day, or rather my taste buds. Truly scrumptious, as the cake was moist, not overly sweet and the ice-cream just elevated the dessert to the next level. YUM!!!

Gaj: This cake was really good! Yummy!

6)  Coconut Tart (RM9)

Mien: Hmm… I love anything coconut... but this was a let-down!!!

Shiv: I am NOT a fan of coconut desserts, and this did little to change my stance on the matter. It was dry and had an unpleasant texture, although the nuts added much-needed crunch and flavour.

Kav: Way too dry!!! Dislike!!!

Gaj: I am game for most things coconut, but this was just bad! Some funky flavour was going on in there!

7)  Red Velvet Cake (RM9)

Mien: This was a good rendition of this classic favourite. However, I found it a bit too creamy! Cream lovers... this is your paradise!

Shiv: One of the finest red velvet cakes around! The cake was super moist, dense and not overwhelmingly creamy. They manage to strike a very good balance between the chocolate and lemon flavour notes. Highly recommended!

Kav: Delicious, however, there should have been more cake than cream. Nevertheless, I loved the cake as it was moist and yummy.

Gaj: Love the red velvet cake!!!! =) Super yummy!

8)  Carrot Cake (RM9)

Mien: Another delicious classic, but the chocolate pumpkin wins hands down!

Shiv: Good, but not great. The lemon cream cheese frosting was delicious, but the cake was slightly less moist than I would have enjoyed. I would have also preferred nuts instead of raisins, but overall, not a shoddy attempt.

Kav: This cake was good, but not great. Loved the icing on the cake, as it was not too sweet.

Gaj: Not a big fan of raisins in my cakes, walnuts would have been a better alternative. Having said that, it was pretty good!

Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Affordable. RM141.50 for 1 appetiser, 3 mains and 4 desserts (4pax).

AMBIENCE: Cosy and unique, with a rather extensive rack of food items on display on one wall of the restaurant. There is an outside dining area available with a view of the popular Telawi 3 street.

SERVICE: Good. The manager was quite willing to accommodate changes to certain ingredients in particular dishes, but, it’ll be nice if they would consider serving hot drinking water, and not limit you to the likes of Esprit, San Pellegrino or Aqua Panna.

FOOD: Almost an even number of hits and misses, however, the desserts and pizza will keep us coming back for more. =)

G3 KITCHEN AND BAR

19, JALAN TELAWI 3,

BANGSAR BARU,

59100 KUALA LUMPUR

Tel: +603 2282 8019

Opening Hours:

10am till late, daily.

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.