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.

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

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)