Early last month boo of masak-masak called me up for a year end dinner with a few other food bloggers at Favola. As it turned out, it was a food review session at the new Italian outlet of Le Meridien KL. Thank goodness I had my newly acquired S90 handy with me.

the capable chef Antoine at Favola

The restaurant has a very cheerful mood with its spacious tables, comfortable chairs, and light music further compounded by a very jolly chef Antoine who loves to mingle with diners. Meena, Ciki, and Fatboybakes were among the bloggers who were there.

Like most proper Italian restaurants, we started off with some lovely breads. Other than the standard olive oil with balsamic vinegar, there were guacamole and the very flavorful potato truffle dips. I had to stop myself from eating more of these to save some stomach space, but if you’re on a shoe string budget…

cold (freddo) antipasti, bread with potato truffle dip, and crispy pizza dough

There’s a pretty good selection of antipasti available at Fivola. We had the sampler of five antipasti (RM 35) which had the following:

• octopus – with garlic and chili flakes
• caprese – buffalo mozzarella, tomato, basil, anchovies, garlic confit and oregano
• bresaola – shaved dried beef with rocket salad, figs, lemon and olive oil
• bruschetta – cured salmon, portobello mushrooms
• seafood salad – garlic, chili-olive oil, lemon juice and italian parsley

Of course, the descriptions and names were copied from the menu as there was no way I could remember all of them. I particularly like the beef as well as the octopus, they were tasty and had a nice texture to it too. This was sorta parellel to the old Chinese cold dish, I think.

warm (caldo) antipasti, Conchiglioni Marinara al Cartoccio

Warm antipasti came next, and we had these little curry puff look alike items that were made with pizza dough called panzerotti. They were filled with marinated mushroom, mozzarella and grilled bell pepper and makes perfect beer snacks.

We also had cod fritters, but my favorite has got to be the sardines. Unlike the canned version we’re familiar with, the sardine’s sauteed with onions, raisins, pine nuts, and bell pepper to a crispy texture. They were absolutely delicious.

For pasta, we had the conchiglioni marinara al cartoccio (RM 40), in laymen’s term – shell shaped pasta with seafood, extra virgin olive oil, herbs, and tomato sauce. I’m not a huge fan of conchiglioni, but this tasted pretty good.

lobster risotto, roasted lamb shoulder, wagyu beef lasagna, veal osso bucco

They were quite a few main dishes to share among us. For a taste of luxury, we had the risotto con argosta (lobster risotto, RM 45) and lasagna al forno (wagyu cheek lasagna, RM 40) and both dishes didn’t disappoint the ingredients used. The lasagna was especially the yums, Garfield would have approved.

The two veal dishes – veal escalope (one pan seared, one coated with bread crumbs, RM 60) and veal osso bucco (RM 70). They were decent, but to be frank I’m not a huge fan of veal and would probably opt for something else (the lasagna for example) if I had to choose. I prefer the pan seared veal and could give a pass to the bread crumb preparation method though.

veal osso bucco, scallop with cauliflower, mussels with chicken, veal escalope “due modi”

Another two antipasti dishes we had (in full serving instead of sampler) were roasted scallops (RM 20) and fresh mussels (RM 20). The scallops came on a bed of cauliflower and truffles and were absolutely delightful. The mussels had minced chicken stuffing, garlic and tomato sauce. I am quite sure suan would have loved to have this, they were quire good too.

The roasted lamb shoulder (RM 50) was the other meat dish we had. I remember it to be quite rich but couldn’t really recall much otherwise. I think my stomach was already over stuffed at this point.

panna cotta, fruitti di miso, illy coffee inspired tiramisu

Then of course, there were desserts. Illy coffee inspired tiramisu (RM 20) was nice, and the fruitti di miso (ricotta cream and mixed red berries RM 20) gives a jolt to the senses after the heavy meal. However, the panna cotta (RM 20) had to be the recommended choice – almond custard cream, minestrone of fruit sugar veil and orange wafer might not mean anything to me, but it was very delightful. The contrasting tastes of custard with the berries and sugar was just perfect.

Meena, KY, and ciki; potent Grappa

To finish off the dinner, we ordered some grappa, basically grape based pomace brandy (or distilled wine) with alcohol content as high as 60%. These drinks cost anything from RM 20 (Grappa Limonico) to RM 50 (Alexandar Red Rose Grappa). The red rose grappa was quite good, but I can’t say I’d be able to justify the price for it though.

The Grappa Platinum (RM 40) was especially nasty and left a grimace to anyone who’d tasted it. Perhaps it was an acquired taste, I don’t know, and probably wouldn’t ever order this particular type of drinks anytime soon.

By the time we wrapped up, it was already 11pm. I think I still felt full when I woke up the next morning. It was definitely a nice session and Fivola would make a pretty good place if you’re looking for some authentic Italian food. The ambiance is good, the food did not disappoint, and the price is fair too.

Address:
Favola
2 Jalan Stesen Sentral,
Kuala Lumpur 50470
GPS: 3.135631,101.686476
Tel: 03-2263 7753

Tags:  ciki,  desserts,  grappa,  hotel,  italian,  lagsana,  meena,  pasta,  scallops,  tiramisu

Posted by KY | 21 Comments »

Cafe Italia must be one of the most uncreative names for an Italian restaurant to assume, especially one that is tucked in a small lane connected to the little Italy of Melbourne, Lygon Street. Fortunately, it is also one that serves up very good authentic Italian cuisine in for pretty reasonable prices.

alfresco dining at Cafe Italia when weather permits

Incidentally, this is also one of Mell’s housemates, Jun Wei’s favorite Italian restaurant in Melbourne. The eatery is located on a rather small 1-way University Street (between Melbourne University and Carlton Garden) and only has a small 3′x3′ sign on the outside. Pretty easy to miss especially since the place sorta look like a green house from the outside during cooler months.

Together with Zehan (who also needs a bf, a good Muslim boy perhaps?), the four of us went there in the middle of April during my last trip to Melbourne.

spaghetti frutti di mare (seafood), fish special (barramundi)

The restaurant has three different area, conventional dining, private rooms, and court yard (which, as mentioned, converts to green house like area when it’s colder). Interior is tastefully decorated with a bar, wine racks, and plenty of plants. Very comfortable and yet not overly done.

The menu is not any different from most Italian restaurants, offering pasta, beef, lamb, fish, pizza, and of course, a variety of appetizers, desserts, and wine.

lamb chop, rigatoni ragu (pasta with eggplant)

I ordered the lamb special ($27.90)- a generous piece of char grilled lamb chop marinated with lemon and wine served on pea mash. The meat was tender, juicy, and the taste of the lemon and red wine marinate was just right. I was so glad I ordered it. The pea mash was interesting and I actually liked it better than mashed potato by quite a bit.

Mell had the pesce del giorno (fish special $28.90)) – a piece of barramundi (I think) fillet served with fire roasted peppers, brocolini, and lime saffron sauce. The seafood was fresh and sauce went well with the whole combination, no complains at all there.

Jun Wei, KY, Mell, Zehan

Zehan and Jun Wei had the rigatoni ragu (spaghetti with eggplant, $17.90) and spaghetti frutti di mar (seafood spaghetti $22.90) with both of them expressing approval for their dishes in terms of taste as well as presentation.

Comparing to the more student friendly (budget wise) places such as Cafe Notturno, Cafe Italia is 30-50% pricier, but if you look into the place, service, as well as food quality and taste factor, then it is a very worth while place to visit.

At the end, our bill came to just a bit less than $100 for the four of us (we only ordered water). Dollar to dollar, an excellent value don’t you think? Now I think I might need to go back there again for the next Melbourne trip.

Address:
Cafe Italia
56/66 University St,
Carlton Victoria 3053,
Australia‎
GPS: -37.799366,144.967926
Tel: +613 9347 0638‎
Website: cafeitalia.com.au

Tags:  italian,  italian food,  jun wei,  lamb,  melbourne,  mellissa,  spaghetti,  zehan

Posted by KY | 29 Comments »

Lygon Street in Melbourne, also known as Little Italy, is littered with quite a number of gelati shops. Between Queensberry and Grattan, there are some five such outlets. However, there is only one award winning gelati shop out of the five: Il Dolce Freddo.

Yummy gelati, with wide variety of flavors

It is also the only gelati shop Mellissa (and everyone else that I know of) swears by in Melbourne. We made it a point that I must try out this place during my trip, so went there I did, with Mellissa and Zehan (hello single and available guys out there please go and buaya her ok)

check out the their famous durian flavored gelato!

Freddo offers quite a variety of gelati flavors, but the one absolute must-try flavor would  be Durian. Yes, good ol’ spiky stinky durian flavored gelato. There are other interesting flavors such as Pandan, various types of berries, rocher (with Ferraro Rocher), mango, lychee, passion fruit, and the more conventional chocolate, green tea, and coconut. Over 20 flavors in all.

KY, Mell, and Zehan

I ordered a cup with a scoop of Durian and Pandan flavored gelato for $4.80 (prices range from $4.80 to $7.80). It was lovely, the durian gelato actually made a very fair representation of the fruit, sticky, flavorful, and taste exactly like what you’d expect from the king of fruit. The pandan gelato too was quite lovely, sweet and fragrant.

The weather was quite lovely that day, if not just a little too cold. Then again, the temperature did keep our gelati in good shape and not turn into puddle of colored sweetened milky syrup so it was all good.

Can’t wait till I go there again this winter.

Address:
Il Dolce Feddo
116 Lygon St,
Carlton, VIC 3053,
Australia
‎GPS: -37.80424, 144.966488
Tel: 03-9639 3344‎

Tags:  gelati,  gelato,  italian,  little italy,  lygon,  melbourne,  mellissa,  zehan

Posted by KY | 34 Comments »

During the 2nd day of my visit to Melbourne, Mel and I met up with Pinky who left Nuffnang Malaysia to continue her study at Melbourne. Pinky has always been one of my favorite persons who is very hardworking, efficient, and humble; which is probably why she is now Nuffnang Australia’s very first expat, in part time basis anyway.

Mell, Pinky, Kah Kit, KY

We met Pinky and her boyfriend Kah Kit’s at their apartment a couple blocks away and together we walked to Cafe Notturno in Lygon Street, also known as the Little Italy of Melbourne. Total walking distance was about 1km, very managable under the comfortable autumn temperature.

Cafe Notturno, meat lovers pizza

Cafe Notturno is quite a popular place among the students as the food here is pretty cheap in Melbourne standard. Almost everything in the menu is priced under $20.

I ordered a steak with pepper sauce, Mell got the seafood combo, Pinky and Kah Kit a fettucine bosciola, and we also shared a medium meat lover’s pizza.

steak, fettucine bosciola, seafood combo

The steak ($19.80) was prepared medium rare and actually tasted quite nice. The portion was rather large and perhaps not a very good idea for brunch but I finished it nonetheless. I liked the salad with balsamic vinegar too.

Seafood combo ($14.30) was very worth it, prawns, scallops, fish fillets, and squid rings deep fried in batter and served with tartar sauce, fresh lemon, and the same salad.

The fettucine bosciola ($12.70) was very sumptuous too; but I find the meat lover’s pizza ($10 – medium) a little too salty and not very crunchy. Pinky insisted that they had an off day and the pizza usually tasted better.

Mell actually drew this map! AMAZING isn’t it?

Cafe Notturno certainly offers some very decent food with very affordable pricing, perfect especially for those who doesn’t want to break the bank for an authentic Italian meal in the city. Of course, the brunch session was awesome with the great companies.

Address:
179 Lygon St, Carlton,
VIC 3053, Australia
GPS: -37.801511,144.966702
Tel: +613 9347 8286

Tags:  italian,  kah kit,  melbourne,  mellissa,  pinky,  pizza,  steak

Posted by KY | 31 Comments »

Despite staying so close to SS2 and having my dinner there at least once a week, Buonasera Italian Restuarant somehow escaped my radar for the past year or so that they have been in operation. But as luck was on my side, a couple of weeks ago I went  there on a food review session thanks to the invitation from the friendly owner Ms Zee Cheng.

Prociutto Melon, yum yum

The restaurant is located along a the row of shops at SS2 that is closest to LDP, which also means that parking is slightly easier compared to other spots around the area. Though “slightly” is a very relative word.

The interior is simple and clean though decoration could be slightly better as I personally find the faux vines around the edges ceiling a rather ill adviced concept. However, overall it is still an environment that is comfortable and conducive for a lunch/dinner date that is not too flashy.

Spaghetti Seafood

 Unlike most other Italian restaurants, Buonasera joins the likes of Bermuda & Onions and Bruno’s as the few that are not halal. Which means that you get real bacon, and even some pork dishes. That realisation pretty much made my day already.

I usually let the host decides the selection of dishes on invited reviews, but this time Eiling and I made a little special request and asked for at least a dish involving pork. *smirk*

The first dish that was the Prosciutto Melon (RM 28.90), Italian speciality ham that is cured and served with rock melon, not unlike my first experience of it at Bermuda & Onion. The deliciously salty ham and the sweetness of melon works well in this classic combination, though the melon used were just a tad too ripe.

Caesar Salad with bacon, Australian Chilled Angus Sirloin

Next up was the Seafood Spaghetti (RM 38.90) with quite a generous portion of very fresh prawns, mussles, and squid. While I’m normally not a big fan of cream sauce, I must say that I really enjoyed this dish. It wasn’t overly rich nor over powering. Just very sumptuous and flavorful.

The Caesar salad (RM 19.90) isn’t the typical salad for skinny girls who wants to get skinnier. The dish comes with plenty of pork bacon, cheese, hard boiled egg, crutons, and of course, fresh vegetable. On top of that, you get four slices of garlic bread too. The bacon was really yummy!

The final main dish was the Angus Sirloin (RM 49.90) that comes with a bowl of deep fried rosemary potato chunks that Eiling just can’t stop eating. I find that the steak itself was pretty commendable considering the price point.

Tiramisu, Chocolate Pot, and Enzo’s Famous Mixed Berry Zabaglione

The nicely decorated and pretty good tasting Tiramisu (RM 14.90) was supposed to be our only dessert, but due to the interesting chemistry that Chef Enzo brewed up with Eiling, we ended up with a bit more than we could handle.

The good chef, who started working in the kitchen since 16 (exactly how many years ago is a mystery), prepared another two desserts as our stomachs were already filled up to the brim. We had Enzo’s Chocolate Pot (RM 14.90), with vanilla ice cream and chocolate that isn’t too sweet; and finally his signature dessert, Mixed Berry Zabaglione (RM 16.90) which is a home made mixed berry sorbet with Italian egg custard. The sourness of the sorbet and the rich custard (egg yolk, sugar, Marsala wine) was an awesome combination, I finished it and losen my belt in the process.

Chef Enzo and I, Eiling who really likes her dessert

To be honest, I’m rather impressed by the quality and the selection of food at Buonasera, not to mention it’s midrange pricing. This would be a place I yearn to return for more.

Address:

42, Jalan SS 2/66

Selangor

GPS: 3.120033,101.620907

Tel: 03-7877 8586

Tags:  bacon,  beef,  eiling,  ham,  italian,  pork,  spaghetti,  steak

Posted by KY | 33 Comments »