Best Restaurant To Eat - Malaysian Food Blog: Italian Food

Showing posts with label Italian Food. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Pizzolo @ Atria Shopping Gallery Damansara Jaya - Modern Italian Cuisine Review

Atria Shopping Gallery has recently open its doors after a major facelift of the entire shopping centre. +BestRestaurant ToEat was invited to review a Modern Italian Cuisine at Pizzolo @Atria Shopping Centre located at C36, Concourse Floor Atria Shopping Gallery, Jalan SS22/23, Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

The decor at Pizzolo is one of a casual photo studio setting with vibrant colour decor to provide the ambiance for your dining pleasure.

We had 2 salad to start off our review; the first of it; is the Chilled Tomato, Watermelon and Feta (RM17.90). A refreshing start to our review as the watermelon which was cut to a mini log have the sweetness flavour mix with the Feta cheese.

Next, we had the Seared Scallop with Avocado (RM25.90). We love the texture of the large scallop. The Pan Seared Scallop which was sauteed with some light salt was flavourful and goes nicely with the Avocado sauce.

This was then followed by the Traditional Italian Clam Chowder (RM16.90). The soup was cooked with fresh clam and was very tasteful especially when eaten with the accompanied buttered toast.

The next soup was the Wild Mushroom Cappuccino (RM14.90); we were expecting that coffee would be used to cook this soup; but it was not meant to be. The Cappuccino is the foam that was topped up on the soup.

After that, we had the Wood Fired Pizza which the first is Roast Lamb Shoulder Pizza (RM35.90). The pizza crust is the thin crust and with it the crunchy feel when one bite into it. We had not really eaten any lamb pizza more so a lamb shoulder. We find the combination taste to be quite tasty.

Next, we had the South Texas Barbeque Chicken (RM28.90); We find the sauce a little sourish to our taste. It also has a very strong smoky taste and for those that loves BBQ sauce; would love this pizza.

Followed by the Sea Clams Linguini (RM28.90). Just love the simple aglio olio style of this pasta.

After that we had some small bites which the first is the Trio of Bruschetta (RM13.90). As the name suggest, there are 3 pieces of bruschetta; the first is topped with chopped tomato while the second is the mushroom and the 3rd piece is topped with chopped smoke salmon.

This is then followed by the Trout Ceviche On Kataifi (RM19.90). The Kataifi is a pastry like angel hair pasta and often referred as shredded wheat. It has a very distinctive taste (slight fishy taste) which you either love it or hate it.

To end the session, we had the Italian Crepe (RM15.90) with an addon Artisanal Ice Cream (RM6.90). We find the sauce which is lemon based; was on a sour note and gives a different taste to this crepe.

Pizzolo @ Atria Shopping Gallery will be a nice place to chill out or dine when you finish your shopping before heading home.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Cristallo Di Luna @Pacific Regency Hotel Suites Kuala Lumpur - A Romantic Italian Christmas Celebration Review

Christmas Season is round the corner and what better way to celebrate this festive holiday with your loved ones in one of a hidden upscale restaurant that has a gorgeous panoramic city view of Kuala Lumpur.

Best Restaurant To Eat was invited to a special fine dining Christmas Special at Cristallo Di Luna which is strategically located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur on the 34th Floor Pacific Regency Hotel Suites at Jalan Puncak Kuala Lumpur.

The decor is one that exudes a great ambience and romantic setting, an ideal place to wine and dine Italian Style with your other half.

The place has a stylish interior with a pleasant and lovely atmosphere to de-stress oneself.

Dinner started with a light Pumpkin Soup, which has a smooth creamy texture and a strong pumpkin flavour.

Featuring a culinary creation of the head chef, he uses the free Range Capon Chicken as the Christmas Main Theme dish, with Giblet Gravy and Cranberry Compote. As a substitute to the ever popular Turkey, which have a much more tougher meat, the Capon Chicken was indeed a splendid change with its tender, smooth and juicy meat.

The Capon Chicken is stuffed with blended Chestnut with breadcrumbs and then sent to the roaster to be roasted for a good 45 minutes. The mash stuffing are then taken out and moulded before being fried and served as a side dish.with sauteed brussel sprout with potatoes and braised red cabbage.

The Special Giblet Sauce was made from Mirepoix, juice of the Roast Chicken and Chicken innards to produce a very delicious sauce that was thicken to give you a nice glaze which complemented with the natural taste of the Capon Chicken. The Roast Capon Chicken was very well paired with a glass of white wine.

For Desserts, we had the Apple Crumble,

Thai Rainbow Jelly In Shooter Glass

and Christmas Fruit Cake

followed by a cuppa of hot Cappucino to end the lovely evening.

Cristallo @ Pacific Regency Hotel Suite is having a Christmas Eve Buffet. The full details are as below with their Signature Roast Capon Chicken as the highlights.

Sumptuous ‘Jolly Christmas’ Buffet Spread at Cristallo Di Luna

Teamed with the culinary experts, headed by Chef Eddie Yap, Cristallo experienced chefs are set to prepare extravagant flavours of sumptuous spread, a delicious combination of fusion and traditional Christmas fare to please every palate. A wide range of delicious, lip-smacking cuisines featuring Roasted Free Range Capon Chicken with Chestnut Stuffing, Steamed Black Cod with Ginger and Scallion Emulsion, Fresh Seafood Parade on Ice, Roasted Lamb Leg and more will be served.

Not to forget, the finale to a sumptuous feast with a luscious combination of very traditional desserts. One must not miss the sinful Chocolate Fondue, Apple Crumble, English Trifle and Christmas Fruit Cake among others.

For those preferring to stay at home for the occasion, we have our Roasted Free Range Capon Chicken available for takeaway! Served with Gilblet Gravy and Cranberry Compote, our Capon Chicken is priced at RM 180++ (Half Roasted) and RM 380++ (Whole Roasted) and a healthier alternative to the traditional Roasted Turkey.

The Christmas specials’ are priced at RM158.00++ per person (Cristallo Di Luna). The buffet offerings inclusive of a glass of sparkling wine, party pack and free entry to Luna Bar’s Christmas Eve Party. For more information and reservation, please call us at +603 2332 7777 ext 6804 or email us at fnbadmin@pacific-regency.com

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL GOURMET FESTIVAL 2014 MIGF - The Festival Awards & Celebration Party Grand Finale – Royal Chulan Kuala Lumpur

After a hectic month of dining and spectacular Festival events - set to the theme of ‘Red Hot Chefs!’ - it was time for the hard working 28 premier restaurants to let their hair down, enjoy the camaraderie of their peers and be feted at the traditional MIGF Awards and Celebration Party.

Attended by over 1,000 VIPs including royalty, 23 foreign Ambassadors, celebrities, captains of industry and international food writers, the MIGF Awards and Celebration Party signaling the finale of the 14th Malaysia International Gourmet Festival MIGF 2014 was an explosive affair with smoke, flame, red hot dancers, magical tricks and glittering awards ceremonies at the Royale Chulan Hotel Kuala Lumpur last Thursday evening.

The event began with fearless fire-breathers entering the atrium twirling flaming batons and swallowing flames whole. The Festival Chefs then arrived on the stage with much fanfare presenting a picture of happy camaraderie until suddenly eight 'chefs' broke forward, threw off their chefs' garbs and transformed into red hot dancers. The crowd burst into excited applause!

It was the restaurants' night off and courtesy of the Vision Four Media Group, Festival restaurants and guests enjoyed the best of traditional cuisine from each state of Malaysia. A lively Latin band, energetic salsa dancers and free-flowing drinks made sure it was a long night of continuous revelry.

Six restaurants made the final cut for the Golden Cauldron Award – given to the best all round restaurant of the Festival - but at the end of the evening it was Chef Nathalie Arbefeuille of Cuisine Gourmet by Nathalie who raised the gleaming trophy high, setting a new record by being the first female chef and the first non-hotel based restaurant to claim the Festival's ultimate prize.

In addition to Cuisine Gourmet by Nathalie, the finalists for the Golden Cauldron Award were La Scala, Marini’s on 57, Tanzini, Ten Japanese Fine Dining and The Olive.

Four Special MIGF Awards were also presented: The prestigious award for ‘Most Popular Restaurant at the VIP Gala Launch’ was won by Cuisine Gourmet by Nathalie based on portions and value sold. ‘The Most Popular Overall Restaurant at Taste MIGF’, this time by public response, was won by Ten Japanese Fine Dining. The award for ‘The Most Outstanding Marketing of the Festival’ was won by Resorts World Genting; while Westin Langkawi’s Seasonal Tastes won the award for ‘The Most Outstanding Overall Festival Experience’; Chef Valmurugan Subramaniam of Samplings on the Fourteenth was voted by his fellow chefs as ‘Chef Congeniality’ - the most popular chef of MIGF 2014.

MIGF 2014 was sponsored by Tourism Malaysia with The Vision Four Media Group as the Principal Festival Partner. The Official Imaging Partner was Fujifilm Malaysia and Official Beer, Kronenbourg 1664. The Festival Media Partners were Astro, Asian Food Channel, Astro Radio, Seni Jaya, Vision Four and Vision KL.

The MIGF Awards and Celebration Party is a rare time, not only for the Festival Chefs, but also for the restaurant management, kitchen, and service staff to enjoy the limelight due to their traditional behind-the-scenes roles. “Everyone involved in MIGF is a winner. Everyone deserves a medal. It has been a privilege to work with all of you!” declared the Organising Chairman, Dato’ Steve Day.

Awards were given for creativity, innovation, presentation and value of the Festival Menu, quality of service, effective marketing strategies, best use of the Festival theme, best restaurant station designs and the number of Taste Sovereigns and Gourmet Dollars collected and portions sold during the Gala Launch and Taste MIGF.

Full List of Award Winners MIGF2014

Golden Cauldron Award for the Best All-Round Restaurant 2014

Overall Winner: Cuisine Gourmet by Nathalie

Winners: La Scala, Marini’s on 57, Tanzini, Ten Japanese Fine Dining, The Olive

Chef Congeniality 2014

Winner: Chef Valmurugan Subramaniam

Special MIGF Festival Awards

Most Popular Overall Restaurant at the VIP Gala Launch

Winner: Cuisine Gourmet by Nathalie

Most Popular Overall Restaurant at Taste MIGF

Award Winner: Ten Japanese Fine Dining

Most Outstanding Marketing of the Festival

Award Winner: Resorts World Genting

Most Outstanding Overall Festival Experience

Award Winner: Seasonal Tastes, The Westin Langkawi

Monday, September 29, 2014

Purple Pasta Restaurant & Cafe@ Oasis Ara Damansara – RM5 Pasta/Spaghetti Review – Best Restaurant To Eat

With the constant rise in cost and inflation, there are not many places where you can go for a decent meal at a very reasonable price but we were surprised when we were invited for a food review session at Purple Pasta Restaurant and Cafe which is located at D-G-06, Block D, Oasis Square, Ara Damansara 2, Jalan PJU 1A/7A, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

You wonder how true it is when they are able to sell their pasta/spaghetti at RM5.00 per plate. One might wonder whether they will cut off certain ingredients or the serving is of a extremely small serving. Nowadays, even if you ever had lunch at a coffee shop, it will easily cost more than RM5.00 and you probably have to sit on uncomfortable chair and a very hot environment.

The setting of Purple Pasta Restaurant & Cafe@ Oasis is simple and modern concept. There are different sections within the restaurant that will cater for different groups of people coming into this restaurant. There is an alfresco area where you can have a sit-down session with your friends in an open environment.

There is also a little cozy corner, where some soft sofa sets are, where you can hang around after lunch for some quiet reading or after dinner, coffee session to have some small chats with your friends.

and of course, the sit down area for your breakfast, lunch or dinner.

To start off our session of this review, we had the Garden Salad, which have lettuce, tomatoes, arugula, crotons, parmesan cheese top with a concoction of Japanese mayo and balsamico vinegar.

The light flaky crotons, was a perfect combination with the fresh green and the buttery powdered parmesan. Indeed a classic starter for a hearty meal ahead.

The dressing was of the right taste with a well balance of mayonnaise and vinegar which blended well with the crisp salad.

Next, we had, two of the top RM5.00 Pasta/Spaghetti.

The first one is the LAMB MARINARA. The tomatoes based sauce which was made in-house was not too sourish and it was topped with a generous amount of herbs.

The Lamb meatball was succulent and didn’t have the strong gamey lamb taste which makes it taste good. At RM5.00, it was very worth it.

The next pasta we had, was the AUTHENTIC CARBONARA, this version is very different from the other carbonara serves elsewhere which, we are used to i.e. flour and milk based.

From the onset it looks quite plain but the sauce is made up of yellow egg yolk, with parmesan cheese and guess what, roasted anchovies. It is then top up with a runny poached egg.

For fans of eggs, you got to try this. Make sure you let the runny eggs flowed into the pasta and mix it for a wholesome meal. For me, I would have preferred to slurp up the runny egg yolk.

For those that can eat a little spicy, you can add in some chilli flakes to give it that extra zing.

Both the above pasta, are part of the RM5.00 offering, there are other RM5.00 pasta of which, are CHICKEN CARBONARA, MUSHROOM CARBONARA, CHICKEN MARINARA, MUSHROOM MARINARA, CHICKEN GRAVYNARA, LAMB GRAVYNARA. You can sample these reasonably price pasta without burning a hole in your pocket.

The Purple Pasta Restaurant & Cafe@Oasis is embarking to introduce a few new premium pasta and dishes into their menu, which we have the privilege to sample and to provide feedback to the owner.

One of the first dishes to be tasted was the FRA DIAVOLO MUTTON. This pasta is a creation by the owner /chef himself, which he uses a base tomato sauce and a generous amount of dark chocolate to enhance the unique flavour of the sauce.

The use of the dark chocolate infused into the sauce are also able to kill off the gamey mutton smell and taste. The end result, the sauce was very addictive till the last drop. With a generous serving of mutton meat, the overall feeling of this dish was one of a premium taste.

The second dish we sample was the SALMON TARTARE – this is another fine example of the creativeness in the preparation and the choice use of the ingredients to bring forth the special premium taste. The Salmon are cured in-house with Rock Salt and Brown Sugar for at least 12 hours.

The combination of fragrant pear and ebiko add a new dimension and texture to this dish. The sauce was subtle yet complemented well with the slightly salted cured salmon which enhances the overall flavours of this dish.

The next dish was PRAWN CEVICHE – this dish is very challenging to most people who does not savour upon slightly raw or raw food.

CEVICHE is a form of cooking which uses the natural process of acid to cook the fresh seafood, in this case the PRAWN – no heat whatsoever was used in the cooking of this dish. Served chilled, you can actually taste the slight rawness and the tangy meat when eaten. Combined with vinaigrette onion and purple cabbage, it was a very unique and distinct taste.

The next dish i.e PRAWN THERMIDOR is as close as it is to eating LOBSTER THERMIDOR, as far as taste wise is concern. The chef is able to recreate close to the same taste of this premium dish.

The art of cooking the sauce and the use of Super Size Tiger Prawn, which have a firm and slight tangy rough texture, make it ideal as a close replacement to the lobster.

Lastly, we had the POACHED CHICKEN AND SMOKE DUCK - again with some creativeness, the chicken breast are sliced to pieces before poaching into the Earl Grey Tea, which gives it a distinct tea taste onto the chicken meat.

Placed in between the poached chicken slices, are the smoke duck slices that allows you to have 2 different taste of 2 poultry meat. Served on a bed of smashed potatoes, it was the perfect partner to the meat.

We hope that the owner will be serving up these specially created dishes, later at the Purple Pasta Restaurant & Cafe@ Oasis. Do check it out before you order.

By the way, if you are a coffee lover or fan, you might want to check out the TRIO SUGAR LATTE.

It is a latte served with this special azulette sugar which is purple in colour and look like the sparkling red rubies.

The Azulette sugar tasted quite similar to that of the cotton candy that we eat.

The other coffee is the PICCOLO COFFEE, this blend is a little stronger as it is more concentrated compared with the normal latte.

So, there you have it, a café that serves delicious tasting pasta at a very reasonable price or should it be cheap price and some nice coffee to finish off your delightful meal.

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