Spazzio @ Pavilion

Click here for previous review of Spazzio (Nov. 14, 2009).

Beef lasagne. Not bad for something that was probably prepared earlier and reheated on order. Piping-hot (of course) and super-flavourful.

Tiger prawns sauteed with olive oil and garlic. Too dried-out to recommend.

Lamb meatballs in Napoli sauce. Lusciously juicy meatballs in a rich sauce.

Tiramisu. Sweet and creamy. Better than expected, really.

Biciletta (white wine, campari) and Salty Dog (gin, grapefruit, salt).

Salty Dog and Bellini.

Spazzio,

Pavilion.

Basque Lane @ Mont Kiara

Basque Lane has served Mont Kiara's residents well for nearly half a decade now, offering tasty tapas, pasta, paella and other European specialties.

Minced lamb skewers. A bit too gamy, but very tender and fresh-tasting.

Swiss fondue, featuring gruyere, emmental and raclette cheese with garlic, served with bread cubes. Super-addictive; be warned though that you're charged a few extra ringgit if you request additional bread.

A jug of Sangria helped to chase the midweek blues away.

Basque Lane,

Plaza Mont Kiara.

Espressamente Illy @ Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

Click here for previous review of Espressamente Illy (Bangsar, Oct. 25, 2009).

This Pavilion branch is a lot more slick and stylish than the one at Bangsar Village.

Obsessione (ice cream, Bailey's, whiskey), The Omerta (illy espresso, vanilla gelato with 'secret liqueur') & Ritorno (coffee-based version of Black Russian).

Espressamente Illy,

Pavilion.

River Garden @ Ipoh Road

A popular draw, thanks to its affordable, reasonably tasty food.

(The empty tables in these photos are deceptive, since we arrived early and snapped our shots before the crowds came)

Double-boiled chicken soup in coconut. Can't go wrong with chicken soup. Tasted nutritious enough, with the fruit supplying an extra dose of sweetness.

Roasted pork. Succulent and fatty, but would be better with crisp skin.

Venus clams. Straight from an aquarium. Meaty clams, with a substantial bite.

Snakehead/haruan/"sang yu" soup with kudzu vine & Chinese yam. Supposed to aid wound-healing. Had an appealingly sweet, non-fishy flavour.

Drunken prawns. Fresh crustaceans, soaked in a salty soup that we lapped up.

Pork blood porridge. A bit bland; the blood was soft and smooth but tasteless.

Eggplant Szechuan-style. Not bad, though it lacked a spicy kick.

Haruan with yam. Absolute comfort food, with a lovely home-cooked feel.

Ipoh salted kampung chicken. Tender flesh, but not really remarkable.

Braised duck with "fu yee" (fermented chili bean) sauce. A recipe of robust flavours, but the duck was too bony to truly enjoy.

River Garden,

468-B2, Batu 3, Jalan Ipoh.

Skylounge @ The Ascott Kuala Lumpur

Grab an elevator ride to The Ascott's 22nd floor for nice nibbles and cocktails with the proverbial bird's-eye view of our city.

Skylounge isn't as glitzy as SkyBar or Luna Bar, but it's better suited for a casual evening. Plus, the place is well-hidden, so it's perfect for a secret rendezvous.

Poached shrimp with lettuce, melon balls & cocktail sauce. Fresh & tangy.

Mesclun salad with smoked salmon, croutons & tomatoes. A hearty serving.

Irish Coffee (John Jameson, coffee) & Granny Smith Mojito (apple-infused rum, fresh green apple, mint leaves, soda).

Bramble (gin, creme de cassis, fresh lemon juice) & Orange Martini (gin, cointreau, orange marmalade, lemon juice).

Skylounge,

Level 22, The Ascott.

Puchong Lim

Incredibly tricky to find, this place is too grubby to recommend for its ambiance, but it's worth the hunt if you're curious about exotic meat.

"Ular menyusur akar tak akan hilang bisanya." Snake meat broth. Nutritious-tasting; the meat was stringy but provided a uniquely sweet scent to the soup.

"Bagai anjing dengan bayang-bayang." Dog stew. Dunno what kind of pup was used, but it was palatable, despite a strong flavour reminiscent of mutton.

"Kera di hutan disusukan, anak di rumah mati kelaparan." Monkey stew. Tasted like pork, except that it was really bony. Or maybe it was a skinny monkey.

"Ada musang berbulu ayam." Civet stew. Our least favorite item. Rather gamy; some parts even tasted foul.

"Kura-kura di kaki ditinggalkan, burung terbang dikejar." Soft-shell turtle stew. Loved the gelatinous bits, which reminded us of fatty pork slices.

We ordered toddy to go with the food, but hated it.

Puchong Lim,

Kampung Baru Batu 14, Puchong.

Vineria @ BSC Bangsar

Click here for earlier entry on Vineria (January 18).

Bagna Cauda (a salty Piedmontese anchovy & garlic dip with crunchy veggies). The menu's healthiest item, if you exclude the salads (which we always skip anyway).

Deep-fried stuffed parmigiana risotto balls. Chopped into small chunks for convenient eating. An addictive snack, but surprisingly filling, so go slow on them.

Asiago cheese souffle with sauteed porcini and aged balsamic vinegar. The souffle was amazingly airy, with the taste of a mild cheese but the texture of a light mousse. Too bad the portion was pitifully puny.

Ravioli stuffed with duck meat, fried with sage and truffle butter sauce. A terrific recipe; the ravioli skin was soft and smooth, while the stuffing and the sauce combined forces for a powerful wallop of meaty and herbal flavours.

Roasted baby goat. Steeply priced at RM160, but enough to feed two moderately hungry people. Our favourite platter for the evening: the meat was fork-tender and flavourful, though we're still not sure how to distinguish goat from lamb.

Bar Italia's inimitable gelati (vanilla, hazelnut, limoncello, cherry).

Semifreddo with forest fruit sauce. Cold and refreshing.

Organic red wine (Cab. Sauvignon, Santa Julia Familia Zuccardi 2007, Argentina).

Vineria,

Bangsar Shopping Centre.

Tel: 2287-7889

Click here for online reservations.

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