Three brothers, one restaurant: The gastronomically gifted Tan siblings - Alven, Seven & Louis - opened their own outlet in Kuchai Lama this week, offering a wide range of East-meets-West pasta recipes at some of the Klang Valley's best prices.
Basil Pasta House has a homey, welcoming feel; its creators have made lovely use of the space here, with soothing colours, floral flourishes & other thoughtful touches. A Godfather movie poster underscores how the restaurant is making customers a culinary offer they can't refuse, spanning everything from pork bacon gnocchi to Japanese lamb curry fettuccine.
We focused on seafood for this visit: Love the crab farfalle, comprising bow-tie pasta with crab meat, curried butternut squash sauce, walnut cream & parmesan. The food here is hearty, rich & savoury. Prices won't pinch the wallet; this one clocks in at RM14.90, probably half of what it would cost in a KL mall cafe.
Cappellini 'wafu'-style, with angel hair pasta topped with baby octopus, plus yuzu shoyu dressing, truffle paste & mushrooms (RM14.90). Rest assured, patrons are in experienced hands here; head chef Alven has honed his craft over the past four years at establishments like il Primo, Tanzini & Renoma Cafe Gallery.
Brother Seven specialises in Oriental cooking, so his influence might be clearest in this Chinese take on mac-&-cheese, featuring macaroni with a golden egg yolk sauce, curry leaves, cili padi & deep-fried baby squid (RM14.90). All the pasta dishes are very capably prepared, resulting in satisfying textures.
Louis is the pastry chef here, so he tackles desserts such as the sabayon, a delicious custard with berries & grapes (RM8.90). With tasty food, fair prices & friendly people, Basil Pasta House seems worth the trek to Kuchai Lama (note that parking on this restaurant's street is easier in the evening); it deserves to draw pasta fans from near & far.
Basil Pasta House
21, Jalan Kuchai Maju 6, Off Jalan Kuchai Lama, Kuala Lumpur
Currently daily, 1130am-1030pm (will determine day off later). Tel: 03-7972-8884
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