Jeen and I went for A Gastronomical Adventure with nibbleish.com at Jalan Bangkung last weekend. I called them up to ask if I could select the restaurants and sequence I wanted. Turns out I could, so we went with this order:
Leonardo’s offers a warm, rustic ambiance for an ideal, laid-back meal. Once we were comfortably seated on plush chairs, we placed our orders.
First up, we were served the garlic bread (complimentary). The crispy bread was buttery and garlicky, very nice with the creamy mushroom topping.
Leo’s Cured Salmon Carpaccio
with fennel parsley orange salad and campari dressing
We both had the Salmon Carpaccio, which we thought was the most interesting of the 3 starters. It was full of flavours (tangy, peppery & sweet) and textures (crunchy, juicy & meaty) without confusing the tastebuds. I especially enjoyed eating the salmon slivers with fennel slices.
We expected a virgin margarita (complimentary), but the waitress asked if we preferred our drink with alcohol or without. Obviously, I went for the alcoholic version thank-you-very-much! *hic*
Ambiance: 7/10
Taste: 7/10 (non-halal)
Verdict: The salmon carpaccio had myriad flavours. A good starter.
61-2, Jalan Bangkung,
Bukit Bandaraya,
59100 Kuala Lumpur.
03 2096 2226
https://www.leonardos.my/
Tasting Room is a small and cosy bistro with a small al-fresco area at the balcony. Only a few tables and 2 sets of sofas filled up the place.
Cod Fish Roasted cod fish served on the bed of squid ink pasta, sundried tomato,
asparagus accompanied with cepes voloute’ sauce
The codfish was overcooked and tasted rubbery, so Jeen sent it back to the kitchen. Second time around, it was still overdone. As she didn’t want to cause a scene, she let it slip. Texture aside, the combination of squid ink pasta and codfish was quite decent.
Angus tenderloin Pan-fried chilled Angus tenderloin served on wild mushroom risotto,
braised vegetable, Portobello confit with cabernet reduction
I asked for my tenderloin medium rare, and it was beautiful. As well prepared as the tenderloin was, I found it ordinary (almost boring). The risotto was stodgy and not creamy enough. I reckon the rice grains were not cooked long enough, resulting in the texture being chewier than I like it to be.
Ambiance: 6/10
Taste: 5/10
Verdict: The mains were average, at best.
65-1 (above Wine Cellar),
Jalan Bangkung,
Bukit Bandaraya,
59100 Kuala Lumpur.
03 2092 4404
www.tastingroom.com.my
Our last stop was Cava, for dessert. The interior is classy and modern, with smooth, parquet (hard to tread in sky-scrapping stilettos) floors. On one side of the wall, empty wine bottles were lined on the shelves.
Jeen already had her eyes set on the Sticky Date and Banana Pudding, ever since I showed her the menu online. I opted for the Chocolate Dream. Coffee (or tea) was on the house.
Chocolate Dream Moist chocolate cake with lime custard sauce
Dessert was FANTASTIC. The chocolate dream was rich and decadent. Very proper and elegant. It had an intense and warm, molten chocolate center, and a crisp, outer shell. *heart*
Sticky Date and Banana Pudding Lemon butterscotch with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
The sticky date and banana pudding was also very good. This moist, muffin-like pudding was homely and comforting. The butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream were the perfect pairing with the pudding.
Ambiance: 7/10
Taste: 8.5/10
Verdict: The chocolate dream was divine!
71, Jalan Bangkung,
Bukit Bandaraya,
59100 Kuala Lumpur.
03-2093 6637
https://www.cava.com.my
*We paid RM70 nett each for this gastronomical adventure. Prices are about 30% cheaper compared to their ala carte, so I reckon it’s worth trying. Not something I’d go for on a regular basis, but it’s a good experience nonetheless.
If you’re interested, log on to www.nibbleish.com, select your preferred area, choose your restaurant-combo, and pay for it online. This food crawl is only until the end of May 2009.