STAR'S Cocoa & Co Promotion

Accompanied by STAR's communications manager Samantha and her assistant Iris, digital consultant/blogger Jackie and her assistant, a reporter from the Borneo Post and another from Utusan Borneo, my Hub and I had an enjoyable evening at Peppino, Shangri La Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa last Friday evening.

As you know, I am an old schooler when it comes to reviewing restaurants: I like to pay my own meals so that I don't have to be nice. No, I don't have to go incognito because I am incognito, unlike Francois Simon or those powerful food critics who wear a sauce pot to restaurants so that they aren't recognized. On the few occasions that I was invited to taste new products and menu, if I have not blogged about them, it's because I didn't want to. So when Samantha asked for a sincere review of the latest promotion in their award-winning Italian restaurant, Peppino, I accepted her invitation. Besides, Peppino is among the top 3 fine dining restaurants in KK and STAR, well, it's consistently voted as the best resort hotel every year. Or so. STAR was where Hub and I had our wedding reception, among the few first couples to do so because the hotel had just opened, so it has a very special place in my heart.

Chef Coco Salvatore is Sicilian and has worked in 5-star hotels around the world so what a great idea it is to create some dishes that can literally live up to his name. Chef Coco's latest creation, Cocoa & Co, consists of a soup, two starters, four pasta dishes and three main dishes, all of which feature cocoa, tea and coffee.

My starter was unusual, a little cake flavored with porcini:




Porcini mushroom cake with white chocolate sauce, RM48/USD16.

The cake was warm, soft, fine and delicious and the porcini flavor was subtle which was perfect for a cake. The white chocolate sauce went well with it but also made it seemed more like a savory dessert, which kind of confused me. I enjoyed it but it was only the size of a small cupcake--I can easily scarf 3 of these in one or two mouthfuls. I think that this cake would be better as part of a main or maybe paired with something so that the tiny cake is not so lonely looking and tasting.


Cocoa pasta roll filled with ricotta cheese and eggplant mousse with pecorino sauce, RM38/UDS13. 

Hub's starter. This was seriously good, with all my favorite ingredients. The pasta was faintly flavored with cocoa and all the ingredients had an equal chance to shine.

Fine dining requires patience and good company because the courses are prepared individually and that means a long wait. I misunderstood the menu and thought that we were to order either a pasta or a main so  Hub and I ended up eating a lot of bread (which were not outstanding) while the others ate their pasta dishes before the main.



Not exactly pretty as all brown food are except chocolate cakes but this risotto was creamy and tasty (based on a spoonful I took from Jackie), flavored by the cheese and the dark chocolate, RM58/USD19.


Cocoa ribbons with porcini and pumpkin got the thumbs up from other diners, RM59/USD19.


Sea bass with coffee powder & ginger enhanced bread, RM58/USD19.

My main was not impressive. The two medallions of sea bass were fresh but overdone and the flavor was rather insipid. I didn't quite taste the coffee powder or the ginger either but I liked the tangy sauce, what little bit there was, and the mung beans paired beautifully with the fish.


Baked duck croiset with Kenyan beans& orange tea enhanced lasagna, RM48/USD16.  

Now I have no idea what a croiset is but this quarter of a duck was terrific: full of flavor and aroma and the leg was so tender ("Like 8-jewelled duck" Hub said) that the meat could be flaked off the bone yet was not dry. The breast though would've been better slightly less done. I forgot to taste the orange-flavored lasagna but this is a dish I wish I can cook.


Chocolate fondue and ice cream.

For such a fine dinner, the chocolate fondue was a let-down because really, even my Hub can pull that off. However, it's complimentary during this promotion period for diners spending RM100 and above per table.

Unlike top food critics who detest the presence of chefs when they dine (so as not to cloud their judgement), I love to chat with chefs so when Chef Coco appeared at our table, we talked about truffles and the sourcing of western food ingredients in China (his previous posting was a hotel in Qingtao, China). Did you know that Yunnan province in China produces tons of exotic wild mushrooms and truffles? And that they have porcini mushrooms in China too? Instead of dried porcini from Italy, Chef Coco uses fresh frozen porcini from France. That could explain why the flavor is not so pronounced, we agreed.

Chef Coco's dishes are cooked with real skills, creativity and attention to ingredients and presentation. The inventive idea of using coffee and cocoa gave the pasta an interesting and fun element but the flavorings were too subtle to make a big difference to food that's already good. Although the portions for fine dining is always 'less is more' and all that but if I was paying, I'd think less is still less. Unless I'm paying in Aussie dollars but in ringgit, ouch.

Peppino is a chic and swanky restaurant that serves modern Italian fare. I haven't been there for quite a while and forgot to look at their regular menu but I assume that you can get classic Italian dishes, with a strong touch of Italian nouvelle. I like that the tables are not too near each other and the music is not intrusive. The service is excellent, a bit slow on busy days. If Donovan is attending to you, his affable attention and efficiency will make make your dinner even more enjoyable.

Peppino
Shangri-La's Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa,
20 Jalan Aru, Tanjung Aru
Kota Kinabalu
Tel: (6088) 327 888
Fax: (6088) 327 878

Cocoa & Co promotion menu is available from 15th August to 15th September 2011.

Four Seasons Restaurant

Four Seasons (not affiliated to the hotel) serves a limited menu but there's an item to cater to every member of the family because the food served is western and Japanese. I can bring my mom here and order an udon for her while I tuck in an Aussie-style beef pie. Terence the chef and owner was trained in French cooking and apprenticed under a top Japanese chef in Perth for many years before relocating to his hometown. I've had good meals here and the restaurant is cosy and pleasant, one of those homey places where you can eat without worrying what to wear or who you'll run into because it is open only at night, Mon to Sat and tucked away in a small lot next to CoffeeBean Damai which means it is rather low-key in terms of exposure.

The subdued atmosphere is fine to me but may not appeal to the younger crowd who might prefer a happening place kind of atmosphere like Party Play or the place for good atmosphere, cheap beers but bad food, Upperstar, a few doors away. Maybe that's how Terence wants it, small and manageable. Also, the food can sometimes be not quite how you like it. Maybe that's when Terence isn't around.


Grilled prawns done very well--succulent and fresh.


This would've been better if slightly underdone.


The tenderloin (chilled, not frozen, Terence told me) was tender and flavorful at first bite but with subsequent bites, the flavor wasn't deep enough, not unusual for tenderloin. Like the salmon, this would have been better if medium rather than well done. Still, this was better than the steaks in most other places.


Caramel custard with pear poached in red wine was simple but delicious, thumbs up.

This is a nice little restaurant for a good meal that won't empty your wallet. I love the lacy and light tempura here and the Singapore laksa they used to serve. Good place for eating a quick quiet meal with the family. Don't expect to linger. They close early. And make sure it's Terence who cooks.

Four Seasons, next door to CoffeeBean Damai. Open Mon to Sat, dinner only. Open on Sat for lunch too.

Sailors

Usually we have Father's Day dinner with my in-laws and my mom but this year they decided they didn't want to bear the crowded restaurants so just the three of us went to Sailors, above Baba Nyonya Restaurant at Millennium behind Rainfield Court apartments. I was very impressed the first time I was there, for lunch, in early April. Portions were BIG, prices very reasonable and the food was good. I had the Thai beef salad while Yi had the lamb chops. Sailors closed for expansion renovation in April and still hasn't settled down so the restaurant won't open for lunch until August when they will have a bigger menu.



The decor is a little bit much for me--a cutesy corner for books and cards, a shelf of high tea trays, a doorway of painted rocks, paintings that remind me of cross stitch in the 80s and busy walls of cheap art. Wey said it looked like the inside of many homes which can be either good or bad when you think about it. I enjoyed the What-A-Wonderful-World kind of music, he hated it. Music for old people, he said.

We didn't have reservations and on such an occasion, restaurants were all full and Sailors was no exception. We were lucky to be ushered to a reserved table and the food started to arrive after only 10 minutes' wait.



What a difference a renovation makes. Thai beef salad is no longer on the menu so I opted for the Cajun chicken salad (RM9++/USD3++). As you can see, the portion was small, salad was all lettuce and the few bits of  chicken--about a tablespoonful--didn't taste Cajun.



We each had a bowl of mushroom soup (RM5++/USD1.60++), the only soup available. It was good with lots of shiitake mushrooms.



Wey somehow ordered a bacon and cheese omelette for dinner. Omelettes are omelettes, nice but not exceptional. I can't remember how much this cost.



A growing boy needs to eat like one. Wey has this strange habit of checking out fish and chips (RM15++/USD5++) in new restaurants even though he avoids eating fish most of the time. He wasn't impressed with this and neither was I .

My rack of lamb (RM39++/USD13++) came overcooked. I assumed that lamb would come slightly underdone and the waitress didn't ask.



Hub's sirloin looked good, done just nice and taste was okay but surprisingly was dry inside--sign of a frozen steak. RM47++/USD15.50++. 

Wey ordered another soup and garlic bread (feeding one growing child is a lot cheaper than 3, I just realized) but it didn't come after a long wait so we left. Desserts on the other tables didn't look appealing, mostly ice creams of vibrant colors which I've learnt from my Italian holidays are just that, colors.

Overall, the food  tonight could've been better but because the prices are very reasonable compared to most other similar western restaurants in town, I'd still come back. Since the portions have shrunk, I'd go for the RM15/USD5 deals such as lamb chops, house burgers, grilled chicken, chicken fritters, fajitas and rice dishes.

Party Play, Lintas

My wish has come true. Now there's a place for sandwiches worthy for my alimentary canal. There aren't any good delis in this big town small city and the only places for a decent sandwich are the 5-star hotels where a sandwich with drinks can set you back by RM50/USD16.40.

Party Play has come to the rescue, with set meals at RM12.90/USD4.20 which can be a sandwich or pasta or curry that comes with a small salad, a dessert and a drink. I've been to PP twice this month and each time my craving was for their sandwich set.


PP's very delicious sandwich is loaded and large enough to feed two small eaters. The set sandwich comes with a nice Caesar salad but a better replacement (which they allow) is PP's house salad, which is loaded with pine nuts and other goodies and a divine dressing. Pity though that the salad greens are finely cut up and confined to a small bowl, making them soggy.  PP's baguettes are extremely crispy-crusty and thin-skinned; they remind me of Spanish flat baguettes, unlike the thick-skinned baguettes in many hotels (Hyatt for example), which are made for prehistoric men with sharpened canines. PP's baguettes are for tai tais.


Creamy mushroom pasta, very tasty. I stand corrected by MG, who said the cream was too runny and she's right. I only had two bites of my friend's pasta.


Sticky date pudding, RM10/USD3.30. Hmm. This one's tricky. While the flavor's great, I'm not sure about the texture, which was sticky, gummy and very much like a pudding. You know how it's like with first great  impressions of food/boyfriends/dogs: you measure all subsequent ones against them. My first sticky date pudding was warm and cake-like and I think that's the way I like it.


The set meals came with green tea tiramisu which all my friends enjoyed but which I thought was just okay. I'm suddenly tired of the wet soft texture of tiramisu. But I do like PP's desserts. Quality. Taste. Simple presentation (that's a mini macaron on the tiramisu). Affordable. I also liked that their desserts are not too sweet. I'm making this my regular lunch joint.

Party Play
Lot 21-0
Lorong Lintas Plaza 3,
Lintas Plaza, 88300
Kota Kinabalu

--to locals, this means PP is diagonally across from Bake With Me. You should know where that is.

Tel: 088 218 210

p.s. PP's set lunches are value for money. Otherwise, expect to pay as much as other western restaurants.

Dinner At TA Resort & Spa

TA Resort & Spa (TARS) used to be known as Tanjung Aru Beach Hotel, back in the days when it first opened and Hub and I had our wedding reception. Of all the hotels in KK, western tourists love this hotel the best. It is more cosy and natural (less concrete with a beach of its own and the Tanjung Aru beach nearby) than its closest contender, the Sutera hotels of Magellan and Pan Pacific. I do feel the difference everytime I step out onto their beachside walkway. I am told repeatedly that TARS' service and hospitality are incomparable.

Last Saturday was my umpteenth birthday and I decided to check out Peppino at TARS since its re-vamp. When you get to my age, there's no longer a need for candlelight dinners and playing footsie under the table. I decided that from now on I will always bring my mom along when I celebrate my birthday because she went through hell giving birth to me at home.


Ma & moi.



(Btw, my bro Clive and his wife Lena welcomed their first child, a son, at 9.08 pm last night--10/11/08--in Singapore, after 8 years of marriage. Thank you God! Bring out the ice wine!)

TARS has a sister hotel in Pantai Dalit, where the Coast Restaurant I blogged about last month is. After the disappointing dinner at Coast, I needed to check out Peppino to see if there's a general decline in TARS' food quality. I am happy to report a "No". However, be prepared to wait at least 40 minutes for your food (not including the 10 minutes for your table). Still, the friendly and knowledgeable waiter made it more bearable. The funny thing was he was very attentive and very courteous until the end when he asked if the food was okay and I told him what I thought of the steak. He muttered that he'll tell the chef and scurried away, never to return. I wonder if the chef shot the messenger.


Assortment of (free) freshly baked bread.

You have to request for the pesto sauce. Thumbs up for all these: the pesto was fresh and full of herbal scent, the butter was extremely smooth and the bread tasted fresh from the oven. We were the typical free-loading Asians, filling ourselves up with 4 rounds of the bread.


Wey's osso bucco with saffron risotto.

I thought the portion was pitiful, since for RM89++/US$25++ I could cook a pot of this, but Wey loved it, especially when he found at the end that there were loads of buttery marrow inside the bone:


All gone.

"Mom, which part of the lamb is this? Can you buy some soon?"


Sauteed cod (forgot the fancy description on the menu), RM85++/US$24++

Mom enjoyed it although Wey said he prefers cod cooked in Chinese restaurants--more tender and flavorful.


Veal chop with an herb crust, RM78++/US$22, and a ramekin of baked mozzarella.

I thoroughly enjoyed my thick (albeit it being not so flavorful, since it was veal) chop although I wished it was slightly less done. I had asked for medium rare, not medium. The fresh sun-dried tomatoes were sweet and tangy, very refreshing.

.


Mushroom and duck ragout risotto, RM48++/US$14++

Yi said her choice was clearly the best among all our orders, and I have to agree although I thought the risotto could be better with more olive oil and cream/cheese. The duck ragout was surprisingly pleasant without a strong ducky flavor.


Australian rib eye steak, RM128++/US$45++.

The asparagus & leeks and tiny potatoes on the side were separate orders of RM12/US$3.40 each that Hub had to order because his RM128 steak came naked with just a sprig of rosemary, parsley and thyme! Even if the potatoes and asparagus came with the steak, I' d still stay away from this order. Look at that. Have you seen rib eye that color, like it was ham? And to me, any good satisfying steak must be at least 2.5 cm thick, juicy and tender with lots of flavor and grilled or charred with burnt bits of caramelised meat and juices. But this rib eye was less than 2cm thick, dry and flavorless. It wasn't tough or exactly tender, just chewable. It wasn't worth eating even if it only costs RM20! Aiyayaya.

Yi and Wey knew I wouldn't eat any bakery cakes and so they surprised me with something they had driven around town to find: wild jungle durians. Quite a unique birthday 'cake', don't you think so?

Restaurant Review: Coast

Leila and Lily are going back to China for good, after spending 3 years studying in Sabah. I am sad to see them go, but I also have to accept the fact that China now holds more promise than ever before. The girls love it here, "because of the people and the relaxed lifestyle," they said, wiping away tears. It's hard to say good bye again--last Friday it was Ming, now these two girls, and in December my friend Linda and family will also go, to live in Melbourne. I am feeling like the last person left at the train station. One thing I am happy about is that both Leila and Lily became Christians while here.

F and I decided to take them somewhere special, and I chose Coast, the restaurant with the best ambience and decor in KK I think. They had a baby grand and a beautiful singer the last time and the food was good too on the 2 or 3 occasions I have eaten there. I haven't been there in a while. It is a long 45 minutes drive from the city, but as the Swiss lady seated next table to us said, it is truly beautiful and quiet out there at Shangri La's Rasa Ria Resort at Dalit Bay, Tuaran. She had a choice of Hong Kong or Bangkok or Penang and she's very happy she chose KK.

Coast, a Californian-style restaurant, has been awarded many restaurant and tourism awards over the years. Despite that, not many locals go there because it is out of town and the prices are steep. However, don't think they are begging for diners. It was a good thing I booked a table because the place was packed, mostly with Korean and Australian tourists. I think it was partly because the rain discouraged the hotel guests from going out, and also Naan, that lovely Indian restaurant in the hotel, was closed for renovation.


Assortment of bread, on the house.

This was the first sign of trouble. While the bread was as good as most major hotel's, the pesto sauce was flavorless. I asked what pesto it was, but the waitress didn't seem to understand.


Cream of mushroom RM10++/US$2.80++.

I had very conservative dining friends. They unanimously went for mushroom soup; I wanted seafood chowder or bouillabaisse. I remembered they had kids' menu the last time I was there, and the waiter surprisingly said we could order from that menu even though there wasn't any kid with us. The cream of mushroom was RM36/US$10.20 (I think) on the regular menu and only RM10/US$2.80 on the children's menu, so we each had that. The only thing though was the soup came in cartoony plastic plates. Which was okay by me, but the soup was the worst soup I've tasted in a long time. It was thin, and it tasted and looked like they'd been keeping it boiling on the stove all night--oil bubbles speckled the soup. But worst than that, the shiitake mushrooms tasted bitter. I am so glad we didn't pay nearly 4 times for a refined bowl of the same soup.


Cod with saffron linguine, RM80++/US$23++

Both F and Leila opted for this dish. I had a taste and the cod was disappointingly bland while the linguine was too soft and oily. What has happened to Coast?? Maybe my friends should have ordered Catch of The Day, sea bass, which the Swiss lady said was very good and which a couple on my left also had.


Chicken breast stuffed with couscous and doused with beurre blanc creme (white butter cream), RM70++/US$20++.

I never order chicken in western restaurants, because I don't like chicken breast, which always turn out dry, but lately I've had too much beef and also, the last time I was at Coast, the steak was served with a small piece of foie gras, which was heavenly, but now they don't do that anymore. Again, this was disappointing--whatever flavor there was just didn't please and it was a drag having to eat it. I also never liked couscous--and this dish confirmed it for me--it's just too fine on the tongue.


Duck breast, RM80++/US$23++.

Lily's pick was the best of the mains and there was a surprise tucked beneath the strips of veg--foie gras. Still, I think it could've been better if she had allowed them to slightly undercook the duck.


Baked potatoes, RM20++/US$5.70++

This was ridiculous, two so-so tasting potatoes, the size of my fist, with a hardened crust of cheddar and bacon bits for that price.


Mashed potatoes with rosemary and truffle oil, RM18++/US$5++

This was quite good because the rosemary and truffle oil went well together (if any restaurant can't even do mash, they better close down) but the portion was only about 5 spoonfuls.


The bar at Coast, after everyone had left. I finally figured out at this point that in this lighting the party mode on my camera was most suitable. See the difference?

The bill totalled RM320/US$91 for the 4 of us, which was surprisingly reasonable for Coast but that was because I used my Trio card which took 20% off the bill. Also, we didn't have any drinks but hot water because it was a cold and rainy night, nor wine because I was the only one who drink but I had to drive.

We decided that we wouldn't risk dessert there (I don't think that I'll go there again for a long long time) and opted for durians in Foh San. Btw, I was in Foh San 2 nights ago and one truck had one precious 'red prawn' durian. I called Ming in Melbourne to taunt him. However, the durian seller said the red prawn durians don't grow so well here and he didn't recommend it.

On the way home, we passed the durian stalls near Yayasan Sabah and decided to eat there just in case the stalls in Foh San were closed (it was drizzling and around 11 pm). Big big mistake. The durians were lousy (wet and too light in flavor), I am sure the scale was faulty (the two durians weighing 3 kg were much smaller than the two 3 kgs of yummy durians I had in Foh San), the fella charged me RM18/US$5 per kg even though I had bargained for RM15/US$4.30 and he proceeded to open the durians without saying no, and he was hitting on me (must've been too dark there) and Leila! We gobbled the durians (Leila and Lily love durians, my influence) and scooted, keeping an eye on the rear view mirror.

Archie De Corner

Black pepper sirloin steak.

Archie De Corner has been around for quite a while, serving local western food such as chops and steaks. Right now located at Kedai Kopi Sin Hing Fatt in the Taman Cantek shoplots (behind Lido), the restaurant is the typical plastic chairs and tables non-air-con coffeeshop with bright fluorescent lights and menus stuck on the wall. Not exactly where he should take you for a romantic dinner, but perfect if you feel like greasing your tummy with the most unhealthy but cheap and tasty western food. I say unhealthy because the meal is greasy, with your chicken chops and fries deep-fried in over-used oil that looks as black as soy sauce, there's no fresh fancy veggies with your orders but canned baked beans and pineapple (both very sweet), and the salt and sugar levels can push you into a stroke or diabetic fit before you've even finished your meal. Having said all the negative, now let me show you the positive about Archie:


Chicken chop, RM13/US$4

The two biggest pieces of chicken wing-breast portions I've ever seen, battered to absorb all that black oil. Wey could only finish one piece of chicken.


Sirloin steak with black pepper sauce, RM25/US$8.

This tasted nearly like those American steakhouse steaks: nicely charred outside and quite flavorful (but don't expect too much; this must be frozen meat) considering the price and the fact that at about 3.5cm thick, it was the thickest steak I've ever eaten in KK. I've eaten much smaller and less flavorful (by that I mean the meat, not the sauce) steaks in fancy hotels for more than twice the price, so this is quite something. It was tender, a little too cooked inside (although we asked for it to be done medium) and therefore dry, and the black pepper sauce was good but too salty for us. I asked that they spare us the fries.


Grilled lamb chops RM14/US$4.40.

Again, these are the thickest (nearly 2 cm) lamb chops in town and I love that they're not pathetically 1cm thin like everywhere else. This is Archie's best item, hands down. The chop was tender and so tasty so that even though the mint sauce was too sweet, Archie's forgiven. Fries were waived at our request, price remained the same.

When you consider the fact that only the meat is worth eating, the price is still very reasonable. The only thing that stops me from eating there more than once a year would be the thoughts of clogged arteries and hospital bills. If you aren't bothered with that, this place is pretty good especially the lamb chops.

Note: On a return visit, we found Archie's pork belly chop very very delicious (but salty)!

Grazie Ristorante

Aeons ago, 7 of us known as 'The Loans Girls' (as versus the Accounts, or Admin or RD Girls) were living the high life, working and partying without a care. We used to get together often to cook up a big meal--steamboat usually--and spend the night yakking our jaws off about who, what, where, when. In those days we never heard of cellulite or blocked arteries, such was the bliss of youth, and food was our biggest obsession next to shopping and travelling. Through the years, most of us got married, and three from the group drifted overseas, one to the US, one Canada and the third, Australia. The remaining pathetic four tried bravely to hold on to the eating culture of The Loans Girls, but with increasing family responsibilities and waistlines, we were lucky if we met up to eat more than twice a year.

Last Monday, the 4 of us--who would've thought V with her western ways would end up living here while K would marry a Kevin Bacon-lookalike and live in the US--left our responsibilities hehind and spent a delightful evening catching up (meaning yakking about who, who with, where, when, what?! After all the shocking news about failed marriages and so on, we looked at each other and V said (paraphased), "Hey, we all made it through so far, not bad!" I felt a little sad, that we--those fine boys and girls in the bank 20 years ago--have all finally grown up and that those days of innocence and wonder were now gone. Heck.) over an Italian meal (and a bottle of good merlot) at Grazie Ristorante, Ground Floor, Wisma MAA.

What is it about old friends that no matter how long you haven't seen each other, you can transcend that time gap and pick up where you last met? The bond of old friendships, sealed through more than 20 years of love and support for each other through ups and downs, is so comfortable that none of us need to put up pretences (and if we did, would not be allowed to get away with) about our lives, work or whatever situation. I truly thank God for friends like P, V and R! And the runaway 3 of course, one of whom is coming back to visit in 2 weeks. More feasting to come.

P had warned us about the food at Grazie, but I insisted on going there because I'd never been there. I heard that the chef is from that Italian restaurant in Jesselton Hotel but there was no Italian hunk in the kitchen that night except for a local guy who was very good at twirling pizza dough into the air. We shared our orders (now that we have at last acknowledged the orange peel skin on our thighs as cellulite) which were very distinctly diverse, ranging from downright inedible to very good. And if they are reading this, I would suggest some good old Italian music instead of Michael Bolton over and over.


Zuppa de mare--good, with big chunks of fresh seafood but unnecessarily hot with the addition of lots of chili strips and I'd rather the tomatoes aren't so liquidised. Portion was small. RM12.90/US$4.


I can't remember what salad this was but I can tell you we were squinting and making eyes at each other when eating it because the dressing was so sour! The portion again was small which was just as well because given the pH2 dressing and boring ingredients we couldn't finish it. Can't remember the price...


Prawns linguine aglio e oilo (garlic and olive oil). My favorite pasta sauce is not with tomato passata or cream, it's with lots of aglio and the best olive olio. This was surprisingly good, better than other pasta aglio e olio I've had recently (except for the best one I had, in Perth of all places). If I have to find fault in this, it'll be that it tasted slightly too creamy or buttery instead of tasting light. But, still, it was good.


I'd go back to Grazie for their pizzas, although when I do, I'll order the small pizzas instead of large (no medium) because the large was so large the slice of pizza couldn't hold up and was folding under. RM23.90/US$7.50, pretty reasonable.


Panna cotta. As with panna cotta, you can never go wrong. However, this was so ridiculously small the four of us had only a teaspoon each. RM8.80/US$2.50


Ai yayaya. This was the worst tiramisu I've ever eaten. I couldn't taste any liquor or mascarpone, just soggy sponge fingers with coffee and chocolate. RM8.80/US$2.50

And that, folks, is Grazie, a restaurant that serves food that can range from awful to awesome in one meal.