La Cucina,
Pullman Kuala Lumpur,
1, Jalan Pantai Jaya,
Tower 3, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2298 1888
Business hours: Noon to 3.00pm
and 6.30pm to 10.30pm.
A restaurant with a Middle Eastern-inspired decor sees executive chef Michel Camy from France and sous chef Aidiyusman Mohamad Yushoff (Chef Aidi) churning out Mediterranean cuisine to delightful effect.
With a seating capacity of 60, the restaurant is ideal for intimate and warm gatherings with L-shaped sofas that accommodate four to five people per table.
The open concept gives patrons a view of the live cooking station.
Yummy: Spaghetti Fruitti Di Mare is a medley of seafood simmered in a light shellfish broth with plum tomatoes and fresh herbs.
During a recent media tasting, StarMetro was served various a la carte meals including the Red Mullet Fillet, Spaghetti Fruitti Di Mare, Smoked Duck Tanglioni, Lamb Sausage Pizza, Braised Australian Grain-Fed Beef Cheek, Smoked Duck Pizza, Short Rib Gnocchi and Spaghetti Puttanesca.
Those who are not fans of duck meat might consider giving the Smoked Duck Tanglioni a chance.
Made with roasted pumpkin, spinach, pine nuts, crumbled feta in a creamy tomato sauce, the dish did not have the usual strong duck aftertaste. The pine nuts give the meal a nice and light nutty flavour.
Next is the Short Rib Gnocchi, which is tender and full of flavour, without being overpowering.
Not your usual duck meat: Smoked Duck Tanglioni is made with roasted pumpkin, spinach, pine nuts, crumbled feta and creamy tomato sauce.
According to Chef Aidi, the restaurant makes its gnocchi from scratch. The original recipe calls for wildboar but he has changed it to beef while maintaining the essence of the original recipe.
Spaghetti Puttanesca is a slightly tangy pasta made with smoked streaky beef shavings in a tomato compote, caper berries, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and calamata olives.
This dish will likely appease those looking to consume a lighter pasta, as the sauce is not extremely rich and no heavy ingredients are used.
A first-time beef cheek eater might be unaccustomed to the deep and rich flavour of the Braised Australian Grain-Fed Beef Cheek.
However, once accompanied by the gravy, the taste is immediately toned down and delicious.
The meat is incredibly tender, easily breaking off with a fork. It comes with parmesan polenta and olive tapenade.
According to Chef Aidi, the beef cheek and pizza selections are popular options in the restaurant.
Another must try for the main course is the Australian Beef Short Rib. Equally tender and bursting with flavours, the dish is slow-cooked and made with ras al hanut, a Moroccan spice made from cinnamon, corriander seeds, dry blueberry and mulberry leaves, among others.
Not to be upstaged is the dessert selection. Both the Cardamon Chocolate Cream Brulee and Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Rhubard Strawberry Compote are equally tasty, with the former being rich in flavour and is best shared.
Other desserts available include Semolina Cinnamon Sugar, Apple Rhubard Crumble, Maccaron Pavlova, Baklava, Divine Pear Crostada Walnut and Oatmeal Crust, Cinnamon Cheesecake among others.
The pastas price range from RM32++ and above, while their pizza selection costs RM26++. Main courses cost from RM48++ onwards.
This is the writers personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.
