NEW ITALIAN FLAVOURS AT ENOTECA

Change is a constant in life and it's no different in the restaurant business. As of last October, Neroteca - a cosy Italian restaurant in Damansara Heights is now rebranded as Enoteca with new owners, management and chef in place. 

 

We had the honour of meeting the new Enoteca team recently, comprising Domenico Ferroni or Mimmo the affable Floor Manager from Roma, Annie Lim who's responsible for marketing and Abruzzo native, Chef Stefano Criber.

 

Positioned as a casual fine dining Italian restaurant serving up non-halal Italian cuisine, Mimmo assured us Chef Stefano strives to keep the house specialities as authentic as possible. Naturally, diners will find a handful of specialities from both Roma and Abruzzo alongside more familiar pasta, pizza, mains and dessert.

Interior-wise, the layout clad primarily in monochromatic shades remains intact. The intimate row of alcove seats are a magnet for romance seekers while a sleek floor-to-ceiling, glassy wine cellar takes pride of place at the back of the main dining space.

While we waited in anticipation for the chef's selection to be prepared, Mimmo treated us to an uplifting glass of sparkling Prosecco. The perfect ice-breaker to pave the way for the signature Tagliere Enoteca (RM99 full serving; RM50 half serving).

Freshly baked garlic focaccia served as the delicious canvas to showcase the six varieties of premium Italian cold cuts, two types of Italian cheese and antipasti: grilled vegetables and arancini (cheese stuffed rice balls deep-fried in breadcrumb coating). A substantial platter designed for sharing so it went down a storm with us from the get-go.

Octopus is the 'it' seafood now, its versatility revered by chefs from the East and West. At Enoteca, the sublime Piovra Arrosto Con Spuma Di Burrata & Pesto Rosso -- boiled and grilled octopus with mousse of burrata cheese and red Mediterranean pesto sauce knocked our socks off with its appetising textural and flavour composition, whetting our appetite for the much anticipated feast ahead.

"NO cream!" declared Mimmo when he presented the Spaghetti Alla Carbonara (RM35) with a flourish. Yup, real spaghetti carbonara doesn't include cream. Instead, the lightly rich sauce was made using eggs, black pepper and pecorino cheese. The suckerpunch of deep-seated savouriness was bestowed by bits of guanciela -- fatty Roman pork cheek bacon. It was soooo good!

Ah, rivalling the spaghetti in the taste department is Chitarra Alla Montanara, an egg pasta typical of Abruzzo; the strands cut using an implement known as chitarra (pronounced key-tahr-rah, Italian for guitar). Tossed with porcini and chunky Italian sausage in brown sauce perfumed with truffle oil, the scrumptious housemade spaghetti was a befitting tribute to Chef Stefano's roots.

Want something luxe to sink your teeth into? Then call ahead a day in advance to request for the new speciality of Chitarra Alla Aragosta. Sautéed with chunky tomatoes, the pasta embraced the delicate sweetness of lobster meat, making it a sumptuous delight to relish.

Creamy, aromatic butter sauce with crushed walnuts lent warm rusticity and comforting appeal to Cappelletti Di Ricotta, Spinaci In Salsa Di Burro Aromatico & Noci (RM32), another new menu debutante. Any Italian mama worth her salt would approve of the tender,  handmade ravioli dumplings filled with ricotta and spinach in that pool of sinfully lush sauce.

The wood-fire pizza oven on premise means this perennial Italian fave is guaranteed to be on-point. Simplest but the best representation of a true Italian pizza has to be the classic Margherita & Basilica Pizza (RM26). Generous slather of tomato sauce, lots of mozzarella and fresh basil atop a thicker than usual crust ensured this pizza was superbly satisfying. Another variant that got the nod from us was the Gorgonzola Salsiccia Pizza -- a winsome dual topping of melted gorgozola cheese and chunky housemade pork sausage.

Apple cider vinegar formed part of the marinade for the pork chops or more correctly, Costoletta Di Maiale Ai Funghi Porcini & Raviolo Di Patate & Mele Al Ginepro.

According to Chef Stefano, the meat was marinated for 24 hours before it was sou vide.  To complete the dish, the pork chop is seared and served with demi-glace alongside roast potatoes. While the saucy pork jus splatters didn't do justice to the look of the dish, we assure you the resultant taste scored highly among our dining party.

 

More pork for thought appeared in Stinco Di Maiale Alla Birra E Miele (RM68), Chef Stefano's signature Italian pork shank braised in red wine served with boiled vegetables. While the meat was tender, it remained toothsome to the bite and suffused with the discernible wine and herb accents. A dish evocative of a heartwarming Italian hearth and home.

Appreciative oohs and aahs were heard the minute our palates got a sampling of Tagliata Di Pluma Iberico Al Tre Pepi Su Letto Di Rucola & Carciofi Grigliati (RM105), Iberico pork neck slices with 3 types of peppercorns. Grilled and served with rocket and marinated grilled artichoke, we made short work of the yummilicious pork secretly wishing for more.

Less is more holds true when it comes to La Milanese (RM32), a deceptively pared down fried pork chop. The flattened and lightly breaded fillet cooked in clarified butter left us smitten; its juicy sweetness resonated on our tastebuds via creamy mash potatoes and the housemade yoghurt dip.

Italians are sticklers for tradition hence there's no surprises in the dessert department. Most diners wouldn't dream of leaving without the typical pick-me-upper of Tiramisu (RM24). The coffee-flavoured ladyfinger sponge layered with mascarpone was mildly laced with alcohol but upon request, you can order extra shots of grand marnier to give the dessert more boozy kick.

I particularly enjoyed Semifreddo Al Pistacchio (RM24), frozen pistachio mousse with its pistochio biscuit crust. A defyingly simple treat to leave an indelible impression if you're partial to everything nutty.

Surefire crowd-pleasing Chocolate Lava (RM28), warm molten chocolate cake with vanilla gelato is on the menu too. Dark, fluffy and oozing with liquid chocolate at the core, most people will find this too irresistible to pass up.

Again, the failsafe option is to savour the house-churned I Nostri Gelati (RM15) in a choice of pistachio, chocolate or vanilla. Served in cialde, housemade wafer 'flower' cups, the cool treats wrapped up our visit to Enoteca on a pleasantly sweet note.

For reservations, call Enoteca Italian Restaurant KL, tel: 03 2011 5725. Address: 15 & 17, Plaza Damansara, Jalan Medan Setia 1, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.
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NEW CHEF DEBUTS AT MAISON FRANÇAISE

Once upon a time, in October 2011, Maison Française entered Klang Valley’s intensely competitive restaurant scene. Defying the odds, it succeeded in establishing a foothold as a fine French dining outpost. 

Tucked away in a quiet cul-de-sac amidst existing posh condos and upcoming skyscrapers within the Golden Triangle, the restaurant is now the domain of Brittany-born Chef Florent Lescouezec. His culinary creations should bestow fresh shine to Maison's menu; be it a la carte, a 4-course Menu Gourmand (RM280++ per person) or a 6-course Menu Degustation (RM390++ per person).

 

Although ghastly construction goings-on nearby aren’t complementary to Maison’s elegant, monochromatic ambience, those unseemly sights can be kept at bay once the dining space’s drapes are drawn.   

Chef Florent’s exquisite opener of Larnaudie Duck Foie Gras Custard with Smoked Eel, Green Apple Emulsion and Artichoke (RM90++) should serve as an apt distraction. The feather-light custard is made from foie gras de canard (duck liver) from Jean Larnaudie, a French foie gras specialist with a long history dating back to 1950. A fleeting hint of smokiness was discernible in mouthfuls of the lush custard; its cloud-like texture enlivened by a frothy green apple emulsion.

Quinoa — once a humble, poor man’s grain now food of choice for health-conscious urbanites — made its presence felt in the subsequent offering of Gamberro Rosso Tartare with Kristal caviar, crustecean oil and quinoa taboule (RM110++). The collusion of tastes and textures: from the natural sweetness of the red prawn to the coy nuttiness of the quinoa grains was delicate, almost playful on the palate.

A key staple since Maison’s opened its doors, the Signature Lobster Bisque (RM75++) remained something to write home about. The flavour-rich broth’s unabashed umami profile simply reinforced its long-standing appeal.

Escargot fans rejoice! Snail-pace is the way to savour the sumptuous French Organic Farm Snails in Fricassée, Garlic Butter and Porcini Mushrooms (RM90++). Sautéed in garlic butter and earthy porcini, the deliciously tender morsels came encased in a crisp golden brown breaded golf ball-size ‘shell’.

Like the proverbial ‘the devil’s in the details’ saying, we were reminded why a seemingly simple appetiser such as House Smoked Duck Breast, Shredded Confit of Duck Leg, 64.5 degrees Egg & Buttered Kale (RM80++) command such a high price. Before it hit the table, the chef and his team had put in hours of painstaking labour and sometimes, days of prep work in their quest to get the various components ready. To say the speciality was quackingly good won’t do it justice as the yummilicious ducky duet took to the sous vide egg like...well, ducks to water.

New mains in the spotlight ranged from extravagant Butter Poached Lobster (RM320++), French-aged Sirloin On The Grill and Slow-cooked Rump of Lamb (RM140++) to more rustic Butter Poached Wild French Cod (RM140++) and Poultry Breast Blanquette (RM160++).

The chef’s culinary artistry and technical competence came to the fore in ensuring the lobster creation looked good and tasted even better. Never mind its pared-down preso; put it down to the French respect for letting quality ingredients shine minus the frills.

Likewise, the medium, aged beef held its own; a pivotal lead touched by wisps of mesquite wood on the grill. With a convivial coterie of anchovy, horseradish, celeriac puree and onion tart in attendance, it left our hearts and tummies thoroughly smitten.

Also deserving of applause was the lamb. Slow cooked to blush pink doneness, its tenderness provided nice contrasting textural interplay with the soft eggplant confit and buttered broad beans.

Personally, I was reeled in by the Butter Poached Wild French Cod, Pea and Basil Velouté, Sauce Vierge (RM140++). Sauce vierge or virgin sauce in French is a blend of olive oil, lemon juice, chopped basil and tomato – presumably a trick of the trade to lighten the classical velouté, a mother sauce. In this instance, the resultant liquidy mixture made quite a splash when sampled with the fab fish.

Musky aroma of truffle juice whetted our appetite for the Poultry Breast Blanquette (RM160++). Akin to a ‘white-out’ ragout (French stew), this speciality also comprised truffle white pudding sausage and black trumpet mushrooms injecting their tasteful characters into the equation.

Happily ever-afters to wrap up your dining foray to Maison should cover the alluring

Valrhona Dark Chocolate & Pistachio Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream (RM40++). Thumbs up to the green, nutty and bittersweet slant.

Chocoholics may find sweet succour in the delightful Chocolate Pear, Quince Paste, Jivara and Dulcey Chocolate Mousse (RM40++). A dreamy platter of distinctive Valrhona chocolates: Jivara 40% caramel-vanilla notes with a touch of malt meets Dulcey 32% blond chocolate with buttery and toasty notes, accented by a hint of salt, guaranteed to lift choc-loving diners to new highs.

Prefer returning to basics? Chef Florent tricked up Classic Tatin Apple Pie with a scoop of Bourbon Vanilla Cream Cheese, a grown-up, boozy uptake of old-school apple pie a la mode.

For reservations at Maison Francaise, call tel: 03 2144 1474. The homey colonial bungalow-based dining enclave is located at 5, Jalan Changkat Kia Peng, Kuala Lumpur.