Tanzini, GTower, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur

We were impressed with our first lunch at Tanzini back in November 2010, so we decided to return again for lunch. Furthermore, I had won a bottle of Cava worth RM300 in a blogger contest held on Tanzini's Facebook page, redeemable during the next dine-in so all the more reason to go.

We had wanted to come during the evening, just for a change of scenery and to catch the illuminated Petronas Twin Towers. However, having young children made it quite difficult for us to get away in the evenings. We were surprised that the set lunch remained unchanged even after 3 months, so that was a no-no for us. So we ordered from the a la carte menu instead.

I found it rather strange that they decided to serve us only 1 piece of bread each (one of each type only) which was rather inconvenient, as this meant we had to keep asking for bread refills. After our starters, they actually decided to clear the bread basket and not return with more breads for us! I have to say the bread was very good though, which was why we asked for more.

Hubby had the Buffalo Milk Mozzarella with Vine Ripened Tomatoes, "Cornetti Beans" and beef Coppa (RM18). We were in agreement that this starter was good value for money seeing that mozzarella is quite costly to buy in the supermarket and the portion given was very generous. The Cornetti beans however were missing from this dish despite being mentioned in the menu.

Delicious sweet tomatoes paired with mozzarella

I ordered the Claypot Fruitti Di Mare (RM26 for entree portion), which had mussels, squid, scallop, clam, organic Baramundi and prawn stewed in a rich tomato broth. I enjoyed this very much as the broth was very sweet and appetizing, whetting my appetite for the next course. This dish can also be ordered as a main course.

During our last visit here, I had the barramundi and it was very good. So Hubby decided to order another barramundi dish off the menu, Sicilian Barramundi (RM38) which is served with a tomato salsa and a side salad. The tomato salsa had a nice spicy kick to it (they were not kidding when they placed a chilli sign next to this dish on the menu) and complimented the fish well.

The word "truffle"prompted me to order the Lobster Truffle Angel Hair dish (RM40 for entree portion). Furthermore it had a "chef's hat" next to it on the menu, so I was confident that I was on to a winner. Unfortunately for me, I was sorely disappointed. Firstly, the homemade pasta was quite rough in texture, undercooked and could not absorb any of the bisque. It was very different from angel hair pasta I've had in the past. The truffle was hidden beneath the pasta, only 3 small slices and it was rubbery and had no earthy scent which truffles usually possess. However the saving grace of this dish was the lobster bisque which was pretty flavoursome. I wished I still had some bread to soak up the lobster bisque from the plate though! The pasta was also accompanied by 3 chunky pieces of lobster which has been marinated in vodka. Please note that the price on the menu and bill for this dish did not match and this was something the staff was aware of before I pointed it out to them yet they did not rectify this.

I found it strange that they used such a large leaf as a garnish

Hugely disappointing pasta

Fortunately, the Tiramisu A Pezzi (RM26) was still as good as I remembered it.

This was the free bottle of Cava worth RM300 that I won. RM300, really? That's quite some mark up as this is widely available in the UK supermarkets for around £5.

Verdict: Tanzini remains an elegant restaurant with great views with potentially good food, however we were not as satisfied with this meal as we were with the last. We would possibly revisit when the menu is revamped. I also hope that Tanzini's management would consider changing their set lunch menu at least once a month.

Opening times: Monday to Saturdays; Lunch 11.30am to 2.30pm; Dinner 6.30pm to 10.30pm. Closed on Sundays.

Service: Fair.

Price: Total bill was RM161.

Location: Trattoria Tanzini, Level 28, GTower, 199 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (GTower is next to Tabung Haji building and Ampang Park LRT station)

Tel: 03- 2168 1899

Website: http://www.tanzini.com.my/