Relocated and porkylicious...
We were huge fans of Spasso Milano's antipasti buffet when they were still at Jalan Ampang. I took Hubby, the kids, my parents there many times.. and they all enjoyed it. One of the things we really like is that the service is very good and food quality was good too, despite being a buffet. The traffic to the old restaurant was quite bad, but fret not, as now Spasso Milano has relocated to Pavilion KL, one of KL's most prestigious malls. And together with the relocation, Spasso has gone from pork-free to porky.
The new Spasso in Pavilion KL opened it doors to the public on January 13, on Level 6 where Japanese Angus Steak House used to be. Executive Chef Felice Martinelli still helms the kitchen in Spasso, a very nice friendly chap and yes, he is Italian so you're definitely getting authentic Italian cuisine here. It has a retail-dine concept, which means if you like some of the pasta that you've eaten here, you can also buy them home to cook yourself. The menu is filled with home cooked fare that you can find from the country kitchens of Italy, with an added twist of course. (Click here for the full menu - prices are pretty reasonable)
We started off with the Beef Carpaccio Cipraini (RM28), a beautifully vibrant dish of thinly sliced beef tenderloin on rocket, topped with Parmesan slices and balsamic dressing and dotted with fresh tomatoes. This is a recreation of the famous dish carpaccio from Ciprani's of Harry Bar in Venice. Clean fresh flavours, which got our meal off to a good start.
I enjoyed the Smoked Duck Breast (RM23) served with avocado, drizzled with hazelnut oil. The duck has been smoked in-house, very tender and flavorful.
Homemade garlic focaccia topped with butter and garlic (RM12.80)
Hubby loves a good Salad Caprese (RM32) and the one here at Spasso is excellent. A combination of fresh buffalo mozzarella and tomato slices, topped with sundried tomatoes and basil, it was certainly a dish that we relished.
Btw, Spasso Milano serves a good range of Italian wines to enjoy with the food.
San Angelo Pinot Grigio Toscana, Tuscany Banfi 2000 (RM180 per bottle)
Next, we had the seafood crepe (RM24.80), a dish which was hearty, flavorful and brimming with essence of the sea. The crepe is like the ones you get with your crepe suzette, and is filled with prawn, black cod, scallops and fish and served with a prawn bisque. Very very delicious.
The risotto alla Milanese (RM32) looks fairly simple, but executed very well. They use carnaroli here (the best quality risotto rice) and cooked in chicken stock and flavoured with saffron. Uber good - texturewise, it was perfectly al dente.
How can we not try some of Italian's staple food - pasta and pizzas! There are a few types of pasta to choose from and you can pair it with the sauce of your choice. We tried the orecchiette (little ear pasta) served with all'amatriciana sauce (RM28.80), slightly spicy from the chilli flakes used and tangy from the tomato. This pasta is served with bacon (the pork variety!), onion and pecorino cheese.
Pizzas at Spasso are cooked in the specialty wood fired pizza oven to produce the thin crispy crust pizza that we all love. In total, there are 14 types of pizzas to choose from here. We tried the Scamorza Affumicata & Speck (RM42), a wonderful tasting pizza topped with smoked scarmoza cheese imported from Italy and smoked air dried ham (speck).
Hubby commented that the chicken from the Chicken Saltimbocca (RM32) was very moist - well that's because the chef is skillful, I said ;) The chicken fillet is filled with fresh sage, rosemary, beef salami and Taleggio cheese and served with a white wine sauce flavoured with more Taleggio and rosemary and a side of pasta aglio olio. The portion is quite substantial for one person.
The pork valdostana (RM38) is made using pork neck escalope (apparently the meat from this part is very tender, we've heard of places using pork neck now for making char siew) and topped witk baked ham and fontina cheese, again this was served with pasta aglio olio.
Cheese Platter - diners will get to choose 4 types of cheese from a selection 7 types and will be served with sliced apple, walnut and grilled focaccia.
Tiramisu oh tiramisu, how do I love thee... when I go to an Italian restaurant, I will most probably order the tiramisu (RM18.80) if I see it on the menu. I have to say despite the tiramisu here being non-alcoholic, I enjoyed it very very much. According to Chef Felice, the authentic tiramisu doesn't contain alcohol.. ah we learn something new everyday! I almost polished off the whole cup by myself ;P
I also love the millefoglie (RM16.80), the Italian version of the mille feuille. It's so pretty isn't it? Layers of puff pastry with mascarpone cream and mandarin segments, also served with a gelato. I would definitely order this again the next time I visit.
Bergami, Agriarti 50cl (RM16 per glass, left) and Liquiri, Agriarti 50cl (RM16 per glass, right)
Verdict: Food here is still as good, with the added bonus of a super convenient location in the city. I'm going back again soon to try their antipasti buffet, now priced at RM28++ - appetizers, soup, grill of the day and dessert! Who can say no to a deal like that?
Full set of photos available to view here.
Opening times: 10am to 11pm.
Non-halal.
Service: Good.
Location: Spasso Milano, Lot 6.44 & 6.45, Level 6, Pavilion KL, 168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: +603 2148 0688
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it sounds like they've made a very smart move by relocating to pavilion! i wish there could be a porky italian restaurant in KLCC too! :D
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna go try their antipasti buffet next... maybe Spasso will open another outlet in KLCC soon? ;)
DeleteBUT I LOVE MY TIRAMISU WITH ALCOHOL! :(
ReplyDeleteHaha me too! But the tiramisu here was pretty good ler without the alcohol, think it was the espresso they used.
DeleteGosh.. that's a lot of food! Can't wait to try their antipasti buffet again, this time with pork!
ReplyDeleteIt's available on weekends too, maybe we can go together next week? ;)
Deletethe food here is great. i love it!! :P
ReplyDeleteYes yes, will have to agree. I love the pizza and risotto best. And desserts too.
DeletePork neck escalope... mmm stuff dreams are made of!
ReplyDeleteJuicy and tender!
DeleteI like their dinner. Have you tried their antipasto buffet since they've moved? I used to like that in Ampang, but haven't had a chance to try it in the new location yet.
ReplyDeleteNot yet, but plan to go soon. Maybe next week. Been too busy lately - it's RM28++ now with main course included. Still good value considering its current location in Pavilion KL.
DeleteDang I have yet to visit them in Pavilion. I seriously need to do it soon. I wonder if the lunch buddy is keen to kill his healthy diet eating for a day and indulge in the anti pasti buffet with me. hehehe
ReplyDeleteThat seafood crepe is beckoning me...hehe! Must go, soon.
ReplyDeleteInterested in learning ITALIAN language? The language of ARTS, FASHION and FOOD.
ReplyDeleteCentre for Languages at HELP CAT is opening an Italian class from 5th July - 27 September 2014 (3 months), every Saturday, 10am - 1pm. The venue will be at HELP College of Arts and Technology.
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The fees will be RM 780, inclusive of material fees, for a total of 40 hours.
If you are a student, show me your student card and you will be entitled to 20% discount. If you register before 30th June, you will get 5% discount.
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