Coffee and more @ Ristretto, 10 Mont Kiara

Marcky asked what do I think of coffee.



I loveeeeeeeeeeeeee coffee. For its taste, character and even its "stay awake" effect. As much as possible, I'll stay away from coffee because I am quite an insomniac to start things with. However, I could not resist the idea of Ristretto . It had to be a combination of its name and perhaps because I was seriously looking for a new place to chill before and after my kickboxing classes.

For the uninitiated, Ristretto is a short shot of an espresso. Short shot but this results in a more full flavoured and bodied coffee. Short shot isn't a mild shot if one is thinking that a short shot means less potent:P And as I learn later...the coffees at Ristretto despite being mildly priced, its certainly some rich potent coffees brewing there.

Its after work and at 7pm, I am surprised that I dared to coffee. For good coffee, why not? The kind folks at Ristretto started us off with a refreshing watermelon juice to freshen us up after work. Good idea since I was almost half dead by the time I arrived after the crazy rain and of course our famous KL traffic.

I opted for a piccolo for RM4.50. A piccolo is basically a small latte but with less milk. This is for those who like their coffee with milk but have a stronger preference of stronger coffee. Verdict? I loved it. And I finished every bit of it...

Hubby opted for the Long Macchiato at RM5. This is a rather strong drink since its double espresso. It was his drink however, I am on some caffeine high that I flicked quite a bit from him. The aroma and taste of the coffee was awesome (remember I like my coffee strong).

And obviously since hubby "lost" his coffee to me, he opted for another round of coffee. This time he had the Special Cappuccino at RM6. Unlike many other cappuccinos around, this is an interesting chocolatey cappuccino. The chocolate is intense yet not overwhelming. And the secret lies in the milk. It is chocolate milk!

Soy Chai Latte at RM6 that Bok ordered has a subtle blend of spices. It tasted just right and the soy milk made it delightfully smooth. A good drink to warm one up during the cold rainy night that we were there.

A sip here and there from the following coffees (all caffeinated and at night), it is no wonder that I kept awake for the next 36 hours:D

Ristretto isn't just about coffees. This places serves some wicked food. I absolutely adored the Club Sandwich. Served with a bed of salad and crinkled fries on the side, this is quite a filling meal and is best shared so you can try the other awesome stuff of their menu.

Another must try is the Mexican Chicken. Richly oozing with cheese and spicy well marinated meat. Its amazing how every mouthful was a mouthful of meat, mash potato and cheese.

If you're a pasta lover, Ristretto has quite a few for you to choose from. The Meatball Arrabiata is made with their own homemade chicken meatball. The sauce was a tad salty that night. But that aside, the whole pasta was really quite good.

The creamy based pastas were rightly creamy. So if you're not a creamy pasta person, leave this out as they are really awesomely creamy. This is the pollo @ fungi. Forgive my photo that does no justice to their pasta, but its really good. My only gripe is that I wished the pasta was a wee more el dente. No one complained that night, so perhaps its just a matter of preference:P

And if you prefer local stuff, Ristretto has them all sorted out. There is Nasi Lemak, Chicken Rendang and even Char Kueh Teow. Amongst the 3, I loved thed Char Kueh Teow the best. It was nice and spicy albeit a tad salty (which I think can be easily sorted out with the chef as my tastebuds are quite sensitive to salt).

Hubby mentioned that he loved the nasi lemak the best. The rice was fluffy "lemaky" and served with crunchy anchovies on the side, its no wonder that this was his best that night. And serving it on a slice of banana leaf definitely made the whole nasi lemak more "real".

And for the lost or even those with kids, the burgers at Ristretto will be your solution. We had chicken burger that night. Nothing to shout about but it was a safe order for anyone with fussy eaters or whose favourite order is "anything will do, please order for me".

Coffee must have a partner. And the partner here would be the desserts. When I first walked in, this chiller of desserts greeted me. I told myself, whatever it is I must leave room for desserts. The desserts looked good and tasted just as good.

I'm an apple pie child. Here at Ristretto the apple pie is just nicely sweet with a hint of cinnamon. The slightly tangy apples and the to kill for pastry (almost like a buttery crumble) makes this my favourite dessert of the night. Some may find the apple a wee chunky but this is the way I like my apple pies. Yummy...may I have more pleaseeeee?

Wild berry cheesecake was equally yummy but it just wasn't the best I have had. The cheesecake was good. I supposed I didn't take too well to the berries. Something was missing and I can't seem to figure out why.

The chocolate brownie is another must have. Moist and rich, it was perfect with the scoop of cream. The generous almonds went well with the whole works of the brownie and ice cream. Quite a delightful thing to have on a wet cold night. And definitely a good end to the night.

But I was wrong. The night didn't end with just desserts. More coffee to come. Ristretto has alcoholic coffees too. If you're adventurous and love the bitter taste of coffees coupled with the bitter taste of alcohol, this would be your cup of coffee. Andrew ~ thanx for the use of the following pictures.



I opted for Guinness Coffee. It was bitter. But something was just quite missing. I reckon it would have been nicer had it been a little creamier. Told Julian our barista for the night my 2 cents worth of opinion and he offered mea modified Guinness Coffee with a creamy texture the next time I swing by.

Hubby opted for the Irish Coffee. It was a tad mild for our liking. Reckon we both like our drinks stronger.

The Mayan Coffee was off for me. I don't know why but it certainly smelt like orange washing liquid to me:-( And Sue Lynn's face certainly made the Mayan Coffee a bad idea too :P

I'll sum up. Ristretto is a fabulous place to chill for coffee and food (especially the desserts). There is much love that goes into each coffee. See how they work and you'll know the love. Its some good beans chosen and coupled with the proper know how to brew a coffee that results in good coffee. And when you thrown in passion for coffee, the magic recipe for good coffee is perfected (almost).

Ristretto is nicely hidden in 10 Mont Kiara. Minus the on going construction nearby, this place is such a great cozy hideout. You'll love the cozy feel of the place. And coupled with the warm friendly service of the folks there, its no wonder this is one of my fave hangouts apart from Nolita in Viva Home Mall (which I'll opt during the weekdays since its nearer to my office).

Ristretto Cafe:

4 Jalan Kiara 1,

Mont Kiara,

50480 Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia.

+603 62 1111 83

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ristrettocafe

Twitter: @ristrettocafemy

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