Gourmandis @ Citta Mall

Gourmandis? I thought it was supposed to be spelled "gourmandise" and means appreciation of good food. Spelling error or not its still pronounced \ˌgu̇r-män-ˈdēz\. And I'll have to add that the folks at Gourmandis certainly appreciate good food and make yummy food.

Gourmandis is quite a pretty sight with its decor. The racing stripe seats caught my eyes. I didn't know till later that the chairs were from one of my car and doggie buddy Alex of Deven Design who makes lovely furniture for restaurants and cafes. The whole ambience of Gourmandis is really cozy. You can also opt to sit outdoors for some alfresco action and if you're a smoker:P

While we waited for Ben the chef to prepare our food, we checked out the drinks. Quite a selection of mocktails, cocktails and alcoholic beverage. Of course you can also have coffee:P

Here's the Pussy Foot which is a mix of Apple Juice, Orange Juice, Milk and Grenadine. Looks awesomely vibrant:D

Blue Lagoon is a good idea for those who like vodka as its a mix of Vodka, Triple Sec & Bols Blue. Of course do tell the waiter your preference if you like your drinks a wee stronger:P

The Cosmopolitan in a petite glass is made of Vodka, Cranberry Juice & Cherry. Nice...and that's because I like Vodka:P

It was Sunday and a Mojito on a cool Sunday evening is a brilliant idea. A mix of rum, mint leaves and lime this was a refreshing drink to have before and after a meal.

Teh Pulau Panjang is a good drink. Each time I hear this drink I will remember a friend of mine who found this drink so brilliantly easy that he got drunk because he lost count of how many glasses he had over dinner. A blend of 6 spirits its not to be taken lightly. OK..so what is Teh Pulau Panjang? Long Island Tea! Hehehe

Food arrives....

Potato Skin with chicken. This is one of my faves. The potato skin is crisp but the flesh inside is yummily creamy. The whole works of mashed potato, guacamole, salsa, chicken and sour cream is just so appetising. I was tempted to ask for more but realised that potatoes can be quite filling.

I love pasta and Aglio Olio is one of my faves and regular preparation. Ben tells us that his pasta are good. taste it and I'll know why. I told myself..."OK, we'll see". I did not tell him that I had a certain peculiarity for pasta.

The Crispy Seafood Aglio Olio arrives. Looks brilliant. Can't fault the seafood. They love just right and the smell was gorgeous. Now for The Test! Twirl the pasta. Pop it into my mouth. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. The pasta was el dente. It was how I liked it. The olive oil was just perfect with the pasta. The seafood made it even better. This is another of my must have when I return soon:D

I also so happen to love pizzas and its a weekly must at home or outside. And I like them thin and crisp. Now when you're at Gourmandis, always order a pizza if you're chatting with pals or watching soccer this soccer season. Its so yummy! Crisp and thin, you have to eat it quickly. See the oozing mozzarella cheese and sweet pineapple from our Hawaiian Pollo Arosto?

Meow...if you like salmon, the Pan Seared Norwegian Salmon here is done just right. The skin is crisp but the flesh is still juicy. Served on a bed of butternut pumpkin and potato, topped with mango salsa, this dish is quite a winner with my hubby who is really quite a cat in the form of a human:P

Want some meat action? Check out the steaks and burger at Gourmandis. The Angus Tenderloin is made to your preference. This is done medium well as requested. Still nice and juicy:D

The Beef Burger is quite brilliant. Check out the grilled meat patty! (I must admit that picture didn't really turn out to show its juiciness...). The melted cheese in the burger is another comforting reason why the burger is so yummy. And the fries had me at first sight. Yes I love fries regardless of whether they are fried or baked. Do check out what gives the fries here some extra ooopmh! The garlic....

Too much western action? Opt for the local menu which is currently being expanded as we speak. We tried the Seafood Fried Loh See Fun. Looks spicy but its actually not. The dried chilly or paprika gives the noodle a very subtle zing that goes real well with the bland noodles.

We had too much too eat and could not cope with the idea of dessert. My stomach rested with the lovely mojito. Hubby and Masako opted for coffee.

Gourmandis:

Lot G-46 Citta Mall (below Harvey Norman)

No 1 Jln PJU1A/48

Ara Damansara

Petaling Jaya

• Landmark - its on your right side as you drive towards old Subang Airport / Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (the one you take your Firefly flights)

• Directions - Take road to Subang Airport / Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport.

- Make a U-turn at the exit that leads to Hotel Saujana or Ara Damansara.

- After U-turn keep left.

- Take 1st left where PAW Animal Shelter is.

- Take another immediate left and you will see Citta Mall!

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/