Random Thought #1
I tasted an awesome macaron two days ago. Yes, “an”, as in One. Why not more? Remember your first kiss in the rain? Nothing after that is ever as amazing.
Random Thought #2
I’m in love with Paco Roncero. I used to be a molecular gastronomy virgin, but a couple of days ago, I had a small sample of his mastery. All my senses were ignited by this man who used to train under Ferran Adria. For a limited time only (until 4 April 2009), you will be able to sample his creations at Senses, KL Hilton. The price? How can anyone place a price tag on brilliance such as this? Fine, it’s RM450++, and I’m still working on Bald Eagle. An early anniversary present, perhaps, darling? We have to top LifeforBeginners‘ wonderful week of wooing (www), if that’s even possible.
Nahhh…..
Random Thought #3
Is that smoke coming out of her nostrils?
You’re beautiful….you’re beautiful….you’re beautiful, it’s true…..
******
T.A.T.T.O.
Focaccia, risotto and fagottini
When I first heard that Al Nafourah at Le Meridien was going to be replaced by an Italian restaurant, the first thought that crossed my mind was, “Do we need another Italian restaurant?” Then when Bald Eagle mentioned to me that an Italian restaurant had replaced Kafe Ceylon Hill at Jalan Damai (a place where we used to organise quite a bit of our social functions), again, the same thought ran through my head like a Bloomberg stock feed.
“What’s it called?”, I asked.
“Tatto.”
“You mean, Tattoo,” I offered kindly.
“No, I mean, Tatto.” Firm and resolute.
“The O fell off, didn’t it?”
“My nostrils are laughing.”
(Oooh, 2 nostril jokes in a day.)
Tatto interior
Tatto means sense of touch. It somehow sounds lovelier in English. Then again, I only know 1 1/2 languages and thus hardly qualify as a linguist. The decor is understated, simple and elegant. Lots of black and red. Fits perfectly with that little cocktail dress.
Portobello mushrooms
I was hooked from the moment the focaccia was placed before us. The balsamic vinegar and olive oil combo did nothing much for me, but the bread was saturated in oil and butter making it a delicious way to start our meal. From the antipasti menu, we ordered the ovenbaked portobello mushroom with tomato and mozarella, which was presented like a croquet and fried in breadcrumbs. Quite a change from the usual preparation, but still pleasing enough, especially with all that cheese oozing out with every bite. The herby tomato sauce provided a nice tangy flavour to the overall experience. He had the bresaola (air dried meat), sliced paper thin, with grapefruit and cherry tomatoes with a lemon dressing.
Clockwise, from top left: fagottini, bresaola, the bar at Tatto, risotto
A special menu is prepared weekly highlighting the chef’s specials, and it is worthwhile ordering something from this menu as opposed to the regular ala carte. My homemade fagottini (basically, little dough parcels encasing veal and ricotta, and suspiciously resembling wantans) with an asparagus brown butter sauce was just wonderful. My only complaint would be that I could barely taste (or see) the veal, but everything else was good. Because of the cheesy buttery taste, the quantity presented was just perfect. Anything more, and the theory of diminishing returns applies. His crab risotto with sauteed tiger prawns and asparagus was bursting with flavour, with visible bits of seafood in generous portions. Not as creamy and smooth as I’d expect it to be, but still very tasty. The pasta won hands down, of course.
Chocolate mousse
The world’s pretty small, and chances are, you’ll find out that there are only two degrees of separation between yourself and the stranger next to you. So as it turned out, and to cut a long story short, Bald Eagle had once communicated with one of the owners of the restaurant over a piece of bad meat in another restaurant where the owner used to work.
“You got her into trouble?” I asked Bald Eagle.
“No, they were actually very apologetic about it,” he replied.
“You reckon she’s gonna spit in your risotto?” I teased him. “You won’t be able to tell spit from cream, you know.”
No, she didn’t spit in his risotto. Hehe. In fact, dear Tabitha went one step further by offering us desserts on the house. A sampler, if you like. Two pieces of chocolate which she called chocolate mousse. And true enough, upon biting into the thin surface, the centre was a mousse-like texture. Absolutely lovely.
Prices are comparable with other Italian restaurants like Nero Vivo and Chiaroscuro. For food alone (and after tax), we paid almost RM180 for two, for starters and mains only. The main edge Tatto has over many other restaurants is the personable service they provide to the customers, mostly because the owners are also on the floor giving knowledgeable advice on menu selection. After all, nothing irks one more than receiving glazed looks from untrained waitstaff when asked for recommendations, eh? And the food’s great too.
Also check out Eat Drink KL‘s thoughts on Tatto.
Tatto
No. 19, Jalan Damai
Off Jalan Tun Razak
50400 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2166 5212
Open daily (except Mondays) for lunch and dinner. Closed Mondays.
The smoking scene reminds me of something you would see in Tippling Club (Singapore).
I’d like to check this place out in KL!
what a nice touch at the end of the meal.
but those dainty pcs looked nothing like mousse though.
At RM450, you’ll have to do a lot better than Kenny’s 7 Days of Bliss. 🙂
Aiyo, sudah pokai already after my trip. Will definitely miss the decadent Paco RM450 meal, but will keep Tatto place in mind when my bank account’s a lil more well-fed later on.
hey, those are my fingers 😉
cheap thrill. heh.
but Paco Roncero, woooaaaah, BIG THRILL!
*laughs out really loud at nostril jokes*
have a wonderful friday, everyone 😀
lovely presentation, esp the choc mousse….so nice, just like a piece of art….
adel: Do note that smoking scene and Tatto are not related. Sadly, we don’t have much opportunity with smoking scenes over here! 😛
J2Kfm: LOL….no, they don’t look like mousse. Wonder if I heard it wrong. 😛 Aiyoh, that Kenny has set such high standards la. Poor thing all those fellas out there who are still courting…
A Lil Fat Monkey: You’ve been travelling quite a bit, young Monkey. Take your time, I think Tatto’s here to stay (for a few more years, at least!).
yin: Yes, they are! Thanks for being my hand model. 🙂 Have a wonderful friday, Yin!
SimpleGirl: Yes, nice to see people take pride in their presentation.
u manage to try the sampler???
ohhh…
tatto definitely looks like the place i would like to go…definitely goin to try it..esp when they do risotto..
Italian food… I have not even tried most of the places that you mentioned here. NOw you point out another great find…
The dessert is pretty, but where’s the mousse? On another note, can’t wait to see what you folks pull out of the Anniversary hat! Romance being redefined all over again on the blogosphere. Being solo has never seemed this solitary! :-S
phwahhhh, so classy hor you…. single macarons, molecular gastronomy…. chefs names that i cant even pronounce… very ladida…. bow bow bow….
this humble plebian makes a thanksgiving sacrifice to the gods for letting me associate with the empress of the food blogging realm…..
one of tatto’s owners mentioned an interesting thing, that they’re trying to establish a kitchen comandeered by malaysians, as opposed to the italians who run chiaroscuro, sassorosso, etc. i think it’s safe to say that being italian isn’t a prerequisite for being a marvelous cook, so it’ll be interesting to see if our local boys can match the italians who practically have pesto running in their veins!
btw, thanks for the plug, yeah? 😀
The presentation of the food looks so nice…. especially the chocolate mousse.
actually, double Os seem to be out of fashion these days hor…Tatto instead of tattoo, macaron instead of macaroon, …guess it’ll be the portobello mushroms next…
lotsofcravings: I attended a Flamenco performance in DFP where, before the performance, they were serving cocktails and creations by this amazing chef.
thule aka leo: All in good time, eh? They’re all pretty good too.
550ml jar of faith: No picture of the mousse in the chocolate coz I only thought of taking the pic after I popped it in my mouth! Our anniversaries are pretty low key, although FBB will never fail to bring up (every couple of months or so) about the fact that I missed one of his events because I chose to celebrate my wedding anniversary instead. *grin* Being solo has its advantages too. Every date is an extravaganza (which subsides once the ring is on the finger).
fatboybakes: …So says the man who has a fan club in his honour.
Sean: Looks like they’re succeeding…Malaysia boleh and all that jazz. Of course being Italian isn’t a prerequisite, more so in their case since the owners are all very experienced in the food industry (Italian, in particular). Cheers man.
Selba: Yes, the presentation is lovely, isn’t it? 🙂
fatboybakes: I am not worthy. 2 coments in 2 hours. Hahaha….the mushroms thing is funy. Son, they’l be doing away with al the doubles. We lazy.
I m depressed over the two random thoughts. Ohh.. I could have been.. Sigh.
Hehehe.. But cool, another nice Italian place to go.
Ooo…i see lots of macarons lately…is that from the ‘fan club’ that you are chairing?
u seemed so tatto-ed on this post, hor? awwwwwwww….
i like that chocolate mousse eventhough visually there’s nothing mousse-y about it. i like it cos it’s quite abstract. tatto-ed the heart liddat….woahhhhhh, long live da vinci!
More macarons. And shots of the lovely her eating. Again. She’s such a good sport. 😀
Wahh.. everyone so la-di-da nowadays. Paco Roncero la. Bobby Chinn la. I must try to catch Ramsay and Oliver when they go to Doobye ler…
Already did Paco at Senses, even got to sit at the winemaker’s table.
You will love both of them.
I just love your photos 🙂
OMG the first photo is breathtakingly dramatic!
And then Paco…so glam!
The smoke out of nostril thing…best belonging to dragon ladies, methinks? lol
Joses Andres at Latfite Shangri la hotel also trained under Ferran Adria-Buffet lunch at Rm80++ If I am not mistaken.
tatto.. nice find! will go when we feel rich ;D
who’s that gorgeous lass with fumes coming outa her nose.. puff the magic dragon?
hhmmm..got a client recently, also Italian restaurant, looking at the area of Jln Batai..
nice! thanks for the intro..looks like another good place to try 🙂
I like the first picture. Actually I like all your pictures. Keep the good pictures coming!
It looks lovely…but you are right…Italian places are all over the city…what about some new dining experiences?
Oh and the first photo is brilliant! You are really good at taking food photos 🙂
Looks like this kind of restaurant will be a once a month thing!
Aiyo RM450 ah…
Don’t know but something in me rebels against paying for something like that in KL. Now if I were in Spain and heading to El Bulli, I’d do that for US$180(which from what I understand is what it costs if you can get a booking). I guess it’s the experience of the thing. Its like going to Disneyland for food. But in KL? hmmm Does that make me snobbish? 😉 hehehehehe
I love coming here. Your blog is a such a visual treat1
i wonder if you will bring me one of those macarons?
please…. :-p
i like your first kiss in the rain analogy. heh! and the two nostril jokes. the O fell out, so funny! : D
GoSh! You’re making me SO hungry! 😀 hehehe …
I wanted to say thank you for your lovely, amazing posts … of which I have tried a few of the places i.e. Departure Lounge and a few others and they are just as or even more amazing than your posts! 😀
Truly masterfully done! 😀
Thank you, thank you!
Cheers,
Ken.
plus … the macaron (I always thought it was macaroon) looks amazing … FBB’s right?? 😀
Whoa, the macarons and the meal was that transcendent, huh? Too bad I have no anniversaries to get it as a gift out of anyone 😛
Hey, hey! Loved your nostril jokes, LL. You’re AWOL but I’m been A.W.O.L. (but I’ve never been to me). How could you not miss my inanities? *sob*
Went to a Chinese/Asian restaurant the other night and the menu described the wrapped types of dim-sum as ‘Chinese ravioli’ — ah, the outrage!
Gee that interior shot looks familiar. Hmm I wonder where I have seen it before hor? I’m pretty jaded with Italian already. Anything new and exciting on the menu?
Lovely shots of yoga goddess puffing steam out of her nose. Now thats a deep vinyasa!
madam, can u have more random thoughts next time? i jt love ’em! 😀
I am impressive more by the price tag:) As usual the accompanying story makes good reading.
i like to read ur blog. Your photos are nice & with a very good explanation.
1st photo very creative, like it^^
The pictures are just gorgeous, oo, and they have risotto!! I love risotto, I can just taste it as I read about it. Good find, and like all the rest of the foodies, will pay a visit when there’s more monies in me pocket. haha.
One awesome macaron … One awesome photo. Brilliant!
love da photo.. love da food …… Bresaola..hmmm yummy! and portobello mushrooms. this place will b in my makan list..hehhee
nice food blog ~by the way, can i noe where to get nice macaron ??
Nice photos – rubbish restaurant
very nice food 😉 i love it so much
will come back soon