The Local Fix-It, Paradiso at Taman Desa

The mad state of Klang Valley traffic sometimes leaves little option but for us to stick to the vicinity of our respective neighbourhoods, no matter how dire the offerings. Where I presently live, Taman Desa (for god knows how much longer, at the rate my long-suffered property hunt is progressing) is not exactly a culinary treasure trove. It does, however, have a smattering of local haunts that serve a decent meal, some of which may even surprise the unsuspecting headshaker.

One such is the local Italian (or well European, considering the family who runs the joint comes from Montenegro), the aptly named Paradiso. I first read about Paradiso at Cumi & Ciki a while ago and at that time, was stumped to have ignored it for so long.

The menu is a humble sampler of the usual pizzas, mains and pastas. Pizzas are a safe bet here - the ingredients are bountiful, fresh and during all my visits here, whether to dine in or takeaway, take no more than 10 minutes from oven to table. Too easy and enticing for me to not call upon Paradiso to fix the prosaic problems of the working week.

Did the PC really die on me without saving the document I'd been slaving over for the past two hours without saving? Who you gonna call?? The Pizza Quatre Stagioni (RM25) satisfies midweek rage topped with beef pepperoni, turkey salami, chicken and smoked beef.

Was that another request for a revision on a plan after you had just submitted revision #375? Stick it to the system! Choose your own toppings for RM29 - here, we went with turkey salami, chicken, mushrooms and tuna.

Just when you thought you had earned the day's wages and the client just called to seal another evening in with more documents to write? A takeaway at Paradiso will sort you straight, which was what this Pizza Paradiso (turkey salami, chicken and pineapple) did.

And on peaceful weekends plagued by the dreadry prospect of a combustive meeting first thing Monday morning? To Paradiso we go! The Pasta Polo (penne served in olive oil, vegetables, chicken and garlic sauce at RM19.50) is comforting but a shade too pale compared to the sturdy pizza offerings.

So what's your local fix-it? Before you write off any of the little-known neighbourhood joints, take a little walk around and who knows, you may just find that little whiff of paradise, not too far away from your doorstep, like how I found mine.

Paradiso

5-0-2 Jalan 3/109F

Danau Business Centre

Taman Danau Desa

58100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-7981 9996

Mall-functioned, Zouk Cafe & Bar, Gardens

Organised retail is a tough call. On one hand, our heinous traffic/public transport conundrum presents a commercial case for the ongoing erection of these mercenary all-in-one monoliths.

But sticking in air-conditioning and opening the shutters are hardly sufficient to convert window shoppers to serious ones, given the stiff competition and growing disdain for these hastily built but ultimately malfunctioning edifices.

Zouk Cafe & Bar at the Gardens in Mid Valley is an example of an outlet with failed potential given the captive traffic who work in the vicinity and starved for choice to wind down on a Friday evening.

Lasagne a.k.a. hunka microwaved rubbery beauty topped with melted plastic resembling play-doh cheese. Tasted no better, I was informed.

Fettucine Carbonara got an indifferent "Creamy" from meal owner, but only because she was well famished by the time the pretty gleaming plate was set in front of her and had no inclination for verbal expression.

An underwhelming Steak Sandwich done rare, which somehow translated to an alarming grey mass of mystery meat.

The Cheeseburger, a far cry from the Ramly outside a 7-Eleven I had later that same evening.

The Seafood Alio Oglio, which was served with thoroughly dessicated scallops. Not the way the mighty Creator intended for this mollusc to contribute to the food chain.

The Doughnut Dippers were hilariously stale and colourless. No one was in a hurry to try this.

Happy Hour beverage prices currently apply only for Carlsberg and house pours.

A disappointment, as with most mall outlets, saved only by the dependable camaderie of battle-scarred colleagues. Next time, we'll know better to get into our vehicles, fight the traffic out a little further for a better class of merrymaking.

The Meat of Merrymaking, Bavarian Bierhaus, The Curve

CAUTION: Some baaad photos ahead! The lighting was particularly bad and I had to contend with a bunch of hungry and impatient folks.

The bride-to-be had picked the Curve for some pre-wedding fun and frolics.

Bavarian Bierhaus was packing the crowds in so good thing to make reservations ahead on a Friday evening, particularly if you're coming with a large group.

Bavarian Bierhaus' beverage menu featured the usual bevvy of Belgian beers. I had been wrongly informed beforehand (or I'd imagined this myself) that they served the rather rare Apple lambic here and I'd gotten the rest of the troop rather excited. Having been told that no, Apple lambic was in fact, NOT available, I ate humble pie while the whole table threw me accusing stares. I settled for Stella, which did not get anywhere near the lambic promise.

Some orders the Bierhaus Salad to balance out the inevitable meaty blowout. This was very well-received, the lightness of the balsamic dressing working harmoniously with the crisp greens and the seared seasoned pork loin.

The Sausage Platter arrived an impressive composition of eight sausages with sauerkrat and potato salad. A killer of a meal for one person, but works out nicely when shared between two hungry sausage fiends. When asked to pick which one was best, the black (lamb) came out the favourite.

Another goes for the Sausage & Lamb platter and did a superb job wiping her plate clean, enjoying it thoroughly in the process.

The pasta princess ordered Vongole, al dente linguine with fresh clams and generous shavings of streaky bacon. I am liking this pervasive use of pork in everything... almost like every dish is an excuse for a porcine experiment.

There were a couple of dishes here and there that didn't have pork. The Tuna Penne also scored high points with the meal owner. She had ordered this following a more-ish soup starter, not expecting this to be anything more than an unremarkable filler but was surprised by how simple, yet delightful it was.

I decided to do chicken, because I liked the sound of the Pistachio Crusted Chicken. It came two generous slices of chicken breast with a coating of roughly chopped pistachio nuts on a pool of mushroom stew. I could've done with thigh meat instead of breast, and the stew could've gone a little easier on the sodium content but overall, I was pretty happy with it.

Latecomers including the bride-to-be ordered the Lamb Sausage and another salad to share. All good, they said.

We carried on to Library for more misbehaviour. While the location had potential, we were unfortunately subjected to an evening of DREADFUL service. Orders took about 40 mins to arrive, and we were treated to profuse eye-rolling by waitresses with too much attitude. Equally wretched was the showcase by the live band, murdering every song ever known to Top 40 pop-rock history.

I'm game for merrymaking as much as the next person, but come on, for those drink prices and all that hassle, the joint should at least involve either a) live performance that's a notch more inspiring than cover bands in hotel lounges or b) a decent DJ on the decks AND a dancefloor! And it goes without saying that they need to exterminate staff who don't understand service - i.e. no, you don't get to roll your eyes when you get told off for screwing up the customer's orders. OUT!

Better with Age, La Risata, Medan Damansara

I remember my last meal at La Risata like it was yesterday, even though it must have been a good 6 or 7 years ago, when I could still touch my toes with my fingers standing straight. Aging can be such a pain in the ass.

But it is also aging 's derivate and friendlier concept of birthdays that provides us reason for us to pay La Risata a visit on the occasion of Hui's birthday, a day after her ceremonious touch-down from her soul-searching sojourn in India.

La Risata remains as humble and as laid back as ever, though I don't remember the neighbourhood being this lively. Birthday girl far right and Yolande rocks the straight hair.

While the early participants wait for Hui and the rest of the party, we gorge on warm crusty bread served with a zesty olive tapenade...

...and opened the first bottle of the gorgeous Borgo Tesis Pinot Grigio, highly recommended by the affable waitress Edna, who remained very accommodating throughout the evening.

The salads are a treat here. Niz & Fiz get their green fix with the Insalata Risata, starring ham, egg and black olives.

Birthday girl & Riz shares Insalata Di Rucola E Zucca, featuring roasted pumpkin & ricotta. Both give it the thumbs up.

La Parmigiana E Melanzane, cheesy baked aubergine concoction also gets the nod.

Fiza has the Brodetto Di Cozze E Vongole, clam and mussel tomato soup. She proclaims it Good. I press her for more adjectives and she says Very Good. I press some more and Niz cuts in with F***ing Good. Age has obviously not done wonders for HIS language. Nuff said.

Their Pizza Romano arrives early. Minimal toppings done good. Mozza, parmesan & anchovies never struck harmony like this.

Benji has the Fettucine Mare E Monti, scallop & mushrooms in cream sauce. He downs it quick, so it must have been agreeable. But he might also have been just really hungry from the run prior to dinner.

I have the Arragosta and ask to substitute Spaghetti with Penne. The lobster, garlic & chilli medley is delightful, at just the right notch of spice. The serving is huge and I am happy.

Mei Shean's Capellini Al Nero Con Frutti Di Mare, angel hair with plump prawns & squid and pasta al dente dressed with squid ink, steals the show.

Yolande's Pollo Farcito, however doesn't fare so well. The chicken breast is tough, the accompanying brown sauce is too salty, and the ricotta and spinach stuffing doesn't live up to its promise.

Late arrival Kat goes for the Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake with ice-cream. Not quite what it could've been.

After an extended farewell, a few of us proceed to Solace a few doors away for a nightcap. It's a perfectly serviceable pub and features a porky menu, which we will return to sample.

South Australian Oxford Landing's Sauvignon Blanc. Not quite as pleasant as the Pinot Grigio at La Risata, but the mood is set sensibly to merry so no one complains.

We kick back and smoke some Beedhis, Hui's little indigenous souvenir from India, along with some hilarious accounts of Delhi cab drivers and late-night narcotic mayhem. The pub starts closing a little before midnight, on account of the neighbourhood, and we make it home to bed at a decent hour, reinforcing the learning that moderation really is the key to happiness!

Welcome back Hui! May this be the start of another year of discoveries only possible with Age!

Fix-Them-All Screwpine Chicken at Seed Cafe

A table at Seed Cafe Mid Valley has just never quite lived up to the promise of a table at say, Delicious or Chillis on the same row. Not even when the mall is packed beyond belief during the sale season.

It's by no means the best place around - far from it, in fact. To begin with, there is no alcohol served. Secondly the dessert selection is poor, and the cakes at the counter always look quite dire. But it has a couple of tricks, which we frankly love.

The Good:

Top of the list - Screwpine Chicken! These are chicken wing halves fried to a golden crisp with strips of fragrant screwpine leaves. I can't think of a much better way to eat chicken wings! They should open franchises just selling this. Or have a Screwpine Chicken kiosk next to all the Seed stores nationwide.

Calamari Fritters - when they get them right, and only when they get them right, in pale golden yellow like in this pic. There have been occasions when they've been served overdone to a burnt brown, tough to eat and not much fun at all. Not very consistent, the folks in the kitchen at Seed.

We also like the Mushroom Soup - huge chunks of mushroom swimming in thick hearty soup. A bowl of this + the screwpine chicken and all of life's problems, which had seemed so immense just a minute before, are forgotten quite magically.

Apparently, the Hainanese Chicken rice (which is a HUGE serving), the Cajun Chicken Chop and the tomyam seafood pasta also get the ticks here.

The Not-so-Good:

Tom yum noodles - they serve these with rice vermicelli (meehoon) but I asked to substitute with lai fun (or laksa noodles). While the soup grudgingly satisfies the instant tomyam craving, it's several notes too heavy on the MSG. While there were plenty of prawns & squid in this, the fish slices had obviously been doing time in the corner of the freezer.

When I dined here once with Mel, she'd ordered this fettucine with what was supposed to be a carbonara-like sauce, with mushrooms. She was sore that the sauce tasted like it had come straight out from a can, prettied up with some cooked mushroom. Fail!

I know what and what not to go back for!

Healthy redefined, by very liberal Yogi

So, it appears that organic food does not offer any significant benefits over ordinary food, as reported here. What remains in question is whether the true benefit of organic food is not what additional nutrients it has over ordinary food, but what it doesn't have, i.e. preservatives, chemicals and other such nasties.

It was oddly coincidental timing that we decided dinner would be at Yogi Tree, on the same day this story came out, and on the same day that dear Hui, who is presently traipsing in India, was released from the ashram, where she had undergone an ascetic, remote, yogi-fying spell, and been fed spartan meals of beans and bread.

Yogi Tree's extensive menu plus the changing daily specials, couldn't be further from what the yogis eat. Some of the items sounded so indulgent they couldn't possibly be healthy!

Janice had the Tagine of roast monkfish and seafood, a hearty tomato-based stew that came served with rouille (an olive-oil based sauce, we found out) and bread. I should have gone for this myself...

...but I went with safe - Seafood Aglio Olio with garlic and chilli. Plenty of spice, and the seafood was fresh & plentiful, but the penne was severely undercooked. A lot of chewing and gnawing involved so I'd suggest going with the other types of pasta available if that's not your thing.

Both Shanice & Nico went with pasta in Tomato Basil with Grilled vegetables & chicken.

Tiramisu Trifle with black cherries in Kirsch. I didn't try this but the others felt it was too way too sweet. Hmmmm....sugar much, Yogis?

They also serve alcohol, and on their menu, expound on the lesser-known benefits of the various nectarous offerings, when consumed in moderation. Yes!!! I could get used to being healthy after all!

Pop! Goes the Pasta, Italiannies' Lunch Deal

I'd been reluctant to return to Italiannies for a number of years. Over and above appearing too Disneyfied Italian, I was traumatized by an undercooked fish dish once at the outlet at the Curve, of which I'd taken a huge bite (and swallow) before realizing it. Recently though, I chanced upon a not entirely horrible dining experience at the Gardens outlet bidding a departing colleague farewell. Granted, all I had was the Shrimp & Mango salad and a sangria, but it was enough to prompt me towards the hugely popular lunch deal the very next day.

Freshly baked bread, perfect to stave off those dizzy hunger pangs while waiting for your food or rudely gaping at your neighbours' very inviting pizza

Choice of Soup: Marsala Mushroom or Minestrone. Both of us go for Mushroom because we wanted heavy! We wanted cream! The soup was fine, with chunks of fresh mushrooms and I'd order this again in a heartbeat.

The choice of mains range from RM13.90 (advertised, but applies only to the Margherita Pizza) up to above RM30. I went for the Chicken & Mushroom Spaghetti (RM19.90). This was bland from the start but upon the third forkful, started to offer a really bizarre, manufactured aftertaste. I don't know if my tastebuds were acting up (for they do at a great frequency) but it felt like I was eating stale tea leaves??! Do shiitake mushrooms have that effect on people? Why didn't I just order the damn pizza?
Mel's Penne Bolognese (RM19.90) - she was hardly impressed. Definitely not the stuff to be soundtracked with gravely passionate operatic tenor. It's the type of meal that should be stomached with music that's a bit more non-commital, like one of the American Idol alums.

One thing must be said though - the portions are huge and if you finish it, you WILL be full and sluggish at your desk for the rest of the afternoon. I won't be coming back anytime soon for the pasta, but the pizza at the neighbouring table... now that's a different story!