Il Padrino. UOA Building, Jalan Dungun, KL. Swim With The Sharks or Sleep With The Fishes.

(non halal)

Don Vito Corleone, Michael Corleone and Luca Brasi. Released in 1972, Godfather the movie, remained deeply ingrained in my young, impressionable mind when I watched it ages ago. The lexicon used in the movie has been assimilated deeply into the American mind and culture while winning a lot of awards along the way. Quotes like "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse", "I don't like violence, Tom. I'm a businessman. Blood is a big expense" and "It's a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.", have worked their way into daily American language.

Filled with violent whackings and creating a huge fan club of Mafia worshipers in awe of dark, powerful underworld figures having a finger in every pie, from drugs to prostitutes and politics with their own code of ethics. Well, the ethics part is debatable. A lot of books have been written about Philosophical reflections on "Godfather" of both the Book (by Mario Puzo) and the Movie (Script by Copolla and Puzo). The central theme of the books will be Moral Agnosticism and Kantian Aesthetics, i.e. why do we find such immoral people so fascinating and is it right for us to be fascinated? Again, I digress. This is not a philosophy blog.


Damansara Heights, home of the lofty corporate figures and well heeled politicians. I have yet to explore this area fully, and yet Boo_licious, Cumi and Ciki and Sean had been to Il Padrino, which prompted me to punch in UOA building in my GPS (a Godsend, for blur heads like me). After a short drive in a relatively uncongested Sunday Night traffic, I arrived without any wrong turns and exits. It was really easy to locate.

Parking was relatively easy at night, but can imagine that it would be hell during office hours due to the large number of offices located in that area.


The name Il Padrino means Godfather in Italian, and the owners of this restaurant are probably great fans of this movie. Pictures of Marlon Brando playing the role of Don Corleone adorned the walls of this restaurant and also the menu. The restaurant itself is fairly pleasant, high ceilings, and open kitchen (which is the trend among Italian Restaurants in KL nowadays). The bottles in the bar are illuminated from below and stands out as the centerpiece of the whole restaurant.

The theme is glossy and industrial with high chairs spilling out to the chromed steeled balcony accompanied by high tables. In general, the ambiance of the place was fairly pleasant. There wasn't a large crowd there on a Sunday night, and the noise level was pleasantly low. I sat at the balcony/terrace and it was beautifully breezy and pleasant.


I started off with the Ravioli di spinaci (Spinach Ravioili) and Il Padrino served it with Sage and butter which is the Lombardy version of this beautiful pasta. It may be served with Ragu Sauce, or Tomato based sauce and there is even a cheeseless Jewish version. The Ravioli I had was al dente and the filling was well sealed. Spinach and Ricotta dominated the taste of the filling and the Sage flavoured sauce was rather rich but satisfying. Luckily there were only 6 pieces of Ravioli, which was probably the maximum I can handle at a single sitting.


For mains I had the Pan fried Chicken Breast with Buffalo Mozzarella served with Asparagus and Balsamic Reduction. The moisture in the breast was well sealed during frying. Good, but not exceptional.

This is a worrying trend for diners in KL, market driven restaurants with an emphasis on casualness and affordability may make the restaurants go down the road of being unadventurous and boring. The menu is generally safe and faultless, probably appealing to the occasional diners.

After reading Nic's post on La Strada in Singapore I realized something was missing here. I wished there there was some opulence and imagination in the menus of Italian restaurants here in KL to cater for the slightly more discerning or jaded diner. Don't get me wrong. The Italian Restaurants here are generally good. But how many Trattoria inspired restaurants do you need in a city? How many wood fired Pizzerias can the square kilometer of the Golden Triangle accomodate? Where's the cannoli?

The food at Il Padrino was good but the food failed to dazzle. It has not realised it's full potential despite having all the necessary settings for ascension to greater heights. Great location in an affluent neighborhood, beautiful ambiance and interior and a team of wonderfully friendly and knowledgeable staff.

They too have opted to swim with the sharks to avoid landing on the seabed and sleeping with the fishes. They too have taken the safe road. It's understandable that after investing so much money in a venture, the main worry is to recoup the investment and get some profit for their effort. But how about offering the choice to diners? Pasta with shaved truffles at a different price for a start?


For dessert, I had sfogliante di mille foglie. The phyllo pastry (which actually originated from Greece) was not as brittle as I would have expected. They also serve Tartufo here, but I was still healing from being stung by a bad experience elsewhere to order it that night.

On a parting note, is it better to swim with the sharks and be part of a school of mediocre tiger sharks (which are not exactly at the top of the food chain) or dare to be different and evolve into an elegant Blue Whale?

Just an after after thought addition. While replying to Thule's comment, I pointed out some items from the starter menu from La Scala and I chose an Italian joint in Bangkok due to it's proximity: 1. Sauteed scallops with roasted pumpkin mousse, goose liver confit and thyme sauce
2. Alaskan king crab and rocket with parmesan, porcini and aioli... Sigh!......

Lot 50 G-1, Wisma UOA
Jalan Dungun
Damansara Heights
50490 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +6.03.20.93.85.96

Sage. Gardens MidValley, KL. Lunch Menu 31st Aug to 4th Sep.

(no pork served)

Hallmarks of a great Chef differs from person to person. If I were to pick 3, it will be

1. Excellent Cooking Technique
2. Attention to detail including the choice of ingredients
3. Creativity and Passion

Cooking technique can be perfected if there is a right instructor and through practice. Attention to detail and using the finest ingredients are possible with adequate financial resources to back up the chef. Creativity and Passion. This is the most difficult to attain. Years of cooking school, hours behind the stove, all the money in the world cannot buy you creativity and passion. If you would like to taste a good Vichyssoise soup, that's not difficult. Can't find it in KL? Fly to Paris and dine in Le Cinq or Alain Ducasse. But to find Sashimied Hokkaido Scallops in the soup with artichoke puree? A stroke of pure genius with a streak of arrogance and in your face kind of nonchalance, available only at Sage.

One must have considerable confidence and a perfect understanding of occidental and oriental cuisine before presenting such twists and artful combination of both. The focal point of convergence at Sage is the artistry and skill in creating beautiful, inspiring dishes that are breath taking both in it's audacity and the successful fusion of tastes.


This week's menu may seem a little bit sedate and less adventurous, but be assured that it was still a culinary adventure. I started off with Seared Salmon with Asparagus and Aonori Sabayon. Perfectly seared top grade salmon, with a slightly raw centre served with Aonori (Japanese Seaweed) in the creamy Sabayon Sauce. The Sabayon here is not the light and souffle like version. The version here is heavier (I can hear purists screaming sacrilege!) and creamy and rich, and the sauce and seaweed blends perfectly with the rich creamy taste of Salmon. Very Japanese inspired, and I could taste a touch of Teriyaki in the Salmon which lent it some saltiness as well.


I chose the beef for mains. One more reason for dining here is that the lunch menu is limited to 2 choices each for the starters, mains and dessert. It's like dining at home, just eat what Mama cooks. I never know what's being served the next week and go there for a surprise. Being a very picky eater, I would not have ordered fish if I was given a wider choice. Going to Sage has opened up my mind and allowed me to taste what I would forgo in another situation and thus deprive myself from the many gastronomic wonders and adventures.

Grilled Angus with Braised Daikon and Yuzukoshou. It's easy to get a good piece of beef in KL nowadays as compared to 15 years ago. Many great steak houses offer a myriad of choice prime cut beef from every corner of the world. But to find grilled Angus served with braised Daikon (Japanese Radish) that has it's distinctive but slightly bland taste together with some mashed Yuzu (Japanese Citrus) would be difficult. The Yuzu has been spiced up with some spicy salt and has a sourish, tart and tangy taste with a dash of mint like freshness and mustard kind of pungency here. It served as a brilliant accompaniment to the rich beef and takes away the satiety of the beef. The daikon also neutralized the satiety as well.


Almond Nougat Glacè with Raspberry Sorbet was my choice for Dessert. The glacè was rich and sublime and the Raspberry Sorbet is what you'd expect from perfection. Lovely, fruity and tart with the right balance of sourness, it was a splendid sorbet that matched the glacè exquisitely.

I'll be off somewhere to work for the next two weeks, and if you were to ask me what I'll miss the most about KL, I would say my weekly lunches at Sage, with it's understated elegance, Billie Holiday/Sarah Vaughn playing in the background and the wondrous food.

Other choices this week:

Patè en Croute of Duck with green Salad for Starter

Étuvée of Red Star Garoupa with Tsubagai and Cereliac for Mains


Sage
Gardens Hotel and Residences

Tel: +6.03.22.68.13.28