Il Padrino @ Wisma UOA, Damansara Heights

New non-halal Italian restaurant just off Jalan Semantan....

[ BEGIN EDIT ]
(April 2010)

Just so you know:
Il Padrino has joined the no pork team since October 2009 - now, they no longer serve pork/ lard and have changed all the equipment in the kitchen.
(Lisa: Thanks for informing! Appreciate it....)

So, everything in my original review is now obsolete (except the free bread and the desserts).
=_=

Haha...
Such is life - ever changing!
(I'll try to drop by Il Padrino food to check out the new menu...)


Signing off,
J

[ END EDIT ]

Spotted the emergence of this new restaurant a while back when I was inching past the discreet black signage on Jalan Semantan during the usual rush hour jam (the words Non-Halal Italian caught my eye):
The exterior of Il Padrino...
I liked the modern clean lines of the interior - simple yet classy. The Godfather movie theme (Il Padrino means The Godfather) could be seen, with movie quotes in the menu as well as Marlon Brando's photo glaring down at you from the restaurant walls:
The interior of Il Padrino...
First up, the free bread:
Our serving of free bread...
Ok. Not such a good start - the breadsticks were a bit "masuk angin" (soggy/ not crispy) and the bread was only so-so.

Luckily it picked up from there. :)

First up, the Frittura Di Calamari (Fried Calamari)(RM 24++):
Crispy deep fried calamari...
The calamari were fresh and with a "bouncey" texture encased in a crispy batter with medium lightness. Yum.

Next the Bruschetta with ham and goats' cheese (RM 22++):
Ham on bread, version 1...
Rule/ Warning: You have to like the taste of strong cheeses if you want to order this.
(Don't say I didn't warn you :P)

I liked the combination of the creamy, pungeant cheese with the fragrant, salty ham on the crusty bread.... but I realise that some people might find it a bit strong(The cheese is not overpowering, but you can DEFINITELY taste it there)

The guys love their ham, so they ordered another variant of Bruschetta, with a different kind of ham (prosciutto?) and rocket leaves (RM 22++):
Ham on bread, version 2...
The guys complained that they found the taste of the rockets overpowered the ham, but I thought it was ok.
(I like rockets... and I thought it complemented the saltiness of the ham well)

For the mains, I chose the porkiest thing I could find on the menu - the Braciola Pizzaiola (RM 40++):
Pork wrapped around pork...
Tender pork loin, wrapped around ham and filled with cheese. Then, topped with tender asparagus, deep fried leek and pizzaiola sauce (tomato based sauce).

Mmmmm... Yums. :)

Ok. Maybe it was a tad too salty on its own, and the ham inside was a little chewy... but overall when you pair each mouthful of meat with the asparagus, leek and sauce, it balances out well.

We also ordered one of the highly recommended pastas, the Ravioli Ai Spinachi (RM 32++):
The spinach ravioli...
This ravioli is stuffed with spinach and ricotta cheese, and served with butter, sage sauce and parmesan cheese. Overall, simple and delicious (without any overpowering spinach taste) but as with most ravioli dishes, the serving seems a bit small.
(It's ok if you plan to have a light meal, or want to pace yourself through a full 3 course meal but Pat the Bottomless Pit had ordered this so he was a bit dismayed with how little there was)

Lastly, we also had the Rigatoni Al Amatriciana (RM 24++):
The Rigatoni with prosciuto ham...
The Rigatoni (something like a bigger version of Penne pasta) was perfectly al dente, coated with a generous serving of robust Matriciana style tomato sauce and bits of ham. Overall, a good plate full of carb-y comfort food.
(It wasn't as spicy as I would have liked though....)

Dinner is never complete without dessert (to us gluttons, anyway) so we ordered the classic choice - the Tiramisu (RM 18++):
The classic tiramisu...
Overall, it was good. :)
Nice balance between the texture of the sponge fingers and cream with a sufficient chocolatey and coffee taste.
(My fave is still the Tiramisu at Bermuda & Onion, but I realise that it's not exactly a classic Tiramisu like this one)

The other desserts were also pretty good.

The Sfogliatine di Millefoglie (RM 18++):
The Millefoglie...
Crispy layers of pastry, layered with smooth cream and tart, fresh berry compote - a refreshing dessert that's not too heavy.

How can I resist ordering something chocolatey? :)

Chocolato di Fondante (RM 20++):
The Chocolate Fondant...
This chocolate fondante had an unusual texture - more of a crumbley, crunchy texture as opposed to the usual moist, creamy fondante. Interesting... but probably not a favourite for me.
(I supposed it's like a lighter take on the usual fondante, which could be good... at least the chances of you feeling "jelak" is relatively low)

So it's: Wide range of yummy non-Halal Italian food (although a biiiit salty sometimes), nice modern ambience, friendly staff BUT prices are definitely more on the expensive side....

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Il Padrino @ Wisma UOA Damansara, Jalan Dungun, Damansara Heights, KL
(The blue building where you can see Subway from the main road - Jalan Semantan)

Taste: 6
Ambience : 7
Service : 7
Price** : RM 85/++ per person
Parking: Bad during working hours, Ok during non-working hours/ weekends

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks

Telephone No.: 03-2093 8596
Opening Hours:
11am to 2.30pm (lunch),
2.30pm to 6pm (pizza only),
6pm to 11.30pm (dinner)

NOT HALALNO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Masak-Masak
- Eat Drink KL
- Caress Little Hamster


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Jalan Dungun, Bukit Damansara, Damansara Heights, Il Padrino Italian Restaurant And Bar, Non Halal, Italian, KL, Kuala Lumpur