Antipasti @ Spasso Milano

After hearing BangsarBabe's rave reviews on Spasso Milano, I was compelled to pay the establishment homage, and see what all the fuss was about. And so I travelled, from Bangsar to Ampang with my mummy to try out Spasso Milano's lunchtime antipasto buffet.

Spasso Milano is located at Nihonkan, along Jalan Ampang - very near the Gleneagles Hospital and on the same side of the road as the Great Eastern Mall. Their set lunch consists of an antipasto buffet, along with soup and dessert. The buffet alone is priced at RM 18, though you are entitled to a main course for RM3 extra.

Spasso Milano's interior is minimal yet classy, with contemporary black and white coloured furniture giving the restaurant a chic feel. From the dining area, guests are able to see their food being prepared through a partition separating them from the kitchen. Lunch is not crowded, and is available everyday, apart from Mondays.

Both my mummy and I ordered the set consisting of the Main Course and Buffet. Their Antipasto buffet spread was simple, yet diverse enough for one to enjoy. I kept snapping away at the spread and they didn't seem to mind.

One of the soups on offer was a Cream of Tomato Soup. The soup was light on the tummy, yet simply indulgent. The smooth consistency, lovely colour and comforting taste were pleasing to the palate.

The other soup was a similar type of soup, though flavoured with beef. This slightly spicy soup left a nice, warm feeling down my throat. The Toasted Bread, itself was an item on the buffet spread, accompanied the soups perfectly.

The Grilled Zucchini with Garlic and Olive Oil was a simple, yet exciting dish which took my taste-buds on a journey. The subtle sweetness of the zucchini was followed by sharp hints of garlic, which was later mellowed by the olive oil.

The buffet also included some Potato Croquettes. These are not your average potato chips, as they were amazingly fluffy inside, while retaining their crispness on the outside. I was hooked on these.

Capsicum filled with Minced Meat was a hit with my mum. The sweetness of the capsicum was a perfect accompaniment to the minced meat. It was the simplicity of this dish that made it so captivating.

The Crusted Eggplant with Parmesan was a truly interesting dish. Though the crust was slightly hard, it was a nice combination of flavours and textures. Most importantly, there was a nice balance of flavours.

The Frittatas were certainly a lot better than the ones I've had at other famous establishments such as La Bodega and El Meson, though slightly salty for my taste. However, it is hard to give a frittata it's ideal texture, and Milano got it right.

The Muscles with Tomato Sauce was a hit too…with me. I love mussles, and these mussles with their tomato sauce were refreshing, cooked well, and had no trace of that fishy smell that muscles sometime do.

The Zucchini with Minced Meat and Cheese was a dish, similar to the capsicum, though I personally preferred the capsicum better. This dish was presented beautifully on the spread, and was subtle in taste.

There was also fried fish on the buffet, though I personally felt that the fish was slightly too hard from my liking - though I personally thought that this dish looked visually interesting, due to the unique green-coloured sauce.

Other dishes that were included on the spread were wonderfully cooked Fried Chicken Wings and Italian Meatballs.

For our main course, we were served the Beef Tenderloin. The meat was cooked Medium-well - a perfect choice for this dish - properly cooked through whilst being juicy at the same time. The beef was topped with a tomato-based sauce, and served with some grilled vegetables and deep-fried polenta.

Dessert was provided on the buffet spread. The day's choice included lovely, soft Apple Pie which was scented with cinnamon, giving it a depth of warmth; a tart which was very similar in taste, and an Assortment of Fruit.

We had also ordered ourselves a Latte from the drinks menu, though the fact that it came without foam gave us a bit of a surprise. Nonetheless, the coffee had a lot of body to it, and was a perfect accompaniment to those tarts.

The head chef, Felice Martinelli, came around to ask us about our experience at Spasso Milano. He had also given us a taste of their luscious, silky Panna Cotta with a lovely homemade rhubarb jam, which was simply pure decadence.

On the whole, our experience at Spasso Milano was a great one. And I finally understood why BangsarBabe fell in love with this hidden gem: Good quality and authentic food, value for money, lovely service, wonderful ambiance. I highly recommend you get yourself here and try it when you can.

Presentation: 8/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Overall Taste: 8/10

General Impression: 8.5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic