I took a break from talking tech and gadgets (it’s been hell of an eventful week) to join a party of prolific food/lifestyle bloggers to sample exclusive set lunch and dinner menus at Opus Bistro, located at the renowned ‘The Bangkung Row’. Opus Bistro is a little bistro serving up authentic Italian food and is one of the 45-strong restaurant lineup participating in the upcoming KL Restaurant Week, happening from 4-11 October 2013.
First, a primer on the inaugural KL Restaurant Week 2013. In a nutshell, participating restaurants in KL Restaurant Week create a fixed menu at a special price to attract customers to try different restaurants. Customers, food-lovers and yes, gluttons alike get to experience many of the city’s best restaurants for a modest price. An exclusive line-up of restaurants featuring diverse gastronomic experiences offer special menus starting from RM20 NETT for 2-course lunch and RM50 NETT for 3-course dinner. Sounds enticing? It is.
So, here’s the special KL Restaurant Week menu.
Lunch Menu @ RM38 nett per person
Starters
Caesar Salad
or
Asparagus Soup
Mains
Linguine Zucchini & Prawns
or
Chicken Cacciatore
or
Grilled Minute Sirloin Steak with Black Pepper Sauce
Dessert
Strawberry Pannacotta
Dinner Menu @ RM78 nett per person
Starters
Salmon Roll with Rocket Salad
or
Mushroom Soup
Mains
Sirloin Steak Mushroom Sauce
or
Aragosta Spaghetti
or
Grilled Seabass
Dessert
Strawberry Pannacotta
I’m a huge Italian fan, as I professed in my review of Nero Vivo a little while back. I love everything Italian cuisine offers, be it pastas, pizzas, salads, soups, olive oil or breadsticks! This preview was certainly a treat.
The evening kickstarted with warm bread and a dish of good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
To start, we were served Caesar Salad and Asparagus Soup from the lunch menu; and Salmon Roll with Rocket Salad and Mushroom Soup from the dinner menu.
The secret to a good Caesar salad is always fresh ingredients – fresh romaine lettuce, a generous amount of good quality shaved parmesan, crispy croutons and freshly-made dressing. The Opus’ Caesar had everything down to a pat.
The Asparagus Soup was refreshing, and a light introduction to the meal and appeared to be a clear favourite amongst the bloggers. I felt it was a tad over-seasoned though, but overall a good start. Something I’d definitely order when I revisit.
The Salmon Roll with Rocket Salad was another popular entry, balancing the bitter crunchy bite of the rocket leaves with that of the salty smoked salmon. Nicely done.
Next up was the homemade Mushroom Soup with button mushrooms, portobello mushrooms and dried porcini. I thought it was properly balanced and had good texture, not being overly creamy like some I’ve sampled.
With some satisfying starters kickstarting our taste buds, out came two pasta dishes – Linguine Zucchini & Prawns and Aragosta Spaghetti. I tend to test Italian restaurants with their prowess in preparing pasta dishes, usually starting with the deceivingly simple aglio olio. It is surprising how many don’t do this basic dish well. I was pleased to find the two pasta dishes highly-satisfactory underneath their well-plated demeanour. I like my pastas al dente, and these were ever slightly overcooked for my taste. Should be perfect for most though.
From the carb-laden offerings came the onslaught of meat that would make any carnivorous foodie drool – Grilled Minute Sirloin Steak with Black Pepper Sauce, Sirloin Steak Mushroom Sauce, Chicken Cacciatore and Grilled Seabass. The meat and fish dishes were exquisitely plated, well-seasoned and wholesome. If there was anything I’d pick on would be that the beef could have been a little bit more rare as it came out a tad dry, but this is personal preference and does not reflect the quality of the dish overall.
To top the night off, we were served Strawberry Pannacotta, surprisingly, in a rather large glass, not something you’ll see very often. We had to double-check with Opus if this was the actual sized glass that was to be served to customers. Smooth, rich and indulgent, the Pannacotta was really one of the better ones I’ve tasted.
A very satisfying meal overall, and I can’t wait to come back to sample more at a later date. My favourites – Asparagus Soup, pastas and the Sirloin Steak (a little bit more bloody, please!). So some really quality food at affordable prices, only during KL Restaurant Week.
Compliments to the chef, Chef Ariff bin Mohd Nor, one of the pioneers at Opus, who has more than 15 years of experience cooking Italian food and has been heading the kitchen for the past 10 years.
It’s not everyday that you can eat these awesome set lunches and dinners within the range of RM20 – RM98! So visit http://www.hungrygowhere.my/food-guide/gallery/kl-restaurant-week/ and read mouth-watering reviews to convince you further (as if you need any more convincing).
Reservations
Reservations can only be made online at www.klrestaurantweek.com on a first come first serve basis. Online reservation closes on 29 September 2013!
OPUS BISTRO @ BANGKUNG
A 67 Jalan Bangkung, Bukit Bandaraya, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
T 03-2092 4288
Opening Hours
LUNCH: 12PM-3PM [SUNDAY OFF for LUNCH]; DINNER: 6PM -12AM
*Pork Free, Non-Halal
