DV Ristorante Pizzeria - not so good

Our Menu - note the "Main Curse"

Had a dinner with the Amante at the DV Ristorante in Damansara the other night. The web reviews and reports were quite glowing so it was with some high anticipation of a good food night that we made our way to Damansara.

The restaurant is on the corner of the shophouse block on Jalan Setiabakti. We remember it as Lords the Tailor and a flower shop run by old friend Carol. I think they still operate the Decanter chain around the city. Parking was easy on a Thursday night.

The restaurant itself was a long strip littered with simple chairs and tables and in dark brick with a bar to get the drinks out. We were seated on a long strip of tables next to the windows, with one extra table that had been commandeered for the booze. 

Under the deal secured by the Amante, we were supposed to each get two free glasses of their house wine with the dinner. We never tasted it - we had brought loads of our own, so much that we didn't get around to it. Corkage was RM33 per bottle.

Scallop and Parmesan Crust and Lap Cheong Tomato

Good wines brought by everyone, though can't remember what they all were. Mostly red. I brought a Giesen Pinot Gris 2011 which was crispily peach and banana with a sugary bite and a Le Volte 2011 which was dark and moody fruit and drank most nicely. There was some lovely fizz to start and Dealerman brought some bigass Penfolds Shiraz which was massive powerful. Good drinking night. Good glasses from the restaurant too, though the service was grim. Not enough staff to man both kitchen and wines. I took over the booze.

At the start of the dinner whilst the wine was being quaffed, someone asked where were the bread rolls and got told none would be provided. Hmmm. Bread rolls are pretty standard in Italian places.  Felt a bit… cheap. Not the best of form to start the evening. 

Linguine al Pesto

Foodwise the evening was not startling, though the kitchen was quite brisk in getting the food out. Little taste or texture on the scallop which was overpowered by the salty parmesan crust. Though the arugula with the dried baby tomato was firm in the mouth. Kind of like a peppery fruit lap cheong with a salty textured chew.

The linguine came out looking (and subsequently tasting) like a ball of floury rough stodge given flavour by the pesto.  The beef was tough and unchewable with no taste. The lamb fared slightly better though again on the tough side. Some said they enjoyed it. I found it inedible. Didn't try the fish. The vegetables were good, nicely undercooked  and tasting of mushroom with the texture of abalone. The Tiramisu was lovely - cream, sweet, spongey gunge, sprinkle of coffee - very very nice. Can't remember if there was coffee - don't think there was. Most of us were all happily chugging the wines.

Black Angus Tagliata - tough and dry

Equally good was the Braesola Pizza that Dealerman ordered, presumably to fill the belly given the failure of the other courses to do so. It rocked - great crust, good cheese and fresh greens. This might be where DV shines. Certainly on this outing the rest of the dinner was not of a standard we can get elsewhere in the city. Maybe a bad night, but given that there were only 20 of us and a sprinkling of other patrons one would expect a kitchen and staff to be able to cope. Would go back for the Pizza and desserts but that would be it - the mains were pretty grim. 

Starter

Baked king Scallop with Parmesan Crust on a bed of aragula

Entree

Linguine al Pesto

Main Course

Black Angus Tagliata 

or

Oven Baked Cod at "Cartoccio"

or

Charbroiled Lamb Loin

Dessert

Tiramisu

The lovely Tiramisu

Before....

and after!!

Cheers!!

DV Ristorante Pizzeria

77 Jalan Setiabakti

Damansara KL

Tel 03-2098 2001

Italian Fare at Bavarian Bierhaus

Brief note oon a dinner we had at Bavarian Bierhaus in Wisma UOA on Jalan Pinang last night. It was an Amante della Cuccina Italiana function. Yeah, we didn't get it at first, but the Executive Chef is Massimo Zampar who hails from Udinese in the north. 

Seems he offered to do an Italian dinner for the Amante for the usual price as a buffet style dinner - plates shared between diners and RM50 corkage instead of the usual RM80. Which is stiff given the context of the place. The wines on offer there were pretty low end and charging RM120 a bottle is quite an ask. Also trying to get a wine list from the (I presume) manager proved impossible. He kept saying "Red or White?" and it ended up feeling a little like we were in Petaling Street where I could negotiate the price. He didn't really know his wines and seemed not to appreciate that I did, which became a bit irritating. In the end we went for beer and got stiffed RM60 for two German style grogs. Memo to self - next time go for the Happy Hour Guinness. 

We had a brief lesson on Italian from Eik Ming (a language teacher) and out came the food, a bit late due to traffic delays from a massive rainstorm (indeed our geusts had to give up on getting into town - standstill traffic).

First was an Antipasto of mix cold cuts, Mozzarella caprese salad, Grilled scallops with bacon and mushroom ragout and bruschetta with tomato and sardine. Bruschetta was lovely with the sardine giving an anchovy salt bite to the butter toasted bread. Salad was fine, the scallops were a bit strange as a result of the bacon and ragout mix - it pretty much drowned the scallop and relegated it to texture more than anything to taste. Very nice texture it must be said, but it felt as if the ragout was fighting with the fish and the whole felt a bit snuzz. Cold cuts were okay, but there's always a context in what can be imported and when. Given this, the inclusion of the cold cuts of salami, parma, lardo and cooked ham was fantastic and well appreciated. Nothing like a plate of pig meats to get people in the mood.

Primo dishes were homemade Ravioli with ricotta, spinach and tomato and Homemade tagliatelle with scallop mushroom and bacon. The Ravioli was brilliant - full bite pasta around fresh spinach ricotta in a herby tomato sauce. Total authentic and wonderful taste - the dish of the night. The Tagliatelle was runner up in the dish stakes - full and hearty it satisfied as only pasta and mushroom sauce can. 

The Secondo Main courses were pork ribs, a mixed sausage platter and the roasted pork knuckle. These were a bit of a disappointment. The ribs were well cooked but the marinade felt a bit overdone, with the result that there seemed to be a vinegar tinge on the rib. They had been well braised in the oven, so tenderness was very good. The sausages were filling and hearty and a great selection, but somehow oily. The Knuckle felt dry and tired. Again, there's a context and perhaps all this protein coming at once was a bit overpowering. It was explained that this was a similar style to that of the German neighbours to the north but that this offering had an Italian twist to it. Well, and maybe, though it is difficult not to wonder if this is more needing to maintain the image of the Bierhaus as a masculine pig knuckle and beer place and I guess Chef having signed up top cook for the place pretty much has to get on with it and deliver what the boss wants. it feels like Chef's calling is clearly with his homeland roots. Should be interesting when he gets his own Italian place. Which he will. Talent always outs. 

Dessert of Marscapone cheese on ladyfinger was pleasant and creamy. Didn't try the mousse but the ice cream was also creamy in a less sugary kind of way. Pretty much out of belly space by this time. Service was quick and efficient, and a nice smile from the little girl who got a tip from me. Not sure I enjoyed being sat up on a stool German bar style eating Italian food, but that was the deal. No one could have any complaints about the food quality nor the amounts served. Great value from the Amante perspective. For me, not sure that I'd go back for the knuckle on this outing, more so given that the beer and wines felt pricey. Would love to find a really good knuckle place. The Eurodeli that used to live on Jalan Yap Kwan Seng is sorely missed whilst I refuse to go to Changkat Bukit Ceylon due to the lack of parking and the sleazy feel of the area. 

YOU'RE THE TOP! Marini's On 57

Amazing view of the Twin Towers from Marini's

Lenglui and I always look forward to the Amante della Cucina Italiana dinners. This informal group of foodies focus on Italian cuisine in Kuala Lumpur and the evenings generally get quite rowdy and laughter filled. They look to fix dinners at KL's Italian Restaurants for members and generally succeed extremely well. 

We had been itching to try Marini's on 57 for almost a year but for some reason the timings weren't quite right. Lenglui had found that Chef Federico Michieletto (whom we had first encountered during his time at Pietro Restaurant) was head chef. So it was with delight that we received the email saying that the next Amante dinner would be hosted there July 9th. Naturally, we signed up pretty quickly. 

Named after owner and operator Marini Modesto who built his name in KL on a chain of tasty pizza restaurants, it is located on the 57th floor of the third Petronas Tower at KLCC. Unless you know how to get there, the entrance is a bit hidden. The store staff at the Suria all know where it is though, and you basically pass Chanel on your right and head for the corner to the left. There you will see curtains and a smiling bouncer type gentleman who escorts you to the elevator. In less than twenty seconds you are whisked to the 57th floor where Marini's is located. 

Marini's on 57 interior

Half of our Amante group were already seated and we welcomed Datuk and Datin back from seven weeks overseas travelling. A welcome and unexpected glass of Prosecco greeted us, which was found to be slighly unbalanced on the wrong side of sweet but pleasant nonetheless. We had brought our Italian house red Le Volte 2010 Chianti and a spicy Sicilian Barrua 2005 for the occasion. Normal corkage at Marini is RM100 per bottle but organiser Jing had used her massive charm to persuade the management to give us free corkage on the second bottle. Which meant we simply HAD to open it. Yes. Now I understand why buy one free one is so powerful a marketing tool. 

The restaurant itself is long and felt a bit dark, but on reflection necessarily so since too much light would take away from the incredible view we get of the north side of KL City. As we arrived the sun was in the final stages of setting and we sat down to the gloaming dusk to watch the night come to life. This is the premium that you pay to dine at Marini's. And for me it is worth most of the extra ringgit one pays for the privilege. I have been blessed to have sat in a few rooftop restaurants around the world and watched the sun set on those various cities with a glass of something. But when it's your own (or at least the one that has adopted you) there's more of a connection. It becomes personal; this is your town that you're seeing, and it's one heck of a town. Or at least it is when there's no haze or rain, as was the case on our visit. Couple that with no nose bleed or altitude ear pop sickness from our rapid ascent into the heavens and things were looking good.

Amante della Cucina Italiana

All duly arrived and photos were taken and Chef Federico came out to say hello and introduce the starters. Chef continues to be a fantastic supporter of our Amanti della Cucina Italiana group and a cursory look at the menu he had prepared for us showed he was yet again pulling out the stops. As said, we first experienced Chef at his preivous gig at Pietro's through the Amanti and were most impressed with his clean and refined home style of cooking yet with clear leanings toward the fine end of dining. Hopefully Marini's would clearly give him the licence and resources needed to take this to the next level. 

Our menu had been colour printed on frosted paper in the black and red master colours of the Marini's restaurant, nicely complementing the uniforms of all the staff. On reflection, perhaps this colour scheme was a shade too bold, but it melted into the dark ambiance of the restaurant and became a backdrop rather than an influence. 

The service was very good throughout the night. Only faults would be a dropped fork at the start and a slight mix up on the cutlery placing (out to in, I was wondering why I had a spoon to eat the Lobster when I figured it was for the following Pappardelle) but no one else seemed to notice or bother too much so I guess best to just let it pass. 

Ricotta, Zucchini e Vin cotto

The Ricotta was very good - nice and light creamy crumbly with the zucchini lending an acetic quality, I guess from being quickly sauteed in some balsamic reduction. Champion with a chunk of bread.

Goose, Duck Salami with Shallot 

The salami was brilliant, especially the goose - more delicate in taste and texture than its traditional porcine brother, it retained that unmistakeable salami combo of cured meat and fat that we in the West have loved since childhood. The pickled Shallots lent a nice onion crunch and zip and the pan toasted sweet brioche was genius, giving a sweet carbo undercurrent to the meat. Wonderfully filling, this is a perfect option for those in this nation who are not able to take the pork. Could happily have ate this all night, but then I am a salami monster - one of the most perfect foods on the planet. Whilst it went well with our Chianti, it would have been a good match with a nice glass of something bubbly to clean the fatty salt gunk from the tongue and throat. Bread and water had to do and well it did. Most of the plates got cleared, though I reluctantly felt a need to leave a few slices. There was a lot of food yet to come. 

And come it did and what a belter the Blue lobster and Burrata with Cream Form proved to be. Sweet crisp and crunchily good lobster blended masterfully with the creamy burrata, with the rind offering a slightly different texture to contrast the flesh. The sweet chew on the meat was delightfully endless, whilst a splash of olive oil on the plate lent a necessary and welcome cut to the cheese. Given its colour, I'm guessing that Chef added some pureed lobster to the Cream Form, so the colours on the plate had a harmony. The cream form was magnificent, giving the lobster and cheese that milky bite to bring the burrata to perfect texture and taste. Contender for dish of the night. 

Blue lobster and Burrata with Cream Form

Well, it was until the Pappardelle ai Piccione made its way to the table. It must be said that pigeon is not something that has loomed large in my gastronomic adventures. When it makes an appearance on a plate, my standard reaction is "why?" I've never got what pigeon is supposed to be about. Texturally snuzz, bland tasting and rarely much of it - well, it is a small bird, yes? Now thanks to Chef Federico, I think I understand it somewhat better. Tonight's pigeon felt as if it had been treated as a game bird and hung for a while to give it that hint of what can only be called "gamey". It's like fermented eggs and aged cheese - the hanging gives the meat an element of taste that makes it less of a bland experience. Which was what I got from this bird - a light taste that was not oppressive in the mouth and showing great balance. Presenting it Ragout style with simple mushroom gravy style sauce lightly seasoned let the gamey element come through beautifully. Close your eyes and you were transported to a countryside farm in the Veneto. Paired with a freshly made long flat papardelle pasta, this was a real authentic taste of Italian soul food at its best - filling, tasty and satisfying. I think there was a bit of Chef Federico's own soul in this one. I cleared the plate and sopped up the sauce with the bread remains. Perfecto and so, so good. 

Pigeon ragut, Papardelle and Barolo Wine

Our 2010 Le Volte had gone very nicely with the food to date - solid and workmanlike, smoother tannins than previous bottles but still bold and tasty with good fruit, pepper and spice. But in order to take advantage of the corkage deal we had to crack the 2005 Barrua. How could we not? Actually, if thought had been given, we could have shared corkage with others on the table who had also brought wines and saved the bottle. But we were not thinking clearly. Wine and great food will do that to you. As it was, the Barrua had a lovely balance of fruit, tannin, alcohol and acidity. Dried fruits on the nose with prunes and raisins, and a plum jammy sweet mouth with a clean lingering finish. We passed a glass to Chef who looked somewhat stressed and in need of a reviver. The restaurant is clearly doing well, with about 90% full on the night. 

Roasted Veal Tenderloin with Summer Truffle Puree and Roasted Tomatoes with Smoked Duck

And the food kept coming. Some of the table were flagging at this point, but a quick stand and walk up and down the restaurant helped clear a bit of space in the system. By way of introduction here, it should be said that Chef's Veal Tenderloin at the Pietro was legend. We had it one time with the Amanti and it was gorgeous - great texture, and milky meat that just evaporated in the mouth. Tonight's was even better. Done rare with a salt crust in a cream truffle sauce, it had that slight raw firmness that was textural heaven. Total wow. In contrast, the duck had been shredded and somehow packed into a poached tomato to create an amazing juicy sweet and slighly sour tomato bite with a salty crisp duck crunch. Most interesting combination of tongue tickling tastes with this one. Not quite total wow, but still wow. 

I might have a question as to pairing the tenderloin and the duck on the same plate, but possibly Chef was looking to showcase his talents to his Amante. In a fine dining context, they can clearly be separated for degustation and wine pairing purposes. The veal was absolutely stellar. 

SELEZIONE DI FORMAGGI

And so were the cheeses that came out. We had three on the main plate - the hard Bagoss made from skimmed cow milk, the hard Pecorino made from ewe's milk and the soft goat milk Caprini, all of which seem to originate in the Langhe region in the Piedmonte. All of these were fabulous in their different ways, especially the milky sour Caprini with some toasted brioche. But the cheese star was the Barolo Cheese. This semi firm mixed milk cheese is aged like wine in oak barrels and then pressed with fresh Nebbiolo grape husks. As a result, the wine flavours seep into the cheese to produce an amazingly rich and brilliantly complex taste that went gangbusters with our Barrua. Seems the origin of this cheese was a happy accident as a result of hiding the cheese in a wine barrel to prevent it from being stolen and then forgetting about it until its discovery some months later. As a result, it became legend. It was an absolute stormer - a full rich sweetly chewy and sour salty assault on the back of the tongue and cheeks. A wonderful and totally new experience that gives a whole new meaning to a cheese and wine tasting. Brilliant. 

Cotton Candy

The desserts of a massively sugary Cotton Candy and a somewhat texturally heavy Chef's Grandma Cake (as he called it) were nice enough and we tasted out of courtesy for Chef. But we were all hugely full and it was very difficult to follow the cheese with these desserts. Either one or the other would have been enough but maybe not both. That aside, somehow the dessert didn't quite match up to the standard set by the preceding dishes. As said, the cake was a bit on the heavy side when something lighter might have been more palatable. Having said that, had our preceding dishes been lighter then a heavier dessert would have made sense. Will have to try the Grandma cake in a different context. 

Traditional Pie with Pine Nuts and Cream Pasticcera

And then came the chocolates. Oh my lord, the chocolates. Delightful looking little dainties being offered and suggested according to guest  preferences, these were a stunning end to the night. Chef suggested one of the soft dark brown plain creations should be tasted with a little olive oil and salt. Unbelievably, it totally worked with the salt freshening the tastebuds and the oil coating the throat to let the tongue taste the full chocolate without any gunky residue. Another totally new experience. Double brilliant. 

In sum, one of those totally amazing dining nights full of fantastic food and amazing new taste experiences. No complaints whatsoever about food quality, preparation, presentation or temperature - everything was excellent. Service was very good - clean, quietly efficient, unobtrusive. One staffer had even learnt my name - don't know how he found it. Everyone at our table was pretty quiet at the end of the night, probably too full to do anything else except sit replete with full belly and contemplate life above the streets of our twinkling city below. Chef certainly pulled out many stops for us on the night, yet was still able to manage a room full of paying guests. He remains hugely supportive of the society - a very special Amico dell' Amante - and should be commended as such.

Chef Federico's skills have clearly grown. Being in command of a restaurant with the clout and organisation of Modesto behind it, I guess he has been freed up to experiment with and command the best ingredients for his creations. He creates brilliantly tasting dishes that satisfy and excite.  All the other cities in the Pacific Rim seem to have a chef with a Michelin star and it's way about time that Kuala Lumpur joined that particualr fraternity. Is Chef Federico in that frame? From what I have seen of Michelin graded chefs, he is probably a little too paisano to satisfy the nobs. Michelin seems to require innovative refinement in preparation and presentation, chefs who take the culinary arts to other levels. But then what does Michelin know? Chef Federico has superb culinary chops and is already a star. It doesn't get much better. Just close your eyes to the prices and enjoy the food and the view. Totally the top.

View from Marini's on 57 overlooking Kuala Lumpur

MENU PER AMANTI DELLA CUCINA ITALIANA

Menu  per amanti della cucina  italiana

SCAPECE DI ZUCCHINI RICOTTA CON VIN COTTO

Ricotta , Zucchini e Vin cotto

SALAME D'OCA E ANATRA

Goose, Duck Salami with Shallot  Agro Dolce Pan Brioche

ARAGOSTA CON BURRATA

Blue lobster and Burrata with Cream Form

PAPPARDELLE AI PICCIONI

Pigeon ragut , Papardelle and Barolo Wine

VITELLO AROGOSTA CON PATATE ESTIVE

Roasted Veal Tenderloin with Summer Truffle Puree and Roasted Tomatoes  with Smoked Duck

SELEZIONE DI FORMAGGI

Langhe Cheese, BagosS DOP, Pecorino DOP, Caprini DOP

ZUCCHERO FILATO

Cotton Candy

TORTA DELLA NONNA

Traditional Pie with Pine Nuts and Cream Pasticcera

CIOCCOLATINI

Fine Selection of home-made Chocolate

Best Western Hotel November 11th 2012

Went for the wedding of Brother Ho's daughter. Lenglui and I were joined at the Table by Dato Kok and wife, Kelvin, and Key from the Amante group, and by Victor from Spanish Passion who was supplier of the wines to the restaurant. Food was okay, though the chicken seems to be the memory - succulent and a bit oversalted but lovely nonetheless. Dessert also. Victor's Spanish whites were tasty, good firm body and crisp acidity. Kelvin brought a Chilean red. First time I'd ever come across someone bringing their own wine to a wedding. It does make sense, though. Most hotel wine is pretty mediocre stuff. At least with your own you know you'll enjoy it with friends. Sang the usual Yue Liang Tai and Pang Yau for the wedding. Mix up with singers and songs meant that Lenglui had to change to singing "Only You" instead of her wedding party piece "The Wedding Song". To have both of them sing the same song was cannot, even though the bride's mother thought it would be okay. Lenglui did it well. But she would have nailed the Wedding Song way better than the other singer. The groom seems a pleasant chap - well balanced. 

Amante Dinner Garibaldi Bangsar Village Juy 7th 2011

NOTE - Garibaldi is no longer there and hasn't been for years. Apols for not updating earlier. Was a great place.

Our nearly legal society had a gathering for which only twelve of us had signed up. Not sure why the numbers were so low, but it made for a close convivial and hearty gathering. A Four course with coffee and two glasses of wine for RM150 was a great deal and we'd been wanting to try the Garibaldi for a while. Well, what a delightful evening. One of the members treated us to a very welcome glass of Roederer champagne, with beautiful bubbles, rich oatmeal biscuit on the nose and yeast on the tongue. A great reminder of how great champagne can taste. Following a charming Amuse Bouche of walnut on some kind of puree, the starter of Beef Carpaccio with Shaved Parmegiano and Rucola which was…. quite forgettable, actually. Maybe should have asked for pepper to spruce up the beef or more pungency in the cheese. But the Primi Fettucine with Spring Veg Ragout and Truffle Sauce was brilliant. And most generous with two clips of shaved truffle added to the dish! The accompanying wine was the Albizza Chardonnay Toscana 2009 from Frescobaldi. Lean, slightly oily and fairly unassuming on its own, it bloomed with fruit and flower on connecting with the Fettucine. All trace of oil disappeared leaving a clean fresh full bodied wine that stood up to the truffle and really brought out the freshness of the pasta. A real winner.

Next was a choice of King Prawn or Veal. Dearest went for Prawn while I did the Veal. We also swapped wine, she taking the remains of my white for the prawn and I nabbed her red for the Veal. The mushroom and truffle sauce was delightful, and paired with lean veal pan fried made for a rich mouthful of earthy textures. The paired Danzante Merlot 2009 was….. okay, I guess. Bit light for Merlot, lot of cherry for some reason. Certainly not a large wine, which was just as well as it would have killed the meat. But at RM40 a glass, I don't see me buying it off the menu.

Garibaldi's Apple Pie with Vanilla Gelato looked scrummy, but I passed. Way too much sugar and fat. Diabetes is a bastard. I love desserts. Just can't eat them any more.

One of the members had most generously brought two bottles of Frescobaldi Brunello di Montalcino 2004 and 2005 for a vertical taste for the assembled. Both were full and beautiful, though the leaner 2004 had the edge on structure while the 2005 had better fruit. But lovely wine. The Brunello has lovely texture, bit velvet and slightly lean, with cheek tickling blackcurrant and damson. Finish was crisp and sleek, with wild fruit on the nose. Wonderful treat.

Most of the conversation was about air travel and a scary story about one SQ118 that had to return to base after an engine caught fire. Other talk was on obedient wives club and the upcoming marches. Most would be staying at home. Us too. Got DVD in case they decide to shut down the TV. Damn stupid if they do, but international opinion doesn't always seem to rank high on the list of priorities here.

Given the present selection of bottles, the imposition of RM80 for corkage seemed a bit of a whack. Here, though, the staff said that Garibaldi was taking delivery of 300 cases of Italian best the following week so hopefully the choice and price will be fair and reasonable. Whilst the individual dishes on the menu looked a bit stiff, the degustation of six courses at RM150 looks worth a try. Like Arnie Schwarz, we'll be back.

Amante Dinner Villa Danieli Sheraton May 5 2011

Thursday 5th May 2011
Having been pressganged into signing up for the Starwood Card, it seemed like gentle fate when the Amante group decided to hold their May gathering at Villa Danieli at the Sheraton Imperial to test out the newly installed chef. The Amante are a semi loose group of people who enjoy Italian food in Kuala Lumpur and get together once a month at a different Italian restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. They try to maintain a ceiling of RM120 for the dinner, though this should be increasingly difficult given the global economy and rising inflation. Possibly for this reason, the Villa Daniele dinner had a price tag of RM150 a pop; the the hope was that it would be worth it. If it was, I didn't feel it, although there were no major complaints from the assembled. Appetizer of Salmon and cold Fish terrine with caper and basil sauce was tasty, though some felt it was overdone with the salt. Needed a decent wine to match it and the house Ruffino white didn't quite cut it. Main course of pan fried lamb loin was excellent, melt in the mouth succulent and the mash and gravy made for a delightful experience. Again, the house Ruffino Chianti failed to match the food. Didn't touch the Chocolate Mousse dessert, though everyone else scarfed it down swiftly. Whilst both wines came with welcome refills, it was a shame that a better wine could not have been found to fit the food. But that's the Amante - always pressing for value and sometimes getting good and sometimes getting a little. The coffee took an age to reach the table, as did the bill. I'll be back at the Danieli at some time, as my Starwood Card gives me discount. Not sure I would make it my first choice otherwise. Corkage was a bit stiff as well, RM60 as I remember. Asked if Starwood members got free corkage, answer was no. Chinese restaurants rarely charge corkage. Then again, they don't have decent wine glasses, so we bring our own.