Gecko & El Habanero

Gecko Gastrobar is a casual hangout in Damansara Perdana with plenty of potential; we've been particularly intrigued to hear that alcoholic ice cream will be introduced here soon, infused with Macallan 12-year single malt, Johnnie Walker whiskey, kahlua & Guinness Stout.

Tragically, none of the liquor-laced ice cream was available on our recent visit, so we settled for Gecko's savory stuff instead. The French-style duck sausages were worth trying; saltier than we'd have liked, but rich with meaty flavor.

A real sausage fest: North African-inspired chicken merguez, enjoyably juicy & well-seasoned. Gecko's sausages are made in-house, free of preservatives.

Clearly in a fowl mood this evening, we geared up for the grilled chicken chop _ marinated in Gecko's "secret spices," according to the menu. Commendably moist & tender, though the flavor could be punched up a few notches.

Chilean red, fairly priced at about RM90.

Following our failure to sample Gecko's whiskey ice cream, we wandered the Klang Valley for REAL whiskey to drown our sorrows. Our search brought us to the corridors of Capsquare...

... specifically El Habanero, a bar serving Jack Daniels whiskey (& Hennessy cognac) to lift our spirits back up. We live to drink again another day!

Gecko Gastrobar,

Menara Bata, PJ Trade Center, Damansara Perdana.

Tel: 03-7492-1035

El Habanero,

Capsquare, Kuala Lumpur.

Malayas @ Capsquare

The latest addition to Capsquare is quite a gem, specializing in a vast variety of Malaysian food served in tapas portions, cooked on order and costing only an average of RM5 per plate. The outlet looks gorgeous, with mellow jazz wafting from its high-tech sound system. Service is sparkling and booze is abundant.

Golden fried cumi-cumi. Very crunchy, extremely tiny squid. A perfect snack.

Lamb kicap masala. Super-spicy; we should have asked for rice with this.

Udang goreng kunyit. Satisfactorily fresh and well-prepared.

Deep-fried ikan rebus. Way too salty; wouldn't order this again.

Confinement-period sesame oil ginger chicken. Our favourite for the evening, even though neither of us will ever be pregnant. We felt instantly healthier and perked up after wolfing down what seemed like a lovingly cooked, homemade soup.

Steamed kacang kuda "festival-style." A treat that brings back childhood memories.

Vegetable pakora. Crisp, lightly battered, not oily at all.

Rendang kerang. Very rich and santan-ish, this is a love-it-or-hate-it recipe.

Portuguese spiced grilled fish. Surprisingly good. Naturally moist and tender, with a fresh-from-the-ocean taste but without the overly fishy flavour.

There are also some hawker carb-fests that come in larger portions. The char kuey teow was very tasty for a halal version, though it would have been better with cockles.

Mee Mamak. No complaints for this, but no raves either.

Bloody Mary and Malayas cocktails.

Kumala Merlot. Evidence that Mee Mamak and Merlot can mingle.

Malayas Bistro,

Capsquare.

Tel: 2691-1616

Urbanattic @ Capsquare

We revisited Urbanattic for drinks, but managed to catch a soundcheck by a young band.

No idea who they were. They sounded like Paramore-meets-Green Day.

Bloody Mary and Bellini cocktails. There's also a food menu now offering local fare from the Bunga Serai outlet nearby.

For previous entry on Urbanattic, click here. 

Urbanattic,

Capsquare.

Tel: 2693-3808

Red Square @ Capsquare

The best time to visit Red Square is between 5-9pm for excellent cocktail deals.

Lotsa finger food here, but the salmon bruschetta tasted as sad as it looked.

Blueberry crepes, which seemed somewhat stale.

Nevermind, their cocktails are the real reason to come here. The Splash R&B comprised smirnoff raspberry and lime topped with schweppes tonic and crushed blueberries. It's 1-for-1 at happy hours for this.

Flaming Red Square, which is basically a flaming lamborghini.

Red Square,

Capsquare.

Tel: 2692-2310

Bayernhaus @ Capsquare

We weren't expecting much from Capsquare's newest outlet, but the food nearly knocked our socks off!

Potato rosti with rashers, seared scallop, rocket leaves and poached egg. You can barely see the rosti buried beneath everything else, including the heart-stoppingly sinful bacon and perfectly plump scallops.

Roasted pork ribs in BBQ cilantro pineapple sauce. A succulent pleasure.

Seared flounder with seaweed and prawns with dill beurre blanc and sauteed zucchini. Not the healthiest way to eat fish, but by this point, we were ready to die and go to heaven!

Side dish of potatoes, red onions, capers, yoghurt, rashers and cannelloni beans. This could easily have been a satisfying meal on its own.

Paulaner wheat beer and Southern Comfort.

Bayernhaus,

Capsquare.

Tel: 2698-2891

Four Seasons @ Capsquare

Does the hype over Four Seasons' roast duck lead to disappointment?

Yes and no. The duck can't be KL's best, but it's still wonderfully tender and flavourful. My main gripe about this place is that they run out of popular dishes by dinnertime. We've tried to sample their siu yoke and pi pa beancurd, but those always seem to be out of stock early in the evening.

Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant,

Capsquare.

Tel: 2698-9393

Urbanattic @ Capsquare

Urbanattic is a complete revamp from what the original Attic in Bangsar was. But its slick look probably suits its new location in downtown KL.

Rendra Zawawi kicked off an acoustic gig with some heartfelt, heartwarming songs. "Away Away" is still playing in my head. Listen to his stuff at www.reverbnation.com/rendrazawawi

Rashdan Harith was the night's other performer. His compositions were more jazz-inflected, which isn't really my cup of tea. Still enjoyable though.

Nick Davis made a cameo appearance. Cute enough for a close-up? Hell yeah.

Since this is a food and drinks blog, I should note the Cosmo...

... And vodka shooters. Decent drinks, but there wasn't a wide range of options. Here's hoping they introduce a food menu eventually.

Urbanattic,

Capsquare.

Tel: 2693-3808