This is Ms Minela Preljevic.. (extreme right),
.. and mum.. and moi..haha
The Preljevics hail from Montenegro.
Ah… Montenegro .. even the name is exciting! Maybe it is this name that will trick you into thinking that it is a country of South America… But if you look around the European map, one will discover that Europe with its entire national, cultural, and historically – geographical diversity hides a small, but special state ! And it’s one of the oldest Europe states as well.
Yup.. Montenegro… I wanna go visit!
Apparently, Montenegro covers around 14,000 km2 and it only has about 670,000 citizens.. but its contribution to the world cultural heritage is impressive compared its size. During centuries of its rich history Montenegro maintained its independence, and is a place of which people always spoke with respect. Christian, Muslim, Illyrian, Byzantine, Turkish, and Slav civilizations merged here making Montenegro forever a crossroad of culture and history.
(facts courtesy of visitmontenegro.com)
This is the sort of place I imagined this family came from.. apparently .. i wasn’t far off!
Anyway, the Preljevics are fantastic cooks.
We read about their quaint little place in the newspapers and decided to swing by and pay their Italian restaurant a visit..
Ooooo.. quaint is not the word.. we felt at home straight way. Something in my bones told me that I had come to the right place for my pasta fix;)
Bruschette Con Pomodoro E Basilico RM12.00
Massive chunks of toasted bread with fresh herbs, tomatoes, garlic, basil, oregano and olive oil. Understated but effective. If less is more, this bruschette fit the bill perfectly.
The Zuppa Di Mare RM17.50
When they say spicy italian seafood soup, they truly mean spicy.
I could feel the metallic taste of the crustaceans.. and the salt of the sea.. plus the heat in the peppery soup!
LOVE 🙂
The say that to see how good an Italian Chef is at his pasta .. you should order Aglio Olio.
This is true.. but then.. i cannot resist the Vongole as this is my all time favourite pasta. No tomato nor cream base to mask the pasta so you can taste each bite in its purest form!
Again… LOVE!
Spaghetti Vongole – RM17.00
They say to test how good the Chef is at making pizza, one should order…
_______________?
(Can anyone tell me? – please post a comment .. haha)
But we broke that rule as well, because we were mad, famished carnivores and wanted the works… so, we ordered the Pizza Quatre Stagioni ! 4 in 1 .. so kiasu eh? But it paid off. Damn good man.
See how thick the cheese is? And the pepperoni, salami, beef and chicken bits were super thick hunks of pure protein overload.
Pizza Quatre Stagioni – RM25.00
And they say, if you want to test an Italian Chef’s prowess at dessert you should order…. ?
OK la.. we got this one RIGHT.. haha
Tiramisu – RM9.80
(by the way, the tiramisu was massive. Where to get at this price?!)
Some special desserts are not for sale! The Baklava is baked as a hobby and for friends only!
We were lucky to get an open invitation to sample their dessert. Being a fan of the Phyllo.. we couldn’t say no 😉
Here are some other mysterious goodies they let us try. Also not for sale!
On your right is a prune/date cookie. Sweet and crumbly. A little too sweet for me.
On your left, the big yellow cookie, is the Hurmasice. (new to me!)
Hurmasice is a Bosnian cookie that is soaked in simple syrup. It is tres tres yum 🙂
SIGH** That was a delicious lunch.. but now we must go… for I fear I cannot move… my belly is distended and I cannot feel my legs .. better do some walking before we go home 😉
CIAO CIAO!
Paradiso,
5-0-2, Jalan 3/109F,
Danau Business Centre,
Taman Danau Desa,
58100 KL
Tel:03-7981 9996
Food:8/10
Service:8/10
Price: affordable (mid range)
Salt levels: low
PART 2
So, now we’ve over-eaten.
We feel stuffed.
Good thing, our favourite bakery is just round the corner( I cannot believe we are going to look at more food)!
RT Pastry is a Taiwanese Bakery.
Fantastic home baked bread! We love the butter bread here.. a loaf lasts us only 2 days in our home. Gone in a flash! lol
Also a slice of their black sesame roll is just irresistible! One bite into this roll sends spasms through your entire body. Wait for that slightly salty-sweet rich cream centre to squirt into your mouth.. yummm!
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.
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Walking along we come across GABAN. A wholesale shop where you can get all kinds of Italian herbs, Japanese “non msg-ed” flavouring and other imported rarities… in all shapes and forms.
And cheap too! We are talking a big bag of Bay leaves at just RM15.00. Industrial sized packs of Tarragon, Black Spaghetti, Cayenne Peppers, Capers .. you name it.. they’ve got it…
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.
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The Barber Guys! How chic, how cool… When they have nothing to do, they can be spotted hanging out, smoking cigars at the Hacienda upstairs…
Oh… but where are the Barber gals;P?
Another crazy barber shop offering HOT , and happening styles. I’ll have a medium long pampadour to go, please.. better yet.. make that a ductail! mwahaha!
Oh, and why wouldn’t I want bigger sexy eyes??!!
Sure.. fix me up with them crazy wild eyes, while you’re at it.. why don’t ya??!!
(yea right..)
THE END:)
omg omg I will definitely 110% gonna try Paradiso. The food looks fantastic and authentic enough. Plus, the price isn’t too expensive if compared to other restaurants
Slurrrp….
My God…. It’s really killing reading ur blog at this time… hugrieeee….
Brilliant write up of what is obviously an excellent restaurant, very quaint! Cheers 🙂
vkeong:
affordable, authentic.. with really good ingredients.. value for money!
mel:
lol.. then u’d better start eating:P
jules:
aww. thx;D
what a lovely discovery! just love them!
eh, I’d fill in the blanks and put Pepperoni Pizza? haha..cz thats one of my fav.
there was once I had the anchovies/capers pizza and the extreme brininess and excessive oiliness put me off.
good place for some authentic stuff. bruschetta’s hard to go wrong, rite?
bbo:
🙂
j2kfm:
nope. guess agin!
This is my neighbourhood and somehow I’ve managed to miss all these good bits?! I really need to get out more. The Preljevics look like they really work it good…it’s love alright.
faith:
LOVE!
wah i thought u went for another place holidaying in the sun again..
oh dear..where in the world is dis?
joe:
taman danau desa! fun in the sun.. right in your backyard.. oo-er ;P
I remember reading a review on Paradiso some time back, and it was on my list of must-visits. Thanks for jogging the memory!
lemongrass:
i know what you mean! the newspaper article was like a bell that went “ding”! 😀
The seafood soup must be very dense in flavor eh… *drooling*x2
mimi:
it was dense.. but not so strong that it filled you up and overpowered the entire meal. It was spicy.. really good!
i took me a good minute to figure out that map…cos the land’s blue and the sea’s white…hahahaha!
another eccellente recommendation! 🙂
How do I get to this gem??!?
hi lynn!
I knew you would like this place! lol.. mel would too:) erm… i know .. i will post da map! stay tuned;)
lynn:
the map is posted.. just. (on the blog)!
nic:
ya hor – didn’t even realise.. did you have to invert your glasses.. teehee
The whole looks and settings seemed so foreign. Authentic cook and food. Like the bruschetta and the pizza has that home touch to it. Not sure if I can find the place but when I am in KL I will look for it.. Awesome.
We are already drooling over Ms Minela’s dreamy dark eyes and so ever soapilly romantisizing her wide expansive countrysides , sipping highfine blueberry Yugoslav wine circa 1999 , our 4th exquisite bottle of the long night
such sentimentalism indeed
…we wish we wish…
GUFFFAW at nic’s comment.
wow, i also thought you were in some foreign country. what on earth would possess an entire italian family to settle down in danau desa i wonder! maybe the mob’s after them.
so, what’s the answer for pizza? i think it must be the plain one….as a true test. cant remember the name.
and that gaban place looks fascinating too. you MUST organise an outing here.
jencooks:
okies – there's a map now on the blog. Maybe that will help
bsg:
you're spot on – so smart! The family is originally from Bosnia. Moved to Montenegro a loooong time ago…. then moved to KL!
fbb & j2kfm:
in order to test a true Italian Chef's prowess.. the pizza is Margherita.. just as the pasta is Aglio Olio!
because less is best. 1 topping… no more on a pizza:D
(unfortunately I like mine loaded with stuff)
I am in KAY EL! haha
hi ,nice meeting you & hubs last nite! I like your blog…..drooling already 🙂
ad:
nice to meet u too:D
ah, yes, i knew it started with an M….and ended with A. but i knew marinara sounded wrong…so better be silent and be thought a fool than speak and remove all doubt.
I usually prefer pasta to pizza but in this case, I’m all over that pizza, man… Looks terrific!
I love your blog and will be definitely trying some of your recipes. We found a great recipe in there a chunks of toasted bread recipe. I have some great recipes from her. Thanks once again. Next time i want to go Paradiso.