Prego

Calzone Bomba

After winning David Rocco’s cook book entitled David Rocco’s Dolce Vita in a blog contest on Camemberu’s website (click to read my winning submission and have a giggle!) I was well chuffed with myself at this accomplishment because, I almost always never win anything on contests. Ever.

Not only that, but because I started reading the book, it got me hooked on the concept that, the starting point is always food.. and that food brings friends and family together.  Italian cooking is all about the simple things, and how, if you learn to do these simple things well, life is that much better! Well I have no doubt that great food brings people together, but also,  since reading this wonderful book , I’ve been checking out Italian restaurants around town to see if this rings true. Where can I go to experience ‘the sweet life’ that is conveyed through excellent Italian cuisine, that the book talks about.

Reading a post here & here that highlighted wonderful Italian indulgences at Prego, I decided to do the most unimaginable thing, expected of a PJ girl, head down-town to the heart of traffic infested KL to put this restaurant to the test.

Freshest bread on earth with a tomato dip

The Italians are definitely fond of their bread and there are no less than 50 over types of Italian bread that one can make. Italian bread unlike other breads is a crusty yeast loaf that is short and wider than other loaves, or at times it may be round or oval in shape. I love the ones they serve in Prego. Crusty outside with a soft and fluffy inner that goes great with olive oil or butter or even a tomato herb dip.

Fichi Biondi ..

..wood-fired oven roasted figs,with gorgonzola sauce,

Fichi Biondi – Too delicious for words.. go FIG-ure!

Ah the amazing Brazilian fig. Figuratively speaking, I like most things Brazilian actually.. Brazilian football, Brazilian wax.. and now, figs.

I don’t normally like dry figs because I find them overly sweet, shriveled and resembling nothing remotely appealing nor beautiful in particular. No, I am not fond of them at all.

After I tried these fresh figs at Prego that were the complete opposite of my stereotypical expectation of a fig, I was totally bowled over. The explosion of sweet juices, rushing to neutralize the salty, cloying gorgonzola was just too much to bear. We ordered another. (and another, and another!  No..,  i wish!) Yes, I will never eat dry figs again. Ever.

Ravioli con Barbabietola e ricotta – roasted beetroot and fresh ricotta ravioli, poppy-seeds, smoked ricotta salata

Ah.. while the figs were sensational , the next dish also held its own. This lightly fried ravioli stuffed with Beetroot was superb. Rather than having a mushy, wet texture, the roasted beetroot stuffing had a nice rough edge to it. It was gritty and texturized with a lovely color that only beetroot can impart. An excellent way to serve ravioli if you ask me. The perfect combination – who would have thought!

The Calzone Bomba of turkey ham, zucchini, artichoke, pesto sauce, basil, tomato, mozzarella (first photo) was my least favourite dish because you could hardly taste the artichokes nor the basil.

The Castello Banfi 2004 Brunello di Montalcino

The Castello Banfi vineyard estate has been described as a “constellation of single vineyards.”  Its premium wines include the Poggio all’Oro single vineyard reserve and the Poggio alle Mura cru of Montalcino region’s historic Brunello di Montalcino, along with noble international varietals and three proprietary cuvées, SummuS, ExcelsuS and Cum Laude. A medium full-bodied wine with both strong acidity and tannins, I found this wine reminded me of a gentleman’s club (tobacco and leather), with hints of plum and a rather short finish. Not bad but it takes getting use to. I think I still have a long way to go before becoming a true wine connoisseur because sometimes, the good stuff is wasted on me. Only RM85 per glass of this beautiful wine. I would never pay that much, unless someone offered it to me;)

How did Prego fare?

Well, considering that the pièce de résistance though spectacular were the figs from Brazil and that the Calzone did not deliver, I must admit that I have yet to find my ‘Dolce Vita’ at Prego. Having said that, the Ravioli was excellent and so was the wine. Since we hardly made a dent in July’s menu, we will have to come back again to try the other items before we can make a fair decision.

A final point on dining at Prego.

The Palio di Siena, known locally simply as Il Palio, is a horse race held twice each year on July 2nd and August 16th in Siena, Italy. On the day of the Palio, spectators crowd into the piazza from noon onwards, willing to bear sun, heat and sweat to witness this traditional event. At the end of the race, a massive banquet and merry making ensues.. and everybody pigs out on fantastic Italian food.

Why am I talking about the Il Palio? Well because during this July month, Prego Westin KL will have a special set course in conjunction with this celebration which includes some authentic dishes such as Tuscan potato and air dried beef pizza and creamy fontina polenta. The price is really affordable as well – under RM50 per head. Though we did not try this, it looked like a good deal. Something to bear in mind if you are having lunch in the area.