La Cucina at Pullman Kuala Lumpur Bangsar

The Pullman Kuala Lumpur Bangsar has opened; its main F&B attraction is Mediterranean restaurant La Cucina, a cushy venue with several interesting ideas emanating from its open kitchen.

A Confident Start

Meals here start on a confident note, with bread, olive oil and tapenade that would fit in well at many trattorias and tavernas.

Colourful Salads

Salads can be selected from a display counter (two for RM34++).

Hits and Some Misses

We have mixed feelings about some of the dishes though. These scallops are excellent but the risotto, while aromatic with both saffron and truffle oil, is unsettlingly mushy.

Pastas and Gnocchi

Pumpkin gnocchi with beef short ribs, kale, boletus mushrooms and shaved pecorino in pomodoro sauce. Not terrible, though the gnocchi could be a bit less stodgy.

The menu calls this taglioni, though it’s really closer to ravioli, stuffed with smoked duck and topped with crumbled feta, spinach and pine nuts.

Pizza

This pizza, nicely crowned with house-made lamb sausage, avocado, rocket leaves, cherry tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella but let down by a not-crisp-enough base, illustrates the potential of this place; La Cucina’s recipes sound sensational on paper but need a bit more finesse in execution.

Desserts

Desserts come from a chiller; cool-looking range, with no lack of figs, fruits and nuts.

Pullman Kuala Lumpur Bangsar also currently features all-day-dining establishment Link for buffet hunters as well as pastry-and-coffee shop Le Petit Cafe; more outlets may open next year.

Sean is currently still away, 8,765 kilometers and six time zones removed from KL, on a vacation that has now been extended to Nov. 17. Apologies for being very slow in responding to comments; will catch up slowly but surely.