Citrus Wine & Dine

I do not take alcoholic drinks during working hours. It was a good pick as for RM6.90 (it's imported, brewed in Holland) it was something different than regular soft drinks. Bavaria Non Alcoholic series comes in a few flavors, I chose the Apple flavour. Very gassy and refreshing drink indeed, tasted very similar to the carbonated drink Zappel. Can't help but to limit the zip of this beverages while waiting for more than 15 minutes for our main course despite it was quite empty during lunch. It was a long wait since I'm really curious what Citrus Wine and Dine has to offer. Being opened for more than 5 years, I've never tried this place as I heard it was kinda pricey, though set lunches below RM20 are offered.

But since this is a treat from somebody, I shall not go for the set lunches. Let's see what a table of 4 can pick from the ala carte menu. The first main course selected was the Spaghetti With Chicken Pepperoni in Creamy Sauce (RM22). My colleague opted for this after I pointed out that the Cabonara comes with beef. Quite identical to the Cabonara though, which will be reviewed next.

Spaghetti Cabonara (RM26) came with bacon bits, capsicum, mushrooms in a soupy like gravy. The angel hair pasta was cooked al dente but no matter how hard the bacon bits tried, it paled in comparison with the pork bacon. Yes, authentic porky goodness is irreplaceable in dishing up a good plate of Cabonara. And I prefer my Cabonara to be slightly dry - with evident presence of an egg and cream cheese. I really liked the version served in Michelangelo Pizzaria (few years back) and the resonably priced one in EuroHouse. The version here somehow is not my cup of tea.

The Aglio Olio Tenderloin (RM26) was somehow I feel the best among the 3 pasta ordered. Lightly tossed in olive oil and garlic oil, the herbs and dashed of freshly ground pepper made the presence of this dish felt in our table of four. My colleague mentioned that the beef is nicely executed, not chewy and was quite tender.

Enough of seeing pasta? The last main course is one of the best in display. Welcome the Chicken Pesto Fondue (RM26). A medium sized chicken thigh grilled and finding itself comfortably placed on top of mashed potato and some garden vegetable and blanketed in creamy pesto sauce. Really loved the presentation of this dish/ The mint olive oil drizzled into a pattern on the circumference of the meat is indeed a sight to behold. Didn't manage to take a sample of this dish but it have already won our eyes, if not our tastebuds.

Most desserts are priced in the range of RM8-RM15. Yes, they served quite a wide range of attractive desserts besides the cake of the day on display. If you are not certain on what to choose, or rather, you have a sweet tooth like me, why not pick something like the The Trio Sampler (RM16)? As the name goes, you get to douse your cravings with 3 different desserts!

The Crepe with Chocolate and Banana Filling is lovely! This is the one of the 3 items of this platter which I do not wish to share with the rest of my colleagues. The banana puree is ripe, warm and not painstakingly sweet, but coupled with the chocolate drizzle and the thin skin of pancake, this is heavenly! One thumb up for the taste, the other thumb up for being a personal favourite!

Strawberry Panna Cotta is served on a tall dessert glass. The base of the glass is stuck with candle wax to get a secure grip on the platter. The Italian custard is quite bland on itself but the texture is quite wobbly and slips down your throat just like tau fu fah. The strawberry puree with whole strawberries is a bit overpowering on its own but it will give a good combination when your spoonful of puree and custard is at the right ratio.

The Creme Brulee of Pandan and Ginger flavour is a creative creation. Those who are not fond of milky stuffs would find this dessert palatable too because the ginger manage to mask the creamy, milky and eggy flavour making it more acceptable and less "jelak". However, pure lovers of creme brulee would not find this version appealing though I felt the caramelized sugar top was well executed and the texture of the egg custard is also quite velvety smooth.

Ending our first 3 desserts, let's add another 3 more desserts in the review. Enter our second combination platter called Dessert Symphony (RM18.80). This platter is more of a cake combo - the Cheesecake, Brownies with Vanilla Ice Cream and The Warm Chocolate Moist Cake. The first two is of quite average, the cheesecake being very light and not too overpowering to end a meal, the brownies created a strong chemistry bond with the ice cream. The winner of the 3, in our unanimous decision is undoubtedly the Moist Chocolate Cake....

It is more like a Molten Lava Cake though. The cooking chocolate centre is far from being gooey and pudding-like viscosity but it flowed kinda freely... the black gold, the elixir of this dish, being warm... not too sweet but with a slight bitter aftertaste. I'm totally sold! Hehe... so much for being a sucker at desserts, the bill kinda woke us up into reality. Total damage was near RM180 for the 4 of us, quite pricey for the ala carte picks but for the taste, IMHO it is better than Indulgence. I might consider returning for more of the desserts though it means burning a hole in my pocket...