Your Friendly Neighborhood Good Eats!
Talk
about your neighborhood restaurants that leave a lasting impression and Vin’s
Restaurant and Bar comes to mind. Not that I live in TTDI but if I do, Vin’s
would be one of my favorite joints for good food and drinks. Tuck away in a
secluded spot in TTDI, you’ll be surprise at how many flocks to Vin’s in the
evening.
The
restaurant and bar has been serving many since 2010 and has continued to be a
local favorite hotspot till today. There is no secret to their successful
except to always be consistent in serving scrumptious food, lots of happy
giggle juices and service with a big smile.
The
ambiance is pretty much the understated décor that diners can unwind after a
long day at work. Elegant with minimal design, we adored the urban brick wall,
dark wood furniture and splashes of colors from the pieces of art work. The bar
is gorgeous, glowing majestically with a backdrop of liqueurs while a wine
cabinet cleverly sectioned off a private section for diners.
We
also like that Vin’s offer privacy at their alfresco dining area with tall
shades of greens.
One
can count on their long list of beverages to kick start the dining experience.
We decided to let the bartender show off their giggle juices and were glad we
did. Whiskey Sour (RM31), Tropical Sour (RM33) and Clover Club (RM33) are the latest hit
list of cocktails and we revel in merriment with these.
Whiskey
Sour, made the classic way that includes an egg white foam was sublime! The
lustful bittersweet cocktail is so well balanced in flavors, exuding tingling
sensations of satisfaction after a day at work. The Tropical Sour was more
fruit and sweet with a delicious tanginess that freshens up the palate while the
Clover Club, a gin based cocktail is beautifully perfumed with fresh
strawberries.
Vin’s
menu offers tapas, bar bites, soup & salad, burgers, tacos, pizza, pasta,
main courses of meat & seafood as well as sharing platters and desserts. From
the sharing platter, I highly recommend the Dips & Spreads (RM86). A feast at sight, we couldn’t resist a
few seconds of ogling before diving into this long platter so sumptuous dips
and cheese.
A
little of everything goes a long way and the platter consisted of mascarpone
mushrooms, tomato confit, truffle butter, caramelized onions, roasted sundried
tomatoes, Kalamata olives, avocado, cheddar cheese, feta cheese, candied
walnuts, roasted cashew nuts, toasted house made bread and some chopped greens.
I
really enjoyed the platter so much I forgot about our other dishes to come. In
fact, the three of us polished this whole platter happily with our cocktails.
The gorgeous smoky, spicy and sweet caramelized onions, moreish mascarpone
mushrooms, juicy tomato confit and salty feta cheese was exceptionally tasty
and goes so well with all the other bits and pieces. A must order and great for
sharing…
From
the tapas’ list, a simple but delicious Tomato
Confit Bruschetta (RM24). Tomatoes, little plump cherry ones that burst
with sweetness are paired with basil, ricotta cheese and a light drizzle of
balsamic reduction, sat on crisp toast. Simple yet utterly delicious in every
bite.
Next
on the tapas list worthy of a succulent treat is the Creole Tiger Prawns (RM35). Large prawns roasted with cayenne,
paprika, chili flakes, garlic and more are juicy, tasty and smoky. This one is
worth every penny for its robust and spicy flavors.
When
meatballs are made right, it is a sure crowd pleaser. Vin’s Italian Lamb Meatball (RM29) are little bombs of pleasurable
flavors. Well-seasoned and tender, the lamb meatballs are seared and then
braised in house spiced up tomato sauce till it has absorbed all the wonderful
earthy flavors of the sauce. We polished these up and even had more bread to
soak up that lovely sauce.
We
were told that the next dish in the Bar Bites section has been a signature of
Vin’s since it has started. Over the years, there has been very little tweaking
and the current version of the Madras
Spiced Lamb (RM31) had us enjoying a richly spiced laden curry of lamb meat
and marrow bone. The wondrous balance of spices is not over whelming and just
right to enhance the dark meaty notes of the lamb. A 4 hour cooking process
resulted in a velvety and gorgeous curry dish that is very much one of Vin’s
best seller on their menu.
If
you had read my previous post, you would know that I love Baja tacos. It’s so
hard to find a decent one here and so when I saw that this was on the menu, I
had to try this. The Baja Cod Soft Tacos
(RM36) here is pretty yummy and one of the better ones that I have had in the
city. Soft flour tortilla provides the envelope for strips of crispy cod fish
fritter together with crisp shredded lettuce, bell pepper, cheddar cheese,
jalapeno, onions, cilantro, sour cream, garlic aioli and lime. Needless to say,
the tacos were full of flavors and textures. Makes a great light meal on its
own.
I
would never have ordered the Smoked
Turkey Fusilli (RM42) but the chef assured us that we will enjoy this pasta
dish. True enough, the pasta dish turned out to be great pasta. Made spicy with
a good kick of heat, the al dente pasta had generous pieces of tender and moist
turkey and bitey mushrooms. It was smoky, spicy, unctuously tasty and great to
whet the appetite for more.
The
Crab Romesco Linguine (RM42) was
also just as good as the earlier pasta dish. It also shares the smoky and
spices element but has a sweet and sublime note from the vodka laced sauce with
chunks of crab meat and soft cherry tomatoes. The light bitterness of the arugula
completed the robust flavors of the dish.
Pan Seared Halibut (RM68) also hit the right note with
us. The thick cut of halibut is heavenly on the palate with its creamy, soft
and flaky flesh. Beautifully seasoned, we loved how perfectly cooked the fish
is. The only small gripe was that we didn’t care for that pesto fettuccine as
we felt it overpowers the delicious flavors of the fish but that is really
minor because the main piece was superb.
Despite
us being so full, we took a look at the Rogan
Gosht Pizza (RM42) and knew that this dish was going to be another winner.
Gorgeously golden and crisp, the pizza had bold colors of dark and rich chunks
of lamb rogan gosht, cheese, roasted cashews, tangy yoghurt sauce, chili,
coriander and lime. It was a firework of flavors in the mouth and the heat with
the smoky aroma is very appetizing.
Dinner
ended satisfactory from the savory end. The sweeter side took form in a simple
and yet delicious house made dessert of The
Classic Vanilla Rum & Raisin Ice Cream (RM16). Rum soaked raisins added
much pleasurable bite to the cold vanilla ice cream, also laced with more rum.
Well, there can never be enough rum in this dessert for us for sure…
The
next dessert of The Elegant Cappuccino
Panna Cotta (RM22) was decent too. Generous in portion, the espresso infused
panna cotta was crowned with chocolate shavings and bits of fresh strawberries
for another level of flavors.
The
longest standing and most popular dessert at Vin’s has to be their Decadent
Treacle Cake Pudding (RM24). Looking deceptively simple and plain but the
flavors and textures are simply amazing. The cake had a pudding like
consistency and lusciously aromatic. Pour on the thick cinnamon custard sauce
and enjoy the lush treacle cake pudding with its warm and earthy flavors.
A
great dining experience at Vin’s,
one that I would definitely go back for. We like how the no-frill restaurant
and bar serves up great food, awesome drinks and its friendly and efficient
service with a smile. Now if only Vin’s
was located in my neighborhood… I would definitely be a regular patron too!
VIN’S
RESTAURANT & BAR
No. 6 Lorong Datuk
Sulaiman 1,
Taman Tun Dr Ismail,
60000, KL
Operating hours: 4pm to
2am
Tel: 012 200 2119
