Garibaldi

May 2011

After il Lido’s much-lauded launch last year, fellow Singaporean gastronomic export Garibaldi was one of the most hotly anticipated restaurant openings in KL. Given that Italian food’s star is once again on the ascendance and Bangsarites are clamouring for a hot Italian eatery to call their own, the hullabaloo was more than understandable.

Which is why the resulting disappointment has been a particularly bitter pill to swallow. Splitting the restaurant into two separate sections with their own menus should be a canny business decision that enables diners to pick between formal fine dining upstairs and a rather more casual atmosphere downstairs. But instead of achieving that, it’s created a disjointed feel that highlights the shortcomings twice as effectively.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not all bad. The fine dining area upstairs is intimate and flooded with natural light during the day. Granted, the hotel banquet-room green finishing is a little sketchy, but the service is superb as is the complimentary bread comprising delightfully porous texture juxtaposed by an irresistible cheesy crust.

Starters are fairly impressive. The homemade tagliolini with braised duck ragu, duck liver sage and pumpkin reminded me once again that nothing beats freshly made pasta, while the inspired marriage of ingredients made the sauce a superb companion. The other signature special is the fegata with roasted goose liver, caramelised apples and balsamic vinegar. It’s a tasty – if not especially memorable – starter.

The main course section is where it all begins to unravel. The scaloppini had the texture of an old man’s ear lobes while the purported signature osso bucco smelt bad but tasted far worse. It’s a shame to have to write this as in many other respects, like the uniformly excellent desserts (the pannacotta is a standout exercise in quiveringly acquiescent perfection), Garibaldi – upstairs at least – has so much going for it. I hope that even as I write this, Garibaldi is working out the kinks and is well on its way towards taking its rightful place as one of the more esteemed eateries in Kuala Lumpur. As a Bangsarite, I have more than a vested interest in its success. Fay Khoo