“I will always come back to this restaurant”

Ciccio does roaring business, even on the coldest of nights—Monday. This Italian restaurant is located along lively Changkat Bukit Bintang. I was afraid that Ciccio, located in the popular and touristy Changkat Bukit Bintang along a stretch of restaurants and pubs, would be a tourist trap. Moreover, I had a whole day of meetings. I was tired, drunk and full. I didn’t really want to go. I was very glad I pulled my act together and checked out the place.

There is an air-conditioned area and an outdoor patio area. The vibe is down-to-earth and casual. There are bar tables that invite conversation and sharing. When I went on a Monday night, the place was full of groups of customers.

I first tried the Mojito Zen. It was a cocktail of rum, Martini rosso, green tea, lime, sugar and mint (RM$36). It was refreshing and strong. Great! My evening was off to a great start.

Martini Royale— Martini, Bianco, Prosecco, lime, mint leaf RM$29.

They have very good cocktails here—–strong, not the watered down pathetic versions.

My starter was the Burrata.

It consists of traditional mozzarella from Puglia (South Italy) region, tomatoes, rocket salad and extra virgin olive oil (RM32). The dish was light, fresh and oh-so-healthy. It was nothing fancy, nothing complicated. I simply sat back and enjoyed simplicity and freshness of the ingredients.

 

Ravioli do Carne

Chicken ravioli with wild mushroom, ragout and a touch of cream. RM$45  It was extremely rich, creamy but not sickeningly so. The woody flavour of wild mushroom was immediately evident. It was intense. They used good quality mushrooms and they didn’t cook them too long so the wild mushroom flavour was retained.

Branzino RM$32

Sea bass fillet baked in aluminium foil with garlic, olives, anchovies and fresh tomato sauce.

This is a local sea bass baked for 20 mins wrapped in an aluminium foil. The sea bass is light, white and extremely fresh. This is a refreshing dish where the flavours are light and so healthy.

The staff attentively but unobtrusively walked around, always ready to help. They actually thank diners for their patronage as they walk out. You just don’t get such humble service these days. The staff speaks extremely good English. This is not an ultra-posh establishment where the slightest faux-pas is frowned upon. This place encourages good times and the enjoyment of good food land life.

I will always come back to this restaurant when I am in KL.