Tatto, Kuala Lumpur

Tucked in away in a small lane, within walking distance from Petronas Towers, is Tatto, a one-year-old Italian restaurant.  Make sure you have the exact address and directions as taxi driver probably do not know this place and the restaurant is not immediately obvious from the street.

This is a convivial, casual restaurant.  When I went on a Sunday night, there were 2 separate groups each celebrating a birthday.  The décor is nothing to shout about.  

I love starters, so I ordered 3 starters and a soup. 

• Sauteed clams with white wine and cherry tomatoes RM$26
• Pan-fried duck foie gras and caramelised apple rucola and blackberry reduction RM$58
• Sauteed tiger prawns with cherry tomatoes, garlic and chilli RM$30
• Lentil soup with sliced bresaola RM$26

Sauteed clams with white wine and cherry tomatoes RM$26

The clams are full of sand.  I asked the waiter and he said their clams come from Pangkor, an island off Malaysia.  I wished they had used Pacific or Atlantic clams—-would have been cleaner.  I rubbed my spoon against the bottom of the plate.  Oh god!!  It was rough with sand.

Goes very well with Bianco Cantine Bellosguardo Toscano NV RM$24 (if the clams had been clean).

Sauteed tiger prawns with cherry tomatoes, garlic and chilli RM$30

This is quite heavy.  It tastes spicy, salty and oily.  It feels like an Asian dish.  This dish definitely needs re-thinking to be lighter to have a Mediterranean/ Italian feel.

Pan-fried duck foie gras and caramelised apple rucola and blackberry reduction RM$58

OK.  Lacks a certain je ne sais quoi to be a star.  Feels like it was cooked by a culinary school graduate who as yet lack the inspired flashes of brilliance to propel him/ her into the top ranks.

Lentil soup with sliced bresaola RM$26

The lentils could have been softer, or better still, blended.

For my mains, I chose a fish.

Pan roasted Atlantic cod with vegetable caponata and orange liquor sauce RM$62

Like the tiger prawns, this feels like an Asian dish.  Like the foie gras, it was competently executed but it lacks the inspired brilliance to be truly outstanding. 

Tatto is headed by a local, non-italian chef and it shows.  The dishes have a subtle, but unmistakeable local Asian feel to it.  I guess the chef has a lot of homework to do.

Unfortunately, as its prices are comparable to other Italian restaurants, for now, there are better options than Tatto.