First Published in Options, The Edge, September 28, 2015
A place for a tasty
respite from shopping
Away from the frenetic foot traffic of the Pavilion shopping
mall, Quivo presents a lush interior, with herringbone patterned tiled floor,
and petal-like overhead lights casting a warm glow over the small and cosy
interior. A cake counter displays a
tempting selection of cakes, while a serving counter occupies a corner,
directly accessing the kitchen.
Part of the extensive Valiram lifestyle group, entry to the
restaurant is via the Kate Spade shop from the Mall, or from the Connection
linkage which leads to the KLCC elevated walkway.
The restaurant espouses the Mediterranean lifestyle, the
menu being light and breezy, with appetizers, pizzas, sandwiches, burgers,
pastas and mains – the place for a snack to recuperate from all-day shopping,
or on tallying up the bills. However, there’s enough choice on the menu to
provide for a substantial meal as well.
My party of four started with a couple of salads, the Ole
Shrimp and Cheddar (Rm31) and the day’s special, a Nicoise salad (Rm34). Both were daunting portions, good for a meal
in themselves for moderate appetites. Fat grilled Tiger Prawns of the shrimp
salad were warm and succulent, topping a generous portion of salad leaves with
a honey mustard dressing, and bits of green chili for some kick, but
undistinguished otherwise. The highlight
of the Nicoise salad was the meaty grilled tuna pieces, a nice departure from
canned, mashed tuna, and served with an almost runny egg coated in batter, with
tart olives to perk up the mix, but no anchovies?
We shared an Ocean Catch pizza (Rm37), a thin-crust, oval shaped
pizza served on a wooden paddle. It could easily have been a main meal, the
thin crust being a little thicker than I would have liked, topped with seafood
– shrimp, calamari, mussels, fused together with a thin layer of cheese, and a
light scattering of vegetables, but it was the pesto topping which gelled the
combination and made the pizza special.
Of the mains, the Pan Seared Barramundi (Rm37) exceeded
expectations. Fish can be bland, but that wasn’t true here. Nicely balanced
with a generous slice of baked pumpkin, lively salsa and a side of salad, the thickly
textured fish was succulent and moist, tasty, a little crispy on the outside,
with a delicate, almost smoky flavour, a good interplay of textures and flavour.
We also ordered the day’s special, a Rib-eye steak (Rm42)
served with cooked mushrooms, a mini-salad and some cooked vegetables. Thin but beautifully succulent, the meat was
fresh and bloody (medium-rare), and in a reasonable sized portion for an Asian
appetite, with a tangy sauce on the side to spice things up.
Of the bespoke burgers, featuring grain-fed Wagyu beef, we
had the Cheddar Cheese and Beef Bacon (Rm34) with wholegrain bread. Pickles, a mini-salad, Cajun spiced wedges
and tomato sauce completed the presentation. The burger itself was layered with
cheese, bacon and vegetables. Although
specialty burger joints are not uncommon, Quivo’s version stood tall. The beef was tender, meaty and excellent, the
home-made bread was substantial, with the cheese-bacon topping livening up the
package. Nor were the accompaniments mere decoration, the Cajun wedges being crispy
and tasty, the salad being fresh and crunchy.
Almost, but not quite sated, we finished off with a dessert of
luxurious Red Velvet (Rm17) and Apple Crumble with salted caramel Ice cream
(Rm17). The Red Velvet was moist and
rich, but played second fiddle to the Apple Crumble, a sweetly enticing, salty
and creamily rich offering, all at the same time.
Independent restaurants often have to try harder compared to
shopping mall restaurants because of the almost assured foot traffic for the
latter, but Quivo was a pleasant surprise. I was impressed by the reasonable
pricing. No mere pretty face and façade,
the meals were accomplished and well executed, and it is well worth a visit,
not simply as a refuge from shopping, but because of the food it serves.
Quivo,
Level 3,
Connection Precinct, Pavilion KL
168, Jalan
Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel:
03-21417711
Email: quivo.pavilion@valram.com
Business
Hours: 10am-2am daily.
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