Delectable Delicacies At Delucca

Delucca is situated right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle. More than a decade ago, I knew this area like the back of my hand as I’d lunch there everyday. I knew every nook and cranny back then and there wasn’t a single noodle or mixed rice stall that I didn’t know about but that was then.

A separate menu is available for customers who do not wish to avail themselves of the buffet but I noticed that every customer there that day were making a beeline for the buffet and who wouldn’t? At that price, it was definitely good value given the fact that buffet lunches at eateries of similar ilk charge substantially more than that. There is a lunch menu and a dinner menu, the latter being much more extensive than the former.

There is an emphasis on casual dining here. Firas believes in simplicity in the restaurant’s decor and the presentation of the food as he wants the restaurant to reflect the warm Tuscan hospitality which that region in Italy is famous for. Indeed. there are no tablecloths and the paper menus double up as mats. The menus are very detailed as the main ingredients in each dish are listed. You won’t have to quiz your server on what a particular dish is all about. You won’t get bored while waiting for the food to arrive either as it’s fascinating to read the names of the ingredients.

Vegetarians are seriously spoilt for choice here as there are so many options in the antipasti buffet alone. There are various salads and potatoes with parmesan cheese. They are generous with their cheeses here. I thought the potato slices with parmesan cheese and mayo were better than the potato salad as potato and cheese go very well together and the potato was crisp.

Special mention must be made about the Executive Chef of Delucca. Chef Arnold joined Delucca in July 2010 and has extensive experience in the F&B industry. I understand that he is innovative and accommodating as he can whip up a dish which is not on the menu by special request, depending on what ingredients are available at the particular time. Recently, Chef Arnold created a scallop risotto which isn’t on the menu for some diners. They can be very obliging at Delucca.

Not part of the antipasti buffet was the prawn & smoked salmon ravioli. Each ravioli was packed full with smoked salmon & prawn. Apparently, the salmon that is delivered to Delucca is in the form of an entire fish, no canned salmon used here. I could taste the freshness of the salmon and combined with the sauce, it was divine. The risotto is served “al dente” or just right. If you prefer yours softer, you can just let your server know when you order.

For lunch, this was eating to the point of gluttony but for the purpose of this review, I had to try a little of everything. I’m not a seasoned food blogger but I do enjoy my food just like every true-blue Malaysian. Carnivores are not left out of this buffet spread as you can see from the chunky grilled beef brought to the table. As it’s not a dish made to order, you cannot specify how you want it done. Although I always ask for my beef to be well done, I thought this was a little on the tough side. The black pepper seasoning wasn’t overpowering and had it been more tender, I’d have gone for a second piece.

All the pastas, pappardelle, tagliatelle, linguine, ravioli & lasagna are made fresh in the Delucca kitchen. I was taken with the colour of the vegetables in the Spaghetti Aglio Oglio. The ones I have tried in Italian restaurants in Malaysia so far have been quite devoid of any colour with hardly any vegetables in them but the one at Delucca had much more than I expected. Extra virgin olive oil is used in the Aglio Oglio.

Part of the buffet was the Pizza Margherita which has a good amount of mozzarella in it. Chomping on this pizza was like devouring a savoury cookie. I could have had a whole Pizza Margherita if it wasn’t for the fact that my overloaded stomach could contain not much more.

Only room for dessert and coffee and what better way to end the meal than the classic Italian dessert, tiramisu. Delucca also serves up cheesecake, date pudding, panna cotta and apple tart. The tiramisu was the melt-in-your-mouth kind. It was like melted butter, no chewing involved here, just swallow. The texture was nothing short of exquisite and the mascarpone was out of this world but it was rather too sweet for my tastebuds. Then again, I do have a low sugar tolerance level these days.

If you’re looking to taste a bit of everything, then the antipasti buffet lunch is a good option as you can then decide which dish you like the best and come back again during dinnertime for the mains. Tea and coffee are complimentary with the buffet lunch.

Overall, it’s a restaurant that focuses on simplicity of appearance but with an emphasis on quality of its food and beverages. That combination forms the essence of Delucca. They have an extensive wine collection from Australia, New Zealand, Italy, France and Argentina. I might just have to go back there soon because I forgot to taste the bruschetta!

As I mentioned earlier, street parking is scarce during the day. In the evenings after 6pm, customers can park in the basement (there are 5 levels) for a nominal charge of RM3. Delucca seats 100 guests and 200 standing. They have special packages for events and there are also open bar drinks packages.

Delucca is situated at Ground Floor, Tower C (office tower), One Residency, 1 Jalan Mesui, Off Jalan Nagasari [Park Royal Service Suites], 50250 Kuala Lumpur. They can be contacted via phone at 03-2144 6545 or email info@delucca.com.my

They are open Sunday to Friday : 11.30am-midnight & Saturday : 3.30pm-midnight

Check out their website here.