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Restaurant: Dubrovnik, Solaris Mont’ Kiara |
Dubrovnik…The Pearl of Mediterranean…Ekii Leslie decided to take a crunch to unveail the surreptitious of this Croatian Restaurant Dubrovnik… Lots of us might unaware about this D word. Label me as unsophisticated if you wished, I am seriously clueless about this D word until i walked passed this double storey building which stood elegantly in Solaris Mont Kiara with one Croatian friend of mine! Dubrovnik also known as “The Pearl of the Adriatic”, is a city on the Adriatic Sea coast in the extreme south of Croatia, it is one of the most prominent tourist destinations. It was also one of the centres of the development of primarily the Croatian language and literature, home to many notable poets, playwrights, painters, mathematicians, physicists and other scholars. Restaurant Dubrovnik in Solaris Mont Kiara had crafted the place very elegantly with lots of Croatian essence. But surprisingly, Dubrovnik doesn’t limit itself to serve only Croatian delicacies. It actually serves a wide variety of healthy mouth-watering Mediterranean dishes as well. Being one of the only Croatian restaurants in Malaysia, it is definitely very different from typical Western restaurant. Culinary multiculturalism has been practiced in Dubrovnik for centuries, from the popular cuisine prepared over an open fire or on a grill to the most luxurious dishes. This restaurant pays a lot of attention to food preparation and choosing most fresh products and ingredients. Dubrovnik combines rustic, home-made dishes with the modern cuisine accomplishments. |
All the recipes used are from the Head Chef who is Croatian (Zoran Djumic), and the Executive chef is French (Stephane Alexandre) and his expertise in pastry shows in the mouth watering desserts which complete the menu. Dina Djumic, daughter of the owner (also known as the General Manager of Restaurant Dubrovnik) had chosen a few specialty dishes for my food discovery today. Dina further explained that most of the Mediterranean dishes are mostly based on seafood, vegetables, fresh home-made pasta and bread.
Before my first course, the bread and Ajvar (Croatian vegetable salsa) were served. The freshly baked bread with crispy outer layer and moist dough inner had dissolved my taste bud. Needless to utter a single word if it was to be taken with the smoky, peppery salsa!
The Palacinke was served as one of the appetiser during this food discovery. Palacinke is basically crepes filled with cream cheese. The crepes were fluffy and light come with a hint of the savoury from the cream cheese. The well proportionate ingredients and baked time had elevated this simple dish to the heights it deserves.
The next appetiser was Eiengemachtez a highly aromatic and flavourful chicken and vegetable soup, served with Croatian dumplings. The broth was not completely skimmed, leaving just a hint of chicken fat on the surface. It carries a not so common name but it reminds me of the familiar ABC soup (minus the dumplings) we had for dinner!
I had Pasta Spalato after the appetisers. I love the texture of the Garganelli! Garganelli are basically homemade combed penne made from Parmesan cheese, eggs, nutmeg and flour dough. Drenched in smooth creamy sauce with mild chevre cheese accompanied by touch of capsicum and spinach, is something you shouldn’t miss. I would recommend couple to share on this dish if you are planning to try out different main course for each as it can be quite filling. According to Dina, the pastas are made fresh everyday in the restaurant to ensure the excellence and attribute of their pasta dishes.
For the mains, Dina Djumic, daughter of the owner (also known as the General Manager of Restaurant Dubrovnik) had chosen Cevapi and Djuvedj – rice and vegetables, served with grilled minced beef and lamb and Croatian spicy vegetable salsa. This was the house specialty and I could see why: moist & delicious! The lamb is grilled to perfection, sealing the natural juices and maintaining the tenderness of the mince. A natural sizzle of the salsa had enhanced the tang of the lamb when you devour it with the fragrance rice that comes with it.
| Here comes the moment I’ve longed for during this food discovery session. The desserts! Dina had recommended the Stef’s Chocolate Cake and old time favourite – The Orange Tart. The Stef’s chocolate cake – a chocolate mousse cake perfectly combined with the amarena cherry. It is not overly sweet and loves the rich chocolate aroma which embedded into this dessert. While the Orange Tart is basically a piquant flavoured orange and almond tart. The size of the tart is a little bigger compare to the rest of the pies which you could find in the market. According to Dina, the Orange Tart is the favourite among the children who visited their restaurant.
Dubrovnik is about the passion of the proprietor for good food and drink. From their hand-made pasta to the bread baked daily in wood fire oven, this passion demands perfection and authenticity in the culinary offerings. Dubrovnik…unabashedly traditional yet refreshingly different without artifices of fusion. |
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