Ante Kitchen & Bar, Solaris Dutamas, KL

This was my first time attending a blogger's hangout and what better setting than at Ante Kitchen and Bar in KL? I was quick to get comfortable with its contemporary interior design in a fairly low lighting atmosphere. I could see myself with my family or friends just sitting and chatting, all night long.

What stood out to me most was the playful character of the eatery itself. Part of the wall was adorned with pictures of this eatery's man-with-mustache signature. The most prominent display of this character was the menu. The names of the food and drinks are catchy and each food is creatively described.
 

Exquisite interior.  

Over the counter.

One of the owners (partners) explained to us the origin of this eatery, which began in October 2012, and mentioned that the name 'Ante' was inspired by their liking towards the poker game. Life is a gamble and it's all about taking risks, right? A name with a meaning! Soon after, lunch was served. Pork was almost everywhere in our order list as pork is their signature and there is much to do with pork. The owner assured us that the ingredients are made fresh everyday.

Passion Fruit Mojito mocktail. It was ordinary. I was expecting more passion fruit flavour from the mojito. Alcoholic drinks are sold here.

 The four soups: Cream of Pumpkin (RM 13), Chunky Mushroom Soup (RM12), Chef's Tomasco Soup (RM 12) and Broccoli Cream Soup (RM 15). If there's something to remember, it would be the soups. The soups were ideal starters to our meal. The Chef's Tomasco Soup is a tomato soup and as i'm not a fan of tomato soup, i liked this the least. Having said that, it was one of the tastiest tomato soups i've tasted. It's fresh and sourish but not overpowering. Being a fan of broccoli, i enjoyed the Broccoli Cream Soup tremendously. It was thick and light at the same time, and i could still taste the broccoli. My first scoop of the soups was this and the flavours danced in my mouth as soon as i put it in. It set the bar high for the other soups.

 The most salable among the soups is the Chunky Mushroom Soup, and it's not difficult to tell why. The soup was creamy, rich with flavour and aromatic from the variety of mushrooms blended in. Surely, it tasted fresh.

 The winner among the four was the Cream of Pumpkin. It's bold and it's brilliant. I don't normally take pumpkin but this soup was exceptional. It is aromatic, well balanced in its sweetness and again, fresh. Recommended.

Came to us wrapped in bacon and skewered, was this Enoki Bacon Skewers (RM 26). This dish was the most unique during lunch- and it was invented by accident when the owners were drunk. Dipping it in yolk sauce was the way to eat it. The bacon 'skin' was well grilled, and 'peeling' the 'skin' of, we arrived at the bouncy enoki mushrooms and pork cutlets inside. It's definitely more to a satay stick. Recommended.

I had the Signature Chorizo and Bacon pizza (RM 27) first...

 ... then a vegetarian pizza. Both were thin crusts so it was slightly harder. Having had my starters really well, i found both the pizzas to be rather ordinary. 

I liked the thick, creamy texture of the pasta sauce in The Real Bacon Carbonara (RM 26). Slurping the pasta strand by strand was tasty too, as the sauce was heavy on flavour. However, some of us found it a tad too thick.

This spectacular Curry Cream Pasta caught me by surprise (RM 25). My pick among the pasta dishes ordered. The curry was fragrant but not overpowering or too spicy. The crumbed button mushrooms at the sides were cute and delicious. It was crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Recommended.

 After i've tasted 2 strong pasta dishes, this Seafood Marinara (RM 38) did not appeal to me as much. Nevertheless, the tomato sauce on the pasta was aromatic from the herbs and with just the right amount of sourness.

In Up The Ante Pork Burger (RM 35), i liked the burger's raisin buns. The sweetness of the raisins added flavour to the bun and further complemented this dish. The pork patty was tasty but crumbles easily. The wedges were crispy.

This Sweet Belly (RM23) is definitely a guilty pleasure. The caramelized special sauce was delicious. The skin was crunchy and the layers clearly visible- the fats literally melted in my mouth, leaving the meaty layers to be chewed. Recommended.

 Volcano Sacrifice (RM 30) however, did not live up to my expectation. The pork slices were dry; i would have preferred it to be succulent. I thought the spiciness level in the spicy sauce could be increased one level but since this is to also consider for those who cannot really take spicy food, this is okay.

Chargrilled Pork Steak NY Style (RM 42) was my favourite pork dish of the lunch. The pork was juicy and succulent. The raspberry cream sauce was unique and it was a perfect combination. The raspberry added that sweet flavour and made the sauce fragrant. I did not try the apple side but i heard it was delicious and highly demanded by customers. Served also with mashed potatoes. May be next time a blueberry cream sauce? Recommended.

The Hogger Pork Ribs (RM 75) was well glazed with sauce on the outside, and eating using hands would be finger licking good. The meat was tender and could easily be ripped of the rib bone, which i found it to be a good thing because i like it that way. 

One of the most popular dishes on the menu is the Crispy Pork Knuckle (RM 78). Served with three distinct but equally suitable sides (sauce and sauerkraut) to be taken with the tender pork meat. I also liked the porky aroma. Though this dish didn't wow me, i was satisfied.

Bread Pudding with Ice Cream for dessert. To me, the ice cream stole the show, instead of complementing the bread pudding base. This was average.

This eatery has its strong suits. The creative use of words and the uniqueness of some of their dishes are commendable. I heard that in the near future, the menu will be revised and i can't wait to see the product of their creativity and the results of their experimentation. Price-wise, this is a place to splurge. After having our stomach filled, we took photographs before leaving. 

What? Cream of Pumpkin, Curry Cream Pasta, Chargrilled Pork Steak NY Style
Where? Ante Kitchen and Bar, Solaris Dutamas, KL. At Publika, A2-G1-09.
When? Daily from 11 am to late.
Contact number? 03-62063364




* Thank you to the organizers and for the invitation.