There’s Something about Leonardo’s

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It could be the unassuming glass door that opens up to a flight of stairs above;

It could be the brick walls lining the entrance all the way to the restaurant;

It could be the sounds of laughter and chatter the moment we stepped inside;

And I’m almost sure it had something to do with the warm smiles from the staff even on a full-house night.

That must be it. My first venture to Leonardo’s, Saucer’s second – and I’m in love!

Staircase leading to Leonardo’s

It was a Saturday night, a rainy one in fact, and since both of us have been staying home for the whole day, we decided to go for a nice dinner. Immediately Saucer chimed “What about Leonardo’s?”, referring to a place that he’s visited before with his colleagues, and I responded with wide eyes of wonder. You see, Saucer is quite picky when it comes to Western food and rarely suggests going to a restaurant that he’s been to, unless it’s good.

Complimentary water in elegant glass

So we braved the jam and reached the place, with the rain still falling. The street was quite quiet and half-assuming that Leonardo’s would be packed, I was looking for a crowded restaurant, but I couldn’t find it. Of course, it’s actually on the first floor, Saucer said. While climbing up the stairs, I could already hear distant sounds of laughter and clinking of wine glasses, and true enough, the restaurant was full. We didn’t make any reservations. Luck was on our side though, for we saw a table for two which was just cleared after a couple left.

Complimentary warm and lightly toasted bread with vinegar and olive oil

After getting comfortable with our seats, the warm and smiley staff handed us menus and filled our nice glasses with water. So we ordered and wait, while observing the crowd around. The place was lined with yet again brick walls, giving it a very bare, unrefined, unpolished, almost raw outlook. The lighting was dim and warm (not literally), and the floor boards just added character to the whole dining area. I was already loving it so far.

Mamma Mia (RM35)

The first to arrive was Mamma Mia, a thin and crispy crusted pizza with caramelized cheese, rocket leaves, red cabbage and a slice of jamon serrano (dry-cured Spanish ham) on top. Mamma Mia, also an Italian expression of surprise and joy, had both of us nodding away in agreement with its crispy crust and fragrant cheese. When I saw the rockets leaves initially, I almost frowned for I don’t fancy anything bitter, but surprisingly, the combination worked! The savoury cheese, the slightly bitter leaves and the slice of aromatic ham = Mamma Mia! (complete with finger gesture)

Thin and crispy crust

One down, two to go

Our second dish was the Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Prawns and Scallops, a very aromatic dish from the fresh seafood used. There were three plump and juicy scallops on the side and about four succulent prawns hidden within. The spaghetti was al-dente, well-tossed in olive oil and sweet from the juices of the seafood. Add a dash of chili flakes on it for some kick if you want, just like I did.

Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Prawns and Scallops

One could also opt for scallops-only or only prawns-only with the spaghetti, if you have the preference for only one of them.

Juicy scallops and succulent prawns

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