A Culinary Meditation at Il Tempio

Snuggled at the edge of the jungle just a few minutes from the modernised city of Kuala Lumpur is soothing temple of comfortable blue walls and running waters. Living amongst the peaceful setting, however, are not praying monks but a fine serving of Contemporary Italian cuisine and a Picasso of food that makes the most meticulous food composition for the visiting diners.

Il Tempio means ‘the temple’ in Italian, and it is put together with structural and conceptual designs inspired by elements of Asian temples, an avid love of the owner’s, Federico Asaro.
The restaurant built itself around the natural setting and opens out to the neighbouring tropical enclave.The main dining area is the veranda, which is a replica of the ones available in the Thai temples for monks to pray in. Coinciding with the blue theme are cascading water walls and a staircase fountain, which during Valentine’s Day, waiters set up tables in to serve food to the diners. Il Tempio is also equipped with an open concept kitchen, where diners can watch the house chef Daniele Sarno, going at it with all his live cookery action.Although still considered a young one in the culinary industry, the 28-year-old Daniele Sarno is equipped with vast knowledge from his string of work experiences, covering from caviar and champagne specialities, and nouvelle French cuisine, to brick-oven pizzas and pastas, and fresh meat and grilled seafood.

Coming from a family that travels constantly, Sarno picked up his aspiration to become a chef, and inspiration in his complex food creations.“I like to experiment the different food available to the different cultures around the world,” Sarno said. “With that, I try to work it into the Italian cuisine I have grown up with.”“For me, life is all about being passionate of what you do,” he added.“My philosophy in being a good chef is to love what you’re doing. Be prepared to spend hours – even days – in the kitchen if you must to get the perfect dish right, and don’t be afraid to break traditional boundaries to come up with something better.”

Il Tempio on Virtual Malaysia. Read on. Great writing!

Tamarind Hill is OPEN!

Yes! We're finally ready to open for business. Dear customers and friends, we're proud to officially bring back Tamarind Hill after almost 2 years. Located opposite Equatorial Hotel or Wisma MBF (Fitness First) on Jalan Sultan Ismail, you'll see a flight of 52 steps leading to a house on top of the 'hill'.
Walk up an appetite to relish delicious Thai & Burmese cuisine, we're sure you'll appreciate our fabulous menu:) More so, the ambiance. The banner ad here tells all.

So, please come by anytime. We're closed on Sundays.

POLE DANCE DINNER & SHOW IN KL!

Watch world-famous pole fitness and dance instructor KT Coates perform next Saturday night Dec 6, at Mandi-Mandi Restaurant, together with performances by The Butterflies of The Hanging Garden & Jitterbugs Swingapore.

Purchase your tickets NOW! Very limited seats left.

For more details, please contact me.

Il Tempio

Imagine dining Italian in a fashionably rustic Asian ambiance?
YES! Inspired by Buddhist monasteries, Il Tempio literally means The Temple.

Tagged 'The Temple of Fine Italian Cuisine', Il Tempio depicts the magic in transmuting passions - gourmet, green space and a great philosophy to go with :
Chef Daniele Sarno from Tuscany whose previous tenure in the world-renowned one Michelin-starred Castello Banfi, arrived in Malaysia for the very first time with a heart filled with excitement, and since, a mind hungry for ideas. The endless possibilities of innovative style cooking with fresh local herbs makes this part of the world a young chef's playground.

His Jungle-Luxe Lunch Series comprises of pizzas, piadinis and hot Italian meals that are only available during lunchtime. In the day, Il Tempio is colored by the luxuriant wild and one who appreciates green space will find it typically soothing and quiet here.

Come dinner time and the restaurant transforms into a complete satiety where both cuisine and charm are but a satori.


Il Tempio may satiate the hunger of fans of Italian cuisine but for those simply looking for a little magic, quell not till sated and spent;)

Tamarind Springs : Rainforest Dining

Depicting the all-tropical, rustic-Asian realm, Tamarind Springs has in years, been favored and preferred by those looking for a distinctively different ambience to dine in the city. You dine at airy treetop balconies that run perimeter just at the edge of the encroaching jungle.
Withstanding the fact that the restaurant is in fact 'in a natural forest reserve', guests can relinquish into the JUNGLE-LUXE enclave where real (yes, REAL not playback) croaks of frogs and sounds of crickets welcome you in, and out.

A bit of history
Tamarind Springs in the last 6 years has created a household name in the Malaysian dining scene. Its outstanding performance has not only won industry acccolade of sorts but also international recognition early this year. It’s the only restaurant in Malaysia selected as member of Relais & Chateaux hence recognized as one of the most celebrated names in the gastronomic world today, globally.


Close to 140 dishes, from signature creations of award-winning Grand Chef Somkhuan Wandee to humble dishes found in the villages of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, Tamarind Springs is a culinary experience many in KL are already familiar with.

Its interesting traditional Indochinese village-cuisine menu showcases some Laotian curries that don’t contain coconut milk, Cambodian curries which are steamed not boiled and the light and usually non-spicy Vietnamese selction, which like Chinese cuisine only French-influenced.
A few dishes that make my (and therefore, yours too) mouth water are :

Khmer Fish Amok Curry
Laotian Chicken & Coconut Soup
Vietnamese Caramelized Chicken
Laotian Steamed Snakehead Fish in Green Chilis, Garlic & Lime
Steamed River Lobster in Tamarind Springs' Spicy Sauce

Tamarind Hill is RE-OPENING!!!!

Very, very soon. We finally found the perfect spot after 2 freaking years! Well, better late than never.... as the saying goes, good things come to those who wait;)

Can't disclose much at the moment since works at the site is still commencing, but the new Tamarind Hill will be fabulous. To all the fans of Thai fare, supporters and regular customers and all of you who've written in to enquire about our relocation plan, it's finally happening.

I promise to keep all of you posted regularly. If you'd like to be invited to our opening party, email me at mapleloo@gmail.com

More to be posted here. Do come back here to check from time to time!

SAWADEE- KHA!!

New Straits Times : Jungle-Luxe Dining in KL