many visits to Ecco Caffe, Chulia Street

haha... finally
I'm here to blog bout my fav-Pasta-Place, Ecco Cafe, Chulia Street...
I happened to know this caffe was hmm.. since mid of 2008...
from the introduction on Guang Ming Weekend papers...
always wanted to try out the foods here.. but didn't really take up the initiative to make a visit...

Oct' 2008... my first attempt to here..
'twas a gathering with Sarah and mates...
no doubt.. the pasta and pizza are fantastic..
created a deeper and greater impression to me...

I love this place... !!

the concept of the chef impressed me...
the pasta noodles and pizza dough are instant-made upon orders..
with organic ingredients... not to forget their handmade bread.. which is so soft and nice too...
the taste of the pasta is totally different with the others X-star(s) restaurant...
the homey feel simply brought me back to Aussie... ( the home-style pasta that I had in an organic farm )

Not-to-mentioned, you would expect to wait-for-really-long-time for your foods to be served...
eventho the shop is rather small... with 6-7 tables only...
their serving is extremely slow... please bare with it...

slow works made great things !!

just think of the instant-made / handmade / organic ingredients... everything will be 'forgiven'
ha ha
I've intro this caffe to some frens...
no doubt most of them do like it to bits...
but still some couldn't bare with their ' slow ' and the Non-Artificial-Taste...
some still prefer with the strong taste which may just caused by the MSG =.="

stop speaking.. and here comes the pics...

( below pics were taken during 3 visits within 6 mths... some taken by my SonyCam, some by iphOne and some from fren's cam... bare with the blur and bad quality ! )

it's old and small..
but they really spent the time on the deco... ( lil pump will be the model-of-da-nite *khai je don't curse me ! )








the chef just warned me for not taking pics of the kitchen... and HIM.... >.<

we all like the little-ground-pepper-barrel so much...

1st visti, Oct' 08...

Soup of the day - Pumpkin Soup...

see.. my lil pump is sad while knowing his buddies/ cousins were being blended into the soup.. and prepared to be drunk by his owner.. ME !!

Thin Crust Wood Fired Pizza

Vegetarian Pizza with yellow pepper, Aubergine & Red Onion...

I personally love this Salami Pizza... ( those blur'ish pics were taken by my phOne.. :P )

Hawaiian Pizza - Turkey Ham, Pineapple & White Onion

Sweet Pizza for dessert - Banana & Cheese.. (khai je's fav )

Calzone - folded pizza

Salvatore Pasta with Salami, Olives, mushrooms, Onion, Basil in tomato Sauce...

A splash of Parmesan Cheese on top simply made the dish looks for tempting...

The handmade bread served side, light toasted, one with tomato salsa pesto another with Basil Pesto...

Pesto Pasta (Vegetarian) - simple pasta cooked with basil pesto, garlic and Olive oil...

Teng teng... here comes my fav !!

there was a story..

during my 1st visit... prior ordering.. I gao-gao warned my fren..

no Bolognese for the nite pls... as I was thinking.. bolognese is the simplest and most common recipe... since this was the 1st time.. I would prefer to try something new & diff...

just when I was halfly blah'ing there..

one of my fren (long long fren) placed the order " 1 bolognese Please"

I was like ' wtf? ' =.="

and the point is.. this fren left before the meal is served...

apparently, we will need to share her pasta among ourselves then...

and !!!

this Beef Bolognese Pasta is surprisingly Delicious !!!

hardly describe... but it's amazingly Tasty !!!

I intended to order this again during my 3rd and 4th visits...

it's always S-O-L-D-O-U-T.... T.T

see !! ( it shown it's the best-selling )

I can't remember this name.. but it's Item 7...

Creamy Garlic Sause with Olive, Green Peas and Capsicum... same recipe with the choice of Chicken or

Pepperoni...

LEmon-infused Chicken and Pasta...

Chicken Pie..

this is not rily for my liking..

maybe becuz.. chicken recipe hardly earns my points..

perhaps it could be nicer if it's Beef !!

Signature Homemade Creme Brulee..

this always sold-out too..

3rd attempts during 3rd visit only managed to taste it..

Nice.. but reckon bit pricey... as the portion is babie..

Group Pic during 1st Visit...

thanks mrTimer... ^^

after-party at QEII during 3rd visit with stewpig's fellow colleagues

should have more pics bout Ecco... but I just couldn't recall where did I save them...

Peppino Italian Restaurant, Golden Sand Bt Feringghi - burfday celebration for May babies...

8th May' 09...
we had a gathering dinner at Peppino Italian Restaurant, Golden Sand Batu Ferringghi before it closed for renovation..
it was a birthday dinner for May babies - Annie.. Peggy je and Daryl the je fu..
this Italian Restaurant was on going for 17 years...
decided to renovate and re-open for fine-dining Western Restaurant...
reason being.. I-Do-Not-Know...

there was free wine, free-flow all nite long...
without charging any single cent for it !! how worth is it !!
Red or White for your choices.. both so nice !! so smooth~
apparently, it would be a tipsy nite for us den... :P

Silly Me thought there're few weeks more to go before it closes for renovation..
stewpig did not join us to dine in here due to company-kick-off-day...
how wish to try out the foods here with him again..
there're still a lot that I would like to try..
especially the dessert... Tiramisu/ Dark Choc Ice-Cream and etc....
wut a shame... :(

long table of us...
we were so nOisy... simply spoilt the beautiful and romantic atmosphere in the restaurant..
guess the customers around us will curse us along the nite... :P
what to expect...
17 adults + 3 babies sitting at long table.. at the center of the restaurant..
Ryan, Stewpig, Dustin, Pei & Wah Kor were absent..
but Soo Yee is backed from s'pore..
yet Michael came to visit us from KL !! yo hoo~~
we got Michael to bought us this bag.. and gave mummie a surprise... Happee Mama'z day ~ ^^
Bread Stick with tOmatoSalsa + Olive Oil...
on da table before we arrived...
so nice & fResh !!
whole bottle of Olive Oil is there for us to add on as much as we like....
SO NICE !!!!
Homemade Bread... white, multigrain or seeded...
hot & sOft...
SEE!!!!!!!!!
they sell RISOTTO too ~!!!
I believe this will be the traditional one !!! I was so dying to try...
BUT !!!
it got only 1 choice with mushroom.... yet there're varieties of meals that I would like to try on...

I THOUGHT I would want to try the risotto with stewpig some day..
Who Knows..??
It was the last nite before renovation !! *sniff...
Pumpkin Soup... with couston on top.. ^^
Among the list of soup... I reckon this is the best..
as pumpkin is all the while my fav !! *weEee....
some of them... refused to order it when heard ' huh? pumpkin? ' ' mai la..' ' gerli lo... '
when it served... everyone rated this as the nicest among others !!!

Veggie Soup with Garlic Bread...

clearer... bit sour...

Seafood Soup with Cuttlefish, Shrimp and etc...

We made our own PizzasSssss...

wood fire pizza....

can choose up-to-5 from the list...

Cheese and tomato-based are the basic that would provided out of the 5...

Seafood - Tuna, Shrimp, Clam, Pineapple, Mushroom

Turkey Ham Bacon, Anchovies ( Italian 'salted-fish' ), Capsicum ---> this was Annie's main course

Turkey Ham Bacon, Pineapple, Mushroom, Onion, Chicken

Chicken, Egg, Onion, Mushroom, Pineapple

Tuna, Onion, Green Pepper, Pineapple, Mushroom

actually heaps of ingredients are available for the choices..

such as pepperoni/ salami/ mozerella cheese/ wutever cheese/ anchovies/ olives/ smoked salmon/ lamb sausage/ tomato and etc etc.... alot a lot more...

due to the pizzas were ordered for sharing...

thus, we need to consider everyone's liking... could only order those common ingredients...

=.="

no beef, no olive, no anchovies, and etc etc...
see the cheese... osh...

PASTA
Fettucinne Carbonara

Shell Pasta Ariabiatta... tomato based and a little bit spicy with garlic... fully vegetarian...

Beef Lagsana...

this is Fantastic !!! seriously...

layers of minced beef in tomato paste, topped on layers of pasta and cream sauce...

this is so hard to describe the yummie'ness of this lagsana...

it just... so so so so nice !!
Linguine Aglio Olio with lobsters...

cooked with olive oil, red pepper, cucumber and lemon... rm 66

Squid Ink Ravioli stuffed with Lobster and Scallops in White Wine Cream Sauce...

I kept urging people to order this... I missed beef Tortellini so much !!!!

it is So Hard to find this in M'sia... only certain places that available these kinda stuffed pasta...

I so wanted to order this.. too bad..

it's Seafood !! SO seafood until despite the squid ink sumore stuffed with lobster and scallops...

Mike was so nice.. really heard and ordered this..

he gave me try one of them... tho I Hate seafood.. no doubt.. this is nice..

can simply taste the fresh'ness.. so well-flavoured !!!! *double & double thumbs up...

Braised Lamb Shank with Angel Hair pasta... sauteed veggie at side...

the lamb is just SO tender.. ordered this for daddie.. and he likes it so much !!

the gravy is Amazing..

the tender'ness lamb leg well-flavoured with the yummie sauce...

Fabulous !!

Grilled Rib-Eye.. I didn't try.. so unable to comment on it...

mine !!

Grilled Salmon Steak, with homemade Mashed potatoes and Sauteed Spinach !!

Zoe and I were so happee when seeing the spinach!!! yo hoo~~

The fish goes well with the Tomato and Caper sauce... bit sour to boost up your appetite... ^^

the parents were busy drinking their wine while letting the innocent-babie drinking milk milk...

=.="

Koay Family pic before leaving~

these 2 ladies so hao lian.. got their new Gucci... one birthday gift from hubbie... another 1 is mother's day gift from her beloved son & daughters (me included !! )...

May babies ~~

Group Pic of the nite !!

some one has covered up half of my face !!! grRrrr~

both of us din aware that the waiter & waitress were joined us for this pic... he he...

we were attempting to pretend as "17".. stewpig was so stupid to go another way round...

since Sam was so interested to join us for this.. and he claimed that Linna unable to match with him...

we let him to have the 2nd attemp.. he he