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When I first started food blogging at the end of 2006, I was shooting with my Nokia N70 cameraphone, a hand-me-down from Bald Eagle.   At that time, I felt embarrassed to be seen taking photographs of food, so even a point-and-shoot was too obtrusive.  A lot has changed since then.   As I developed a thicker skin, I moved to a Panasonic Lumix FZ5 which was pretty fantastic for a compact camera.  And then the world of DSLRs beckoned.   My first DSLR was a Canon EOS 400D (I’m a big supporter of Canon, having used Canon SLRs in the days before digital), then a Canon EOS 1D Mark II.  I was taught a difficult lesson one day when my EOS 1D got snatched right before my nose, and to say that I was devastated would be an understatement.   After several days of tears, with resolute determination I snapped out of my self-pity realising that I loved photography too much to give it up just because of a stolen camera, and picked up my 400D with a new attitude.  Moving back from a 1D to a 400D is a humbling experience, but on hindsight, it was one that I needed terribly.  I now shoot with a Canon EOS500D.

Last week, Bald Eagle gave me a gorgeous little compact camera, a Sony Cybershot T90, which is so tiny it fits into my palm.  I set my new toy to work at Vineria, an offspring of Bar Italia, on its opening night.  I confess, I have yet to read the manual.  Anyway, I’ve been told that all I have to do is point and shoot, which is precisely what I did.

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From the antipasto menu, we had the duck and foie gras sausages served with truffle cheese fondue.   It wasn’t quite the start we were expecting, as the truffle cheese fondue looked like it had coagulated into its original form.   The sausages were gamey and overpowered any taste of foie gras.

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The Spanish Ham on stewed Toscana beans proved to be a bit better.  I am not a fan of beans, but I thought the cured ham was a good foil for the stewed beans.   The gnocchi was nice, but could have been better, as it lacked the soft feathery fluffiness that would have elevated it to greater heights.   The barley risotto, despite my excitement upon ordering it, didn’t surprise me one bit.   It was the familiar taste of chewing slippery boiled grains (from all the years of drinking barley at the coffeeshop), although in this case, it was savoury instead of sweet.

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We were immediately attracted to the grilled seabass, which was not on the menu, but came highly recommended by the wait staff.  It was apparently flown in fresh; how can one say no despite the hefty pricetag attached to it?  We are suckers for keywords.   It didn’t disappoint, though.   I’d say that it was probably the best dish that night, fragrant with the scent of rosemary.

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I’m a big fan of Bar Italia’s gelato; in fact, I’d go so far as to declare it the best in town, so I was quite excited to find Bar Italia’s gelato listed on the desserts menu.  Unfortunately, our luck had run out so we settled for tiramisu, Traditional with Sicilian Marsala and Espresso ristretto, and Modern with coconut and Fiordilatte.   The coconut version felt like congealed Pina Colada, but my appreciation for it grew with every mouthful.

Service was attentive.

Vineria
G-133, Bangsar Shopping Centre, KL.

Tel: 03-2287 7889