Days since my last post: 8

*Disclaimer: Epicureo by RP is co-owned by my brother, but it has not affected my opinion in this review in any way.

I think I've spoken quite a bit on hotels and holidays of recent and today I'd like to bring the blog back to an area I quite love: Food. You see, there must be a reason of some sort that I am getting taller...sideways. Some say it's the magic of being married, others say it's just the lack of exercise but I'm just going to say it's all because I love food too much to stop putting it into my mouth. The love for food obviously runs in the family, because my brother - fondly known as Chef in the family is  well, a chef. And today we're going to be talking about the restaurant he co-owns called...

Epicureo by RP 

Chef Lam -  Head Chef and Co-Owner of Epicureo by RP

The branch of which Chef is currently stationed is at Ampang, but they also have a counterpart at Sri Hartamas. I've dined at both, but the Ampang branch is definitely prettier than the latter. That said, Epicureo Mercado by RP (Note the difference!) still serves up food as delicious as the former as Chef stringently looks after his team of chefs even from afar.

An array of wine selections - not including the cellar kept bottles

And other fine picks if that's your glass of choice

Ample seating for 20 downstairs

At Epicureo by RP, seats are divided to a 20 - 20 to comfortably fit 40 pax at any one time and are mostly non-smoking areas except for a designated spot upstairs. They also feature a private room if you come in a company of 8 to 12 pax, so you'll get a sense of privacy or you can feel free to book out the entire floor if that's your thing. 

Smoking area for those who desire a puff or two upstairs

Comfortable sofa seating for anyone who enjoys a laid back evening

And a private room that sits 12 comfortably

Epicureo is also children friendly as again - most areas are smoke free and non-alcoholic drinks are available for the under aged. A special kids menu is also available on request, and is prepared by Chef with his daughter in mind so you'll know that every bite of food your little person is going to get is prepared with love. 

It's also a good thing to note that Epicureo by RP doesn't feature overly noisy music so you can truly enjoy a meal with your friends and family without having to scream at each other through songs you probably didn't enjoy after all. I for one like my drinks over a light jazz so I could focus on the company, and I'd hope you all do too.

Garlic bread starters

Wild mushroom soup

Sauteed wild mushrooms

For starters, I picked out my favourite - mushrooms. I mean really, no prizes for guessing considering I had already ordered a mushroom soup and then decided to also get a plate of sauteed wild mushrooms after. The garlic bread wasn't ordered by us and perhaps was a doing of Chef but if you're there, you might as well ask for it too. Warm and fluffy to bite, even my father who usually avoids garlic bread like a plague fought for slices of it when it arrived our table. I further intensified the taste by dipping it in my wild mushroom soup and boy I wish I asked for more.

Moving on - I have to say that the wild mushroom soup was just as I expected. Creamy and fragrant with bits of wild mushroom selections in the soup itself. My sister in law and I couldn't stop ourselves, and even my niece had several spoonfuls while asking for more. Unfortunately I have to say the sauteed wild mushrooms were slightly oily, but still a great order for mushroom lovers alike. It was perfectly sauteed with herbs and garlic, a true appetite starter if I may say so myself. 

Lamb shank served with mashed potatoes

Bone-in Tomahawk steak, grilled to medium rare and sliced

Tomahawk bone - father not included in menu

For our mains, my mum and I had opted to share the lamb shank served with mashed potatoes and I'm not just saying this because he's my brother but Chef makes the most life changing mashed potatoes ever. The secret is in the way he whips it to its fluffy perfection and I don't even know how he seasons it but boy if I were to be given an entire bowl of mashed potatoes only - I'd eat it all. The lamb shank was prepared slow cooked, giving the meat a tender and soft bite that just melts right in your mouth as you dip it in their house prepared brown sauce. 

My dad however had a large share of the bone-in Tomahawk steak that was shared with my sister-in-law's parents, grilled to the perfection of a medium rare steak. Juicy to every bite, it was quite possibly my first time having any meat that still had blood on it but I regret nothing. Served with Chef's special red wine sauce, the bone-in Tomahawk steak is a dish with an experience that should not and cannot be missed. You could also request for their mushroom or black pepper sauce, but the red wine sauce gives the meat such intense flavours that will make you come back for more. It is recommended that you share between 3 to 4 people per steak, otherwise it does get a little cloying. 

Chef's Tiramisu

Poached pear in red wine served with chocolate shavings

And finally the best time of all meals in my honest opinion - desserts. If there was one thing you absolutely HAD to order from Epicureo by RP, it is the Chef's Tiramisu (Contains alcohol) that's prepared home style. Layered traditionally between of mix of mascarpone, cream, and ladies fingers soaked in a mixture of liqueurs, Chef's Tiramisu is in fact a recipe he had picked up from an Italian chef years ago. First timers at Epicureo by RP may note that the previous version of Chef's Tiramisu contains a stronger taste of alcohol, but I personally enjoy this improved version for its layers of flavours that bursts through in every bite.

Separately, I told myself to forget about the word diet and went ahead for the Poached Pear in Red Wine and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made in life...besides getting married. The sweet pear paired so well with the robust woodiness of the wine, and was visibly slow poached to a point that the pear was fully red inside and out. It had hints of bitterness that perhaps came from the wine but as soon as you pick up some chocolate shavings to your bite, I vouch to you that it just felt like you've entered a whole new dimension. I'm forcing him to teach me how to do this someday, but until then I'm just going to drive all the way for this if I may every weekend. 

To end, Epicureo by RP is definitely the place to be if you're looking for great wines and food prepared from the heart to pair. They also feature limited servings of specials that vary every day, so it's best to ask what's on the secret menu of the day when you visit. And if you do visit, just tell Chef that his sister got you there!