Moussandra is the Greek word for “wooden chest” and indeed it embodies this cozy little establishment located in the heart of KL yet tucked away in a corner of Fahrenheit 88 away from the crowd. Moussandra Mediterranean & Tapas Restaurant is the place to be if you’re craving for some authentic Greek, Spanish, Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Decked with huge candlelights, wine bottles and classic wooden furniture, this 20 year old hole-in-the-wall establishment has been a long time favourite among tourists and the Spanish embassy.
On Trip Advisor, Moussandra is ranked number 229 out of over 800 restaurants in Kuala Lumpur, a big feat for a little restaurant that is unknown among most locals, but for all the right reasons. It prides itself for its wide selection of wine and mouth watering Mediterranean cuisine and sees most of its crowd during festive occasions such as Valentine’s Day, New Year and Christmas. Many couples take a fancy to Moussandra but we can see why it’s not as famous as it should be because many would want to keep this little gastronomic gem a tight knitted secret.
The business was recently taken over in 2008 but the new owner insisted on maintaining every single aspect of the restaurant, from the cooks to the decor and menu. Moussandra serves over 30 types of tapas such as vegetarian, seafood, meat and others ranging between RM7-RM37 per serving to complement your Sangrias or wine.
We kicked off the evening with a serving of Garlic Bread (RM12) and Terrina De Pollo (RM15) which is essentially Chicken Liver Pate served with baguettes. The garlic bread was delicately seasoned and toasted while the Chicken Liver Pate might not be to everyone’s palate because of it’s strong flavour, it was definitely creamy and melts in your mouth.
Another highly recommended tapas by the chef is the Baba Ganoush (RM9), a grilled eggplant dip with pita bread. Trust us when we say we’ll never see eggplants the same way again.
For the mains, we selected some of Moussandra’s classic dishes starting with the Moussaka (RM46), a Greek dish. Think lasagne but even better because what you will experience is an epic explosion of flavours in your mouth made up of layers of velvety eggplant, minced lamb, potatoes and bechamel gratinated with cheese. This can get quite filling so if you’re planning to savour other dishes, keep this for sharing.
Visually, the Paella Valenciana (RM43) or seafood paella is a sight to behold what with such arresting colors and a scent that draws out the hunger in anyone, a concoction of saffron flavoured rice cooked down in a savoury seafood broth along with a myriad of juicy seafood such as squid, clams, fish, prawn and mussel along with chicken sausage (to replace snails in the original dish) and vegetables.
Another seafood delight is the Pizza Marinara (RM30) sprinkled with a generous toppings of fresh prawns, fish, clams, Mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. If you’re a fan of thin crust pizza then this crispy crust pizza will definitely strike a chord. The tomato base was tangy without being too overpowering and complemented the seafood perfectly.
For individual dishes, we highly recommend the homemade pastas made out of carrot or spinach in either a creamy carbonara or marinara sauce. You can customize your pastas by just informing the waiting staff your preference. Moussandra is also flexible and you can request for your food to be meat or alcohol free according to your needs. Pastas range from RM20 to RM32.
Moussandra claims that many of their patrons not only return for their succulent tapas and mains but also the dessert and as sceptical as we were at first, we were quickly proven otherwise. Their desserts are to die for and made with so much love as silly as this may sound. We tried two of their most famous desserts, the Torta de Chocolate (RM20), freshly baked chocolate cake served with a side of home made Vanilla ice cream, fresh mango and a sprinkle of icing sugar over the top.
Popular with patrons is also the Vanilla Creme Brulee (RM6) topped with burnt sugar and a small slice of strawberry to compliment it. We love how its not sinfully sweet and mind you that this is one dessert you’ll find hard to share. The Rum & Raisin ice cream is one of the best we’ve tasted as well with a very healthy dose of rum. Moussandra is a lovely place to wind down after a long week at work, to catch up with friends or to turn up the romance because its nice to drift off to a foreign land in this Mediterranean epicure adventure, even if for a brief moment or two.
MOUSSANDRA MEDITERRANEAN & TAPAS RESTAURANT is located at Sub Lot B-8, Ground Floor, Fahrenheit 88, 179 Jalan Bukit Bintang
For Reservations: Kindly contact 03-2144 0775 or email them at reservation@moussandra.com.
Opening Hours: 12.00-3.00pm and 6.00-11.00pm (Monday to Saturday)
GIVEAWAY
We want to share with you the Mediterranean experience by giving 10 readers a chance to win for yourselves a medium sized “Paella Valenciana” (for 2 or 3 pax) each! All you have to do is:
1. Tell us your idea of the perfect date and which of the above food from Moussandra you’d enjoy in the comments below along with your name and email address.
2. Follow us at www.facebook.com/lipstiqdotcom and share this article on your Facebook page or Twitter (don’t forget to tag us so that we know who you are).
Contest ends on 6th April 2012 and winners will be contacted via email.
