The
open carpark within the commercial area in Taman Sutera Utama is a convenient
spot to park my car before I walk the short distance to meet my friends for an
introduction to the recently rebranded Vigneto Wine & Dine.
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| Cheers to Vigneto with our Apricot Jello Shots! |
It’s
easy to spot Vigneto in the corner unit, designed with a welcoming arched
doorway.
Coming
in from the evening sun, I pause a few moments to let my eyes adjust to the
subtle lighting within.
From the
doorway, I can see the end of the short corridor just as our host, Edward Ng, is
able to see me and he steps forward to warmly welcome me to his new venture
here.
The
corridor opens to the dining area with just a few tables, arranged in such a
way to offer discreet privacy for a charming dining experience.
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| Arched doorway with a cool corridor bordered by a wine cellar on its Left and lounge seating area on its Right |
But my
eyes are riveted to an entire wall, dedicated to a long bar set up against a
backdrop decorated with a dramatic display of bottles, while a bartender is mixing
cocktails for guests who are trickling in to enjoy Happy Hours from 5pm to 7pm.
The cosy
vibe within is enhanced by the throb of cool music and behind long, dark drapes,
there are private alcoves furnished with lounge seats for guests to chill-out
over drinks and snacks.
Opposite
the bar, through the tinted floor-to-ceiling glass wall, I see more tables outside
for the option to enjoy alfresco dining.
While Vigneto
started in 2014 as a wine bar, Edward and his team aim to take this experience
to the next level by introducing the gastro-bar concept where diners may enjoy pairing
good wines with good food.
To
achieve this, Vigneto is working in partnership with the culinary creativity of
Chef Justin Christopher Yap, a young chef who is adding his personal touch to
the Global Cuisine featured in their new menu.
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| The long bar designed along an entire wall in Vigneto |
Chef
Justin, a Malaysian who is one half of a pair of twins, tells me that his
culinary interest was sparked while he worked part-time in his uncle’s Japanese
restaurant in Bangsar.
This interest
led him to New York where he pursued a Degree in Food Science and continued his
culinary journey through travelling and working in Europe and South East Asia,
particularly in Japan and Korea.
A closer
look at Vigneto’s versatile menu has proof that his Malaysian-Chinese roots is
a strong influence in his amazing creations among the exciting fusion of
recipes that hint of Indian, Japanese, Korean and Italian inspirations.
I’m more
than ready to sample a taste of Chef Justin’s cuisine when he serves us not
one, but two Appetizers.
Testina
is made with finely sliced rolled whole piglet served with sundried tomatoes
and chili-lime dressing, while Yuba Parma is a salad that combines beancurd
skin flakes with pickles, radish, mature aged Prosciutto di Parma with
citrus-chili soy dressing.
The taste
of sundried tomatoes (my favourite!) is a perfect foil for the slices of rolled
piglet presented in Testina.
As for
the Yuba Parma – I must admit that this is my first experience of tasting
beancurd skin with Parma in a salad – is a rather chewy but tasty combination.
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| Mussel & Clam Brodo is kept warm at our table |
With our
appetites whet for more, our next experience are three Hot Tapas items.
A serving
staff arranges a pot stand complete with a tea-light on the table, ready to
light up (to keep the pot warm) when a copper pot of Mussel & Clam Brodo is
served on it.
According
to the menu, this dish of Asari Brown Clams and Black Lip Mussels tossed in
rice wine and chili, will be served with Buttered Sourdough bread.
However,
Chef Justin gives us a treat with a choice of three bread rolls – Sourdough,
Kaiser and Focaccia – with a side of Nori Butter (for more oomph!), to soak up
the natural goodness of the rich gravy while we savour the clams and mussels!
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| A serving of Masala Lamb Skewers |
“Eat it
while it’s still warm,” Chef Justin gently urges us but it’s quite impossible when
the next item reaches our table: Masala Lamb Skewers.
We split
the two loaded (with Masala Lamb) skewers among the four of us to enjoy the
delightful taste of minced and marinated New Zealand lamb, charcoal grilled to
perfection and served with side of yoghurt mint aioli.
As its
name describes, the taste of this Masala Lamb just takes me back to India…
I ask a
passing staff for a top-up of drinking water to clear my palate before I can do
justice in properly tasting the next item presented at our table: Wagyu Sando.
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| My Wagyu Sando sandwich (just before I devoured it!) |
Touted as
the holy grail of steak sandwiches, Wagyu Sando has earned its place as Japan’s
favourite comfort food and is now served at Vigneto.
Our Wagyu
Sando is created with medium-cooked Premium A4 grade Wagyu Sirloin steak, sandwiched
between buttered white toast which is spread with caramelized onion and burnt
pepper aioli.
Quite unconsciously,
I shut my eyes as I bite through the airy slices of bread to slowly savour
every bit of the juicy meat within.
Mmm…a
sigh of pleasure escapes as I lick my lips.
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| Parmigiana Guanciale Carbonara was prepared and served beside our table |
I open my
eyes to the sight of a live-cooking station being set up beside our table.
A staff
is assembling ingredients, complete with a whole wheel of 14-month aged
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese from Modena Italy, to prepare and serve our pasta
dish: Parmigiana Guanciale Carbonara.
We watch
as the staff tosses and twirls robust strands of traditional egg yolk pasta fettuccini
within the cheese wheel with rendered bacon, sundried tomatoes, aged yolk and hollandaise
sauce, before adding a splash of brandy and shredded cheese toppings.
I
thoroughly enjoy the rich taste of this Pasta Carbonara and when my portion has
been happily eaten, I must confess that I feel like Oliver – with a deep
longing for “More!”
Aware
that we are only halfway through our tasting, I keep this thought to myself as
I prepare to taste the first of our Main course items: Butterfish Sanzai.
For non-meat
eaters, Chef Justin recommends this fish dish created with a fillet of Miso
Butterfish resting on a bed of Pomme (potato) puree with lots of roasted root
vegetables and drizzled with clam and mussel Pomodoro.
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| A generous serving of Butterfish Sanzai |
Every
spoonful of the tender fillet of fish, drenched in the rich clam and mussel
gravy, can be described as simply satisfying.
Finally,
we are ready for the Ultimate Pork Chop.
This
signature sous vide grilled pork chop is served in its bone, on a bed of Pomme
puree with a side of bacon sauerkraut and a small jar of Tonkatsu Reduction
sauce.
As I
slowly savour the tender texture of a slice of pork chop drizzled in rich Tonkatsu
sauce, I know that it is named Ultimate
for good reason.
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| Chef Justin carving the Ultimate Pork Chop for us at our table |
Chef
Justin is all smiles when he sees how the portions are being polished off the
platter.
He then explains
that the 500 grams of pork chop (without its bone) was marinated in brine for
24 hours and sous vide grilled for an hour before being served.
Happy that
all the plates and bowls are leaving our table empty, Chef Justin goes to
prepare his classic dessert for us – silky smooth Crème Caramel infused with
tea fog.
With our
stomachs satisfied, Edward invites us over to the bar to meet the friendly
bartender and sample some of Vigneto’s signature cocktails.
With each
sip of the delightful drinks, we can agree that the ideas and ingredients that
go into the making of cocktails here like Elderflower Mist, Sweet Talk, Rumming
Man and Apricot Jello Shot, are rather unique.
Over the
agreeable taste of smooth and silky Crème Caramel, we raise our glasses of
Apricot Jello Shots, to toast Edward and his team with warm appreciation for
all that they are doing to pair good quality food with good wines in this
gastro-bar.
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| Classic silky smooth Creme Caramel infused with tea fog |
The
experienced team behind Vigneto Wine & Dine belongs to The Merk Group which
also operates established brands like the Faculty of Caffeine, Replacement
Lodge & Kitchen, Shakespeare Milkshakes and Tropique.
Vigneto
Wine & Dine [Non-Halal] is 106, Jalan Sutera Tanjung 8/3, Taman Sutera
Utama, 81300 Skudai, Johor.
Open every
day from 5pm to 1am.
For
reservations, Tel: + 607 – 562 4488 or +6017 – 657 9235.
For
promotions and updates, check out Facebook: @vigneto.jb
