It would make sense that the same group that successfully runs Opus and Cava on Jalan Bangkung would choose to open up yet another restaurant, this time however focusing it’s menu on the other white meat.

Leonardo's situated in the leafy, quiet row of Jalan Bangkung boasts a Dining Room and a Wine Loft. The dining is cosy and the loft, airy and cool. Quipped as 'the thinking man's bar' (apparently there's a book and movie club here on some nights), upstairs is lovely for a chilled out drink with a 3-piece and tower views from the balcony.

But today we are focused downstairs. I started off my meal with a tall cold glass of Weihenstephan Kristallweissbier. It’s a mouthful to pronounce but then again who cares when it tastes so good. This light German beer is fruity and filled with flavour…a great accompaniment to the two appetizers we started with…the Portobello Bacon and Crispy Anchovies and Bacon. The Portobello mushrooms are stuffed with bacon, tomato and cheese and then baked till melty and golden. Make sure you eat this while it’s still hot and the cheese is gooey. The anchovies and bacon are mixed into a batter then breaded and deep-fried to form little balls of goodness. This makes for an interesting match that you don’t come across very often.

The pork knuckle platter here is perfect for groups. It comes on a wooden board and has a very beautiful crisp layer of skin on the outside but tender on the inside unlike many places that make it a tad dry. It is served with applesauce, mushroom sauce, and mustard. I personally like mustard with my crispy pork but I’m told that the mushroom sauce is a favourite here. On the slower nights they tend to make about 18-20 knuckles and on weekends even more as this is a popular dish on the menu especially among the groups who want a few drinks and something meaty to nibble on. Our table of four barely made a dent in this so there’s plenty to go around.

"Food till the wee hours in cosy surroundings"

On the supper menu you can find many local specialties as the owners believe that many people looking for supper usually want some comfort food but in a cosy setting. Bak kut teh is one of the specialities and since I have never had it before I decided to give it a try. My beef with bak kut teh is the medicinal herby broth smell, which is why I have never previously given this dish a chance. I was surprised to find that the herbs didn’t overpower the broth and that it had a spicy kick. I’ve been converted me and this probably won’t be the last time I’ll have this porky dish.

We also decided to order one of the pizzas on the menu and went for the Mama Mia topped with Jamon Serrano, mozzarella, and rocket. The salty cured meat mixed with the creamy mozzarella and peppery rocket and topped on the thin crust is delicious.

We were stuffed to the brim with porky goodness and so for dessert we decided to share the tiramisu and waffle. The tiramisu is rich and creamy with a strong coffee bitterness… the star, however, is the simple waffle topped with nutella berries and cream. You can never go wrong with nutella in my books.



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