Hearty servings for lunch

By Olivia Miwil 

21 February 2013| last updated at 09:31PM

Restaurateur Jack Lau tells Olivia Miwil his secret to getting customers to return for more

THE hallmark of a good restaurant, for me, is the consistency of its food. If it’s good, I will go back, not just for the food but also to have some sort of a time-travel experience.

The familiar taste of the food will bring back memories and mood of the last visit.

So when I meet Farrari Restaurant & Bistro manager Jack Lau for lunch, I ask him these two questions: “How do you ensure your food will be as great in future as it is now? Has your main chef signed a life-long contract with the restaurant?”

Jack, who has been in the food business since he was 10, assures me that the quality of food will remain the same even if his main chef, Donny Richard, decides to leave.

He stresses that the production team will take care of the quality as it is responsible for keeping the recipes secret.

“With this production team, any of our workers will be able to serve what you are having today, at any time,” he says.

VALUE MEALS

Farrari offers, among others, affordably priced lunch sets. Each set comprises soup of the day, main course and a tall glass of ice lemon tea.

The soup for the day is mushroom soup with fresh ingredients including mushroom.

For the main course, I choose spaghetti carbonara. Other choices include local and Asian favourites such as noodles and rice dishes.

The spaghetti comes with a hearty portion of black pepper grilled chicken. The combination of smooth creamy spaghetti and black pepper is pleasant.

Jack says they offer big portions and use imported ingredients so as to give greater value to customers.

“We want our customers to feel that the food is worth more than what they are paying for. With this, we hope they will come back again and tell others about us,” he adds.

PUNCHY PATTY

One must-try item is the restaurant’s signature Farrari burger. Unlike regular burgers that have a meat patty sandwiched between the bun, Farrari takes on a different style.

The juicy patty is on top of the bun instead and is served with thick black pepper gravy sweetened with pineapple juice.

I cut it from top to bottom, letting the soft minced beef fall into the gravy. I scoop a spoonful and put it into my mouth. It’s definitely a different way to eat burger.

The lamb shank looks really appetising as it’s bathed in shining black pepper sauce. The lamb rests on mashed potato and green coral salad — a harmonious blend of colours.

Imported from New Zealand, the lamb shank is marinated for two days and slow-grilled before serving. Yes, the taste of black pepper has really absorbed into the tender meat.

COOLING DOWN

During the day, the hot-selling thirst quencher is a yam-flavoured bubble drink. The bubbles are actually little balls made from tapioca.

While the chewy and springy bubbles are slightly smaller than those served by commercial bubble drink outlets, I like them as they lend a strong aroma and flavour.

The drink is quite concentrated and tastes like melted yam-flavoured ice-cream. Yummy! And I do hope it will be as yummy when I come around the next time.

Farrari Restaurant & Bistro

Where

Lintas Square, Jalan Lintas, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Tel: 088-342 373

Opening hours: 7.30am to 1am daily.

What’s cooking
Italian cuisine and Asian delights.

Price
From RM9.90.

Must try
Farrari burger.

The lamb shank is juicy and tender.