Verona Trattoria @ Seksyen 17, PJ

Verona Trattoria is a cosy Italian restaurant located in the depths of Seksyen 17. We nearly could not find the restaurant as it was located in a secluded area and facing away from the road. It is best to make a reservation as the restaurant was quite full even on a week night.
     

       

              

Remembering the awesome French Onion Soup I had at Logenhaus in Taipan, I decided to order French Onion Soup here to try. Unfortunately it was quite a letdown due to the different cooking method. The soup had a thin consistency, almost like bouillon and the lone crouton floating on the soup was hard yet soggy.
               

Jamie Oliver rocks!

               

This is THE most awesome black pepper ever and it's thanks to Jamie Oliver that we got to try it. Seriously I'm just going to stock my kitchen with lots of tellicherry black pepper. I can't even begin to explain how good they are but Jamie's website describes them as having a rich and fruity flavour. The chef probably regretted putting it on our table when we requested for black pepper as we sprinkled liberal amounts onto all the dishes =P Be warned though that a little of this pepper really goes a long way...

               

Pizza Quattro Stagioni (RM 38.90)

                   
This thin crust pizza was topped with grilled capsicum, mushrooms, ham and pepperoni. The ingredients were definitely fresh and you can taste its superb quality. The picture does not do it justice as the place was quite dim.

                   

Lasagna (RM 29.90)

           
The Lasagna was very delicious with a rich and meaty sauce. The lasagna sheets tasted freshly made and were absolutely tender.
               

Calzone (RM 29.90)

             
Doesn't the Calzone look like a giraffe? =P I like how it looks like a giant curry puff and am always sad to see it deflate with the first cut =( There was a generous amount of chicken ham and black pepper pepperoni in the calzone. The sliced capsicum and button mushrooms all tasted extremely fresh even though they have been baked in the oven. The calzone itself was cheesy and the crimped parts as usual always tasted much better.
           

Goodies in the puff

           

Warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice-cream (RM 17.90)

       
Actually I'm not too sure if this is a warm chocolate cake or the molten lava cake as we were billed the molten lava cake but this warm chocolate cake did not yield any flowy bits. Irregardless, this cake was AWESOME!!! =D It was warm, and chocolatey and moist and definitely one of the best we've eaten!
              

Porky people rejoice! for Verona Trattoria is a non-halal joint =P We have been meaning to return to try the other items in the menu because looking at other bloggers' pictures of the food just makes me want to head there immediately, but the location really is quite out of the way. Do make a trip here and I promise you won't be disappointed (just don't order the French Onion soup =P).
   
         
PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Olive
                   
           
Verona Trattoria

8 Jalan 17/54
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03 7960 2890
Wed - Mon: 12pm - 2.30pm, 6pm - 10pm

Italiano's @ SS2, PJ

Italiano's is somewhat like Pizza Uno, a family Italian restaurant with quality food and affordable pricing. Lots of families dine here at night and while there are some hits and misses in the menu (definitely more hits than misses), I highly recommend you to come and try it out.

Minestrone Soup (RM 6)

The hearty Minestrone Soup comes boiling hot and is chockful of ingredients typical of minestrone. The tomato base is warm and well-seasoned. The slice of baguette accompanying the soup is warmed but not toasted. It is extremely affordable and very yummy on cold rainy days.

We also tried the Mushroom Soup which is creamy and overloaded with chunky mushroom bits. A must order!

Mufaletta Delight Pizza (RM 19)

As can be seen in the above picture, the pizza is laden with lots of ingredients. The crust is thick yet crispy and  fully supports the meaty toppings.

King's Special Pizza (RM 25)

This pizza tasted a bit odd, probably due to the extremely gamey lamb sausages and red chillies. Not really recommended in my opinion.

Italiano's Special Pasta (RM 18)

This pasta is coated in a thick tomato based gravy (I wouldn't call that sauce as I feel the tomato paste was thickened with cornflour rather than loading on the paste). I am not a fan of the lamb sausages as they were quite gamey (and since I do like lamb, this means that it really is gamey!). Think the other pastas would be more recommended as the portions are big and absolutely worth the price.

Braised Lamb Shank (RM 30)

We also had the Braised Lamb Shank as it was so affordable and it came in a really big portion. See the huge lamb shoulder? Admittedly, the meat is somewhat lacking, but what meat there is is very tender and has absorbed the tomato gravy fully. The mashed potatoes, side salad and steamed vegetables were a very good accompaniment to the lamb. Definitely not for small eaters =P

PawPoints: 3 Paws
Pawket: Onion

Italiano's
61G, Jalan SS2/75
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03 7873 9695
Daily: 11.30am - 3pm, 6pm - 10.30pm

Pork Pizzas @ Skippys Pizza, Phileo Damansara PJ

Guess how I found this place? I was bored at work and decided to google "pork" and "pizza" and Skippys came out top of the list lol. This is a dedicated thin crust pizza parlour specialising in porky ingredients and they even do deliveries to areas within the Klang Valley - how convenient is that!
        

       

So cute!

   
They've got lots of Australian themed decor so I gather the owner must be an Australian?
      

Condiments

   
For condiments, they've got minced garlic for that extra oomph in the pizza as well as some sort of chilli oil which is somewhat like sambal mixed with tomato paste but it wasn't too fragrant to my picky nose.
       

Pork Meatballs (RM 15 for 6)

   
We originally wanted to try Crispy Fried Pork but too bad they were not available that day so we had Pork Meatballs instead. The Pork Meatballs are huge and served swimming in concentrated tomato gravy. The taste of herbs is quite strong and the meatballs definitely taste homemade with lots of meat packed in. Quite good but more than 1 of these balls will definitely lessen the space in your tummy for the other yummy dishes.

      

Meat Lovers (RM 26 for 9")

   
Meat Lovers is true to its name and is laden with pork bacon, pork ham, pork pepperoni and minced pork. It is slathered with BBQ sauce and baked to perfection. The thin crust is not as flimsy as some other restaurants' (although this probably qualifies as not being sufficiently thin but I like it this way) and is able to hold up without being leaden down by the weight of the toppings. 

      

Fey's Special (RM 26 for 9")

   
Fey's Special is like a Hawaiian pizza with minced pork, pork ham, pineapples and mushrooms. The pineapples are still juicy, giving an overall sweet flavour to the pizza.
             

Lasagna (RM 18)

   
On another occasion, we had takeaway with pizzas and lasagna. The pork lasagna is a must-order for all Garfields as it is chockful of ingredients, very cheesy, very tomato-ey with lots of minced pork.
   

Marc's Special (RM 26 for 9")

   
Marc's Special includes pork ham, baby spinach, mushrooms, a fried egg and garlic. No wonder this tasted a bit off for me as garlic is pawprints' public enemy #1 >.<  Nevertheless for garlic lovers or fence-sitters, this pizza should be good as evidenced by my friends' comments.
   
If you love pork and pizzas, Skippys is the place to be. I can't wait to revisit Skippys Pizza and try the other pizza flavours especially the Spicy Pork Pizza as well as the Pork Vindaloo, Crispy Fried Pork and Pork Spring Rolls =D
   

 
PawPoints: 5 Paws
Pawket: Olive
        
http://www.skippyspizza.com/
        

Skippys Pizza
107 Block D
Phileo Damansara 1
9 Jalan 16/11
Off Jalan Damansara
Tel: 03 7931 2555
Mon - Fri: 11.30am - 10pm
Sat: 3pm - 10pm

Garibaldi Italian Restaurant and Bar @ Bangsar Village, KL

We were supposed to go to Garibaldi in Bangsar Village but had a hard time finding the place. For one, the restaurant was listed on the directory board in Bangsar Village II and not Bangsar Village I. When we finally reached the correct location, there was no signboard with the name Garibaldi but one with the name Garibar @.@ Anyway in we went and it's actually one and the same.

     

Bar of Garibaldi

        

Pumpkin Croquette

 
The Pumpkin Croquettes were hot and crispy with a oozing mashed potato and pumpkin cream - really good.

     

Potato Wedges

   
The potato wedges were tossed in paprika and were very addictive as they were crispy yet fluffy. 

     

Chicken Parmigiana

   
The Chicken Parmigiana was slathered with tomato sauce and melted cheese and served with the same potato wedges. The meat was not dry and the breaded parts were crunchy. As you can see, the slab of meat is really quite large and quite worth the money.

      

Lamb Shank

   
The Lamb Shank is HUGE and really tender. Served atop a bed of mashed potato and carrots in a red wine reduction, the lamb shank was really good. It got quite cloying after a while as there's just too much meat.

      

Chocolate Pavet

 
The flourless chocolate cake was yummy but the almond-vanilla sauce had a really overpowering almond scent which I did not like at all >.< The raspberry, blackberry and blueberry were all preserved and had the notorious cherry cough syrup and sourish-bitter fever medicine taste >.< They tasted nothing like the fresh berries I had in Scotland >.<

    

Signature Apple Cake

   
The apple cake was served with homemade vanilla gelato and chocolate sauce. The raspberry, blueberry and blackberry made their appearance again and I left them well alone >.< The apple cake was a little bland but went well with the gelato. Not sure if it was from sampling different cakes alternately but I also detected some marzipan flavour in the gelato >.<
   
All in all, great appetizers, yummy dinner and disappointing dessert. Prices are quite steep here so don't think I'll be returning anytime soon.
   
   
PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Salami
     
Garibaldi Italian Restaurant & Bar

LG10 & G22, Bangsar Village I
Tel: 03 2282 3456
Daily: 12pm - 2.30pm, 6pm - 10.30pm

Neroteca @ The Somerset, Kuala Lumpur

Now that V-Day is just around the corner, how about a suggestion on where to go? We went to Neroteca which I've been wanting to dine at for Valentine's Day last year so as you can see, this is a long overdue post. I was looking forward to slurping up pasta or crunching on thin crust pizza but unfortunately, there were only Valentine set dinners to choose from.

     

♥

V-day decor

   

V-day menu

     
We had the San Valentino "Touching the 4 Senses" set priced at RM 198++ for 4 courses and 2 glasses of cocktail.

      

"Fall in Love"

     
Lovely colours, aren't they? I took a sip of the red one and I thought I was drinking children's fever medicine >.< My face was exactly like this >.< It was so bad I quickly reached for the yellow one and although still bitter, tasted much better. I guess I'm not the correct person to review cocktails as JS didn't have any complaints about the two glasses.

     

Sweet Lobster Carpaccio

     
The appetizer of calabra piccante and lobster served with cherry tomato confit, red radish, asparagus and drizzled with lemon vinaigrette was yummy. The lobster flesh was truly sweet tasting and the slightly spicy salami provided a nice contrast to the flavours.

     

Fettuccini Yabbies in Love

     
The first course is champagne sauce fettuccini topped with strips of parma ham and yabbies. The yabbies were kind of tough to eat as it had little flesh no matter how hard I tried to dig. The salty ham was a good accompaniment for the slightly bland pasta as the champagne sauce couldn't offer much flavour to the wide fettuccini.

    

After taking away the pesky leaves...

      

Tenderloin Love and Hugs Speck

      
The second course consisted of pork tenderloin wrapped with a salt and spice cured ham, served with roast potatoes and onion marmalade. The two pieces of tenderloin might not look like much but they were actually quite filling. The meat was tender and the two different flavours and texture went very well together. The soft roast potatoes absorbed the juices of the pork and were yummy. I couldn't quite get used to the onion marmalade though.

    

Lovely Souffle and Vanilla Gelato

     
Dessert was chocolate souffle with vanilla gelato, blackberry and strawberry. I enjoyed this the most as the souffle was chocolatey and its pairing with vanilla ice-cream can never go wrong.

      

PawPoints: 3 Paws

Pawket: Salami

     
Neroteca

Ground Floor, The Somerset
8 Lorong Ceylon
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 2070 0530
Daily: 11.30am - 11.30pm

Sirocco Restaurant @ Holiday Inn, Melaka

I had the opportunity to stay at Holiday Inn in Melaka when I was there for business which also marks the first time I rode the "water rollercoaster" >.< If you think you can find Holiday Inn by following the Pusat Bandar signs, you'd better think twice. Best to bring a GPS as it is actually by the shore.
   
My overall view of Holiday Inn and its amenities was quite good with nice rooms, comfy beds and an infinity pool which overlooks the ocean (although there is construction going on near the shore). The buffet breakfast was average only but the hotel does house a decent Italian restaurant.

      

Lovely name

       

Interior

   
The restaurant boasts an open kitchen and wood-fired pizza oven so take note if you don't want to smell like pasta...
        

Complimentary loaf

   
The complimentary bread is huge! Just compare its size with the saucer or fork at the upper right corner of the photo. The first day I was there, I only had a slice whereas the 2nd day I was there, I had 4 slices but in my defense, I ate it with the Seafood Stew below and used it to mop up the gravy. It seems  freshly baked but most probably it is warmed in the oven. The crust can be chewy at certain places but overall it was crispy and crusty. Wonder what they do with all the leftovers =P

     

Not sure if it's the norm for a high olive oil to balsamic vinegar ratio? My preference is for lots of vinegar, otherwise wouldn't it be like soaking bread in oil?

   

Ghamberini (RM 32)

   
I was craving for pasta so the first day there, I had the Ghamberini which is king prawn (note that there's only one, uno, ichi single prawn =.=) and spaghetti tossed in chilli flakes and arugula. The first bite of the pasta was quite hard but it softened up as you make your way through the dish. Very flavourful, a tad too salty but I enjoyed it very much. The portion looked small on the huge plate but by the end, it turned out quite filling. I must say though that at this price, I expected at least TWO king prawns instead of a measly, lonely prawn =(

   

Seafood Stew (RM 25)

   
Seeing how cheap the Seafood Stew is (spag bol and meatless pasta are priced the same), I immediately ordered it on the 2nd day. There were double prawns, scallops, mussels, calamari and fish, all cooked in a rich tomato stew. The seafood tasted fresh and yummy and the gravy was thick and good with lots of tomato-ey goodness. The crispy, well-buttered garlic crouton was really, really good - everytime I bit into it, it snaps off with a resounding crunch even after being swished around the tomato stew.
   
Anyway good stuff and decent price for a hotel restaurant. Do drop by if you're sick of all the local delicacies and just want to chill at the hotel =)
       
   
PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Olive
      
Sirocco Restaurant
Holiday Inn Melaka
Jalan Syed Abdul Aziz
Melaka
Tel: 06 285 8169
Sun - Thur: 6pm - 11pm
Fri - Sat: 6pm - 12am

Pizza Uno @ Centrepoint, PJ

Pizza Uno is a reasonably priced Italian joint serving good quality pastas and pizzas well worth the price tag. I went there a while ago with my brother but unfortunately, I only have pictures of what he ordered.
    

Gigantic curry puff (RM 24)

      

Deflated =(

    
He had a Calzone which came looking like a giant curry puff. The moment we cut into it, a huge puff of steam escaped (so be sure never to put your face over it as you cut the Calzone) and the expanded pizza quickly deflated to look like the above picture which is rather a disappointing size.
   
It is a very cheesy half pizza with turkey ham, mushrooms and tomato based sauce. The dough is unlike the usual pizza dough, rather it tastes more like tortilla bread / naan sort of dough. The filling is extremely cheesy and rather salty but still yummy.
   

PawPoints: 3 Paws
Pawket: Tomato

  
http://www.pizzauno.com.my/

    
Pizza Uno
Lot G6 & G7, Ground Floor
Centrepoint
Bandar Utama
Tel: 03 7710 1325

+39 Pizzeria & Degustation Bar @ Melbourne

This Italian restaurant is one busy establishment. The first time we went there, we reached at 8pm and were told to return an hour later as the place was full. The next day, we made sure to reach a little after 6pm and it was already quite full - we were quite lucky to secure a table near the back of the restaurant.

Signage

I had no idea of the price as I didn't manage to find any reviews with the menu attached before we left for our trip so off we went. I should have guessed from its name "Degustation" that it would definitely not be cheap =.=
  

Salsiccia (AUD 25)

  
We decided on the Salsiccia Pizza which consisted of Italian Berkshire sausage, Porcini mushrooms, mozzarella, parmesan and tomatoes. The pizzas come in one standard size only - SCUSA!
  

• Pizza base did not taste very doughy but it was extremely hard to cut with a knife. Some customers just resorted to using hands. Definitely not the crispy kind of base as it was a little flimsy and soft with the amount of topping laden on it.
• Italian Berkshire sausage slices tasted normal as were the fancy sounding mushrooms.

  
I guess you could say the pizza was good but I prefer Crust...
  

Menu

  
This restaurant is rated highly in the Melbourne gourmet circle and I can see why - good food, good wine, all staff imported from Italy as they were speaking to each other in Italian thus ensuring a very authentic taste to the dishes served. However, for some reason, I felt a little slighted by the waiter as he was attentive to the adjacent tables except us, probably because we just shared a pizza and had 2 glasses of complimentary water? Perhaps if I was earning AUD, I would have given the restaurant more pawprint stamps of approval <sigh>
  
Edited to add: To its credit though, I read in another review that the Salsiccia is, in the author's words, "a deviation from the high quality norm". We must have picked the wrong pizza to sample then. The author also did note its 2nd rate service while still managing to attract a loyal band of followers.
 

PawPoints: 3 Paws

 
http://plus39.com.au/

+39 Pizzeria & Degustation Bar
362, Little Bourke St
Melbourne CBD
Tel: 03 9642 0440
Mon - Thu: 7am - 10pm
Fri - Sat: 7am - 10.30pm

Opus Bistro @ Jalan Bangkung, Bangsar

Milkadeal had a too-good-to-miss deal for Opus and we quickly snapped up the vouchers after seeing this restaurant when we dined at Leonardo's. It is advisable to make a reservation before you go as the restaurant is a little small and you will not believe the amount of people dining there even on Sunday night. 

Menu

Table Decor

 Very unique salt and pepper shakers. Maybe I should start a collection... 

Mini Bar + Cake Display

Apart from the house desserts listed in the menu, there is a display shelf offering delicious cakes from Just Heavenly.

Wine selection

Complimentary starter

As usual, a bread basket and olive oil-balsamic vinegar dip were served. I did not particularly fancy the bread at Opus as they were only slightly warmed but not toasted; hence the bread was a little cold, soft and rather plain - it did not have the heavenly bread smell. JS liked it this way though. Perhaps I should have asked them to toast the bread for me?
 

We also had the house red and white wine which came as part of the meal deal. Not going to review it as we know nothing about wine tasting =P 

Linguini Aglio Olio with Smoked Duck

The linguini perfectly imbibed the flavours of smoked duck tossed in olive oil. A very light dish with tender duck slices.

Spaghetti alla Opus

This is the usual seafood marinara which is the house specialty. The assortment of seafood in the dish was abundant and huge in size. Very fresh prawns, mussels and clams. The diced tomatoes and gravy were very good with the spaghetti. I suspect they must have splashed over more olive oil after the dish has been completed ala chefs on AFC as you can see oil pockets in the sauce after you have finished the pasta. 

Death by Chocolate (RM 13)

For dessert, we had a slice of Death by Chocolate from Just Heavenly. As its name implies, it is pure chocolatey goodness with extremely gooey chocolate mousse cake topped with extremely rich dark chocolate ganache. This is definitely not an option for non-chocolate lovers and those in a hurry as the chocolate is so rich that you just have to simply savour each and every bite and let the chocolate melt in your mouth slowly.

Prices are a little steep but we will definitely be back to Opus!

PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Olive

http://www.opusbistro.com/main.html


Opus Bistro
67, Jalan Bangkung
Bangsar
Tel: 03 2092 4288
Daily: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 12am