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

Estilo Spanish Tapas Bar and Charcoal Grill @ Publika, KL

Happy Chinese New Year!!! What better way to start off the lunar new year than with a post of one of my favourite restaurants! =D I'm a big fan of Spanish food and when I saw Estilo at Publika, I told myself I had to try it! It's located outside Publika, near Fat Boy's Burger Bar and I love its quirky decor especially its numerous hand painted ceramic plates.

Love their artwork

Assortment of cute plates

My favourite of the lot =)

Complimentary bread

They serve thick toasted bread slices for dipping into their signature creamy, garlicky, buttery aioli. Can't get enough of their bread =P

Spanish Tortilla (RM 9)

The thick omelette layered with potatoes and onions was all right but slightly too starchy even for a potato lover like me.

Patatas Bravas (RM 12)

Deep fried potatoes are absolutely the best! These have fluffy insides and went well with the Turkey Bacon Aioli which came with a dab of spicy sauce.

Chorizo (RM 18)

The paprika chorizos were really flavourful and confit potatoes were absolutely addictive as it's bite sized and slightly crispy on the outside yet mushy on the inside.

Calamares Fritos (RM 16)

These deep fried calamari were extremely crispy and done just right. Seems like they love aioli here, don't they?

Champinones (RM 14)

The sauteed mushrooms were awesome! The creamy sauce with a splash of wine was extremely good and went really well with bread.

Pinchos Morunos (RM 20)

These chargrilled chicken skewers were extremely juicy and tender. The orangey sauce - probably another variation of aioli - was really good too.

Paella Estilo - Large (RM 102)

Estillo's signature paella looks awesome and you can literally taste the rich stock coating the rice grains. They were very generous with the amount of chicken, chorizos and green beans which tasted nothing less than wonderful. The garlic and chilli infused olive oil also added another layer of taste on the paella, somewhat like what bird's eye chillies in soy sauce is to noodles.

Paella Mariscos (RM 58)

The Paella Mariscos has plenty of fresh mussels, fish, squid, clams and prawns. Similar to Paella Estilos, the rice is extremely flavourful. The single slice of lemon however did not seem sufficient for the entire pan.

Chorizo and Pineapple Paella Pan Pizza (RM 18)

I ordered this out of curiosity as I thought it was a Paella PanPizza. Turns out it's a PaellaPan (Normal) Pizza. Its base was the hard yet crispy type and really good. Although pineapples were not evident, its juices definitely seeped into the tomato base and lent it a nice sweet flavour.

I absolutely love the food at Estilo and can't wait to return for more as I only had nibbles of everything =( Surprisingly, it does not serve pork but everything tasted awesome! =D



PawPoints: 5 Paws
Pawket: Tomato


Estilo Spanish Tapas Bar and Charcoal Grill

No. 34, Level G2
Block C5, Publika Solaris Dutamas
Tel: 03 6203 9883
Daily: 11.30am - 11.30pm

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

Ben's General Food Store @ Bangsar Village 1, KL

Yet another brainchild of Ben's Independent Grocer (BIG) Group, this restaurant/ deli/ grocer specialises in pizzas.
       

Minimalist sign

       

Menu

        

Top: Caesar Salad (RM 11.90), Bottom: Marinated Button Mushrooms (RM 11.90)

     
As usual, fantastic innovative salads but somehow I just can't quite get my head round barley as a salad ingredient. Feels like it belongs in liquidy form more =P
         

Orecchiette Pasta (RM 11.90)

     
This salad took some getting used to for me. The rocket was pungent and the pasta combo had the earthy, olive-y taste as the only binder was olive oil. And I never liked peas > . > I wouldn't recommend this unless you like eating healthy greens...
         

Breakfast Pizza (RM 19.90)

     
This crispy pizza was yummy with breakfast ingredients heaped on it. The runny yolk and tomato sauce slathering went extremely well with the beef bacon and chicken sausage bits. One of my favourites along with the salmon pizza below.
         

Funghi Pizza (RM 22.90)

     
The Funghi Pizza had a slightly earthy taste due to the use of truffle oil and wild mushrooms as toppings which melted in the mouth with the mascarpone. I think it's good even though I'm not a big fan of the strong earthy taste.
       

Salmone E Spinaci Pizza (RM 24.90)

     
Another of my favourites, this is a melt in your mouth pizza due to the gooey mascarpone and I particularly like how the flavours of the cured salmon, spinach, and dill as well as a squeeze of lemon just come together effortlessly.

         

Il Carnivore Pizza (RM 24.90)

       
Pizzas with meat just can't go wrong so it's no surprise that this one laden with beef pepperoni, beef bacon, chicken cheese sausage and lamb chorizo on a base of tomatoes and mozarella does not fall short of expectations.

      

Pescatora Pizza (RM 29.90)

       
The mixed seafood pizza which contains mussels, shrimp and squid was good but nothing outstanding.

       

Peach Cobbler Ala Mode (RM 9.90)

       
The peach cobbler has a subtle peach flavour (so obvious but what else am I supposed to say?) and the accompanying vanilla ice-cream makes it taste even better.

       

Classic Chocolate Cake Ala Mode (RM 10.90)

       
Fantastic moist chocolate cake covered in dark chocolate sauce from BIG (it's available at Plan B too). Was awesome with the vanilla ice-cream.
     
I don't like the metal tins in which the pizzas come though...they have an uneven base which makes it difficult to slice through the pizza. The pizzas themselves are quite good and I like the wide variety offered here that is not too common in other shops.
     

      

PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Tomato

     
   
Ben's General Food Store
G17, Ground Floor
Bangsar Village 1
Tel: 03 2284 8790
Daily: 10am - 10pm

Dave's Bistro Bar & Grill @ 1 Utama, PJ

Dave's Bistro Bar Grill is one of the pioneers (to my knowledge) of non-halal eatery in shopping malls and I think this has greatly encouraged a drastic increase in porky establishments popping up across the city <thumbs-up>
  
The food served here is mostly Italian comfort food such as pasta and pizza topped with lots of pork, so it's not surprising that this restaurant is actually part of the Dave's Deli Group which served my first love - Shepherd's Pie...haha...anyway on with the review =)

   

Dave's Bistro Bar Grill

        

Oink :D

     
There are lots of piggy decorative items in the restaurant which further emphasize its specialty...
     

Salad with Pork Belly Shavings

This was yummy with lots of crunchy pork belly shavings and croutons. The ratio of salad leaves to meat was good too (as in high meat ratio...I'm a meat-eater =D). The sauce was also tangy with sufficient flavour to coat the leaves.

Bacon and Mushroom Bruschetta

Toasted baguette with bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes piled on top...always a fail-safe combination =P

Ham Pizza

This Ham Pizza is a must-try according to my friend. The dough is fluffy and very crispy, the cheese base is absolutely cheesy with succulent ham and juicy pineapples. Very yummy indeed =)

Close-up of the Ham Pizza

See the abundance of ham and pineapples? =D

Spaghetti Bolognaise with Smoked Pork Sausage and Peppers

The tomato sauce was rich and gave a robust flavour to the al dente spaghetti, juicy pork sausages and red capsicum. It is quite a large portion (I couldn't even finish it even though my favourite is pasta) so small eaters had better share it =P

Overall, Dave's serves good food albeit a little pricey but I would definitely return to sample new dishes and for the usual favourites. And most importantly, it's a porky place =D Think they still have the lunch / teatime promo at 50% for pastas so do take advantage of the offer.

PawPoints: 4 Paws

Pawket: Tomato

Dave's Bistro Bar & Grill
Lot G209, Ground Floor
The Promenade
One Utama Shopping Centre
Tel: 03 7725 4017
Daily: 10am - 10pm

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