Simple grub @ Gino, Ara Damansara

It's one of those days when we crave for simple Italian grubs for lunch where nothing is too complicated and everything feels familiar... Again, Gino at Ara Damansara. And goodness me, now the waiters have known all of our faces :D

Olio Olio delight @ Gino's Recipe, Ara Damansara

It seems that we can never get tired of this place :D From time to time when we are looking for great, non - syubhah halal pork - free Italian food, Gino here in Ara Damansara is where we head to. Of course, there's one in Kepong Village too but that is when we catch up with the latest movie.

Your contemporary Italian food at D' italiane kitchen @ Sunway Giza, Damansara

 This place is located in Sunway Giza where I always do my manicure. After all the dainty works on my nail, a scrumptious lunch and continuing gossip are a good finish :D

Gino's Recipe @ Ara Damansara

At first glance, the place does not look impressive at all, in fact it looks more like those rundown near bankrupt kinda place. Sorry, no offense though.

I guess the inside kinda make up with it, blasting Italian songs to compliment the atmosphere.

Let’s start with entrée.

 I think we started good with garlic bread and bruschetta.

 I don’t mind it, the watery tomato – based seafood soup is OK for the garlic bread, just a bit sloppy in appearance. Not all seafood soup needs to be thick to be nice. The amount of clams, calamari rings, mussels and prawns are adequate enough for 2 people to share.

 Mussels baked with cheese – I’m on a strict diet but they look nice on the plate of salad.

 Main: baked salmon with capers.

 Main: I love my rack of lamb. The sauce is tangy, but the lamb a bit tough.

 Main: baked aubergine. Cheese and eggplant never taste better!

Classic; Thomas Kemper root beer.

But I’m not sure whether I should label this post as Italian or Mediterranean food as Gino seems to be covering both. By the way, I heard their aglio olio is pretty nice. Next time then =)

Amazingly, this place does not serve alcohol and non of the food is cooked with alcohol.


1-06G Blk1, Jalan PJU 1A/1, Ara Damansara
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia 47301
03-7842 6637

Italian food @ The Italiannies @ Empire before it blew up

I haven't got over the shock of Empire blowing up like that in a gas explosion. I mean, gosh, it was one of those popular shopping place ever with pretty much high end stuffs. It's kinda a let down that such a grand - looking building can actually have a lousy happening as that. I wonder how long would it take to restore the Empire again.

My last dining visit to Empire was to the Italiannies to have some grubs with some people. Though previously I've sworn to not go there again, in the end peer pressure wins hands donw =p Oh well, majority rules.

 Rustic bar style kinda ambiance as compared to their other branch.

 Nope, nobody's performing.

Strawberry splash - which actually is OK.

 Quattro platter of calamari rings, fried vege, some cheese balls and and couscous balls. Huge platter, not for 3 small sized persons.

To counter the friend stuffs, we had the caesar salad. I must say that artichoke is an acquired taste.

I must say that I enjoyed the conversation more than the food. In the end, my opinion still does not change. Maybe it's just me.


Italiannies Empire Shopping Gallery
G16, Empire Shopping Gallery,
Jalan SS16/1, 47500 Subang Jaya,
Selangor, Malaysia
tel: +603 - 5637 7259
email: usersupport@italiannies.com.my

Italianies @ The Curve for Italian food

Truthfully speaking, I've eaten better better Italian food in Sabah as compared to here. Italianies offers me nothing new or exciting thus.

My bread and olive oil while waiting for the orders.

Starters: brushettona and bruschetta. The difference is that bruschettona is served on softer bread bed and has aragula leaves on top which left a nice after taste, but on the other hand the bruschetta was served on a hard-toasted bread slices. I'd go for the former one and find the latter at other place next time. Same pricing.

Salmon piccata: oven baked salmon on top of angel hair pasta in caper based sauce. Nothing to shout about, they overbaked my salmon.

Aglio olio with lots of juicy prawn. Again, I've tasted better.

Pricing total : RM 156. 10. I miss Sabah.



NOTE:
Status: serve no pork. Cooking may contain alcohol (labeled on the side, a bonus)


Service & Ambience: Good.

Variety: Grace Point

CAUTION: SERVES ALCOHOL / COOKING MAY CONTAINS ALCOHOL

Status: Serve no pork

Venue/landmark: Sembulan. This map is a bit lacking in detail. So let say you’re coming from the direction of the mosque, then at the round – a – bout turn left 9 o’clock. If you are coming from the direction of Sutera Harbour, then at the round – a – bout turn to the 3 o’ clock direction. Once you pass the round – a – bout the rest is easy as you can see the place on your right side, a large open air dining area with its grand entrance.

Time open – close: unsure. I usually frequent it in the evening around 6 – 8 pm.

Basic RM per meal: RM 8 (starting pay)

Parking is free. I like that.

Food court style, on grander scale. Clean, bright, airy and spacious. Sunset here is a blaze. A nice place for friends to come, relax and chat.

Here you can find all sorts of food, Japanese from Wagamama, Thai, Indian, Korean, claypot meals, all sorts of rice, local food from Etnik Sabah, noodles and Western. As usual Wagamama is nice and in my list of favourites, next is Etnik Sabah with their tantalizing local food including hinava (raw fish tossed with ginger and onion in lime juice) and ampap fish (fish cooked in gravy of tumeric, ginger and other spices, served with rice); Thai section is pretty decent though the fried rice has somewhat a flat appearance; Indian food turns out good with their tosai, claypot section has this amazing black pepper chicken; and the drinks section. The coolest no. plaque (the one they give you with your order no.) so far is from Etnik Sabah, a wooden spoon – shaped one. You can’t helped but be delighted at it as you received one. As for drinks, the waiters will come over to your table to take down your orders.

From the Thai food section: Green curry mussels.

Noodles section is pretty basic, and on one occasion the laksa was disappointingly lacking in taste and contents. The Western corner so far failed to attract me as their pasta struck me as flat, unappetizing – looking.

Overall, service is good except on busier hours. And finally, a properly presented local cuisine.

Rating: 4.5/5

Italian & Spanish: Tuscany

CAUTION: SERVES ALCOHOL / COOKING CONTAINS ALCOHOL

Status: Serve no pork / serve alcohol

Venue/landmark: Waterfront Explanade, opposite CentrePoint. Pay – parking.

Basic RM per meal: RM 20.00 (w/o tax)

Ah… another place that I found the interior delightfully classic. It is a small diner with the grayish brick walls, hanging plants, wood table tops with accompanying metal – back chairs, the open counter overlooking the kitchen, lively music and comfortable atmosphere. Above the kitchen is another eating area. Opt for sitting outside if you want to enjoy the night sea breeze and starry sky.

As usual, Muslims be weary and inquire in detail of your dish preparations since here without exception alcohol is included in the ingredients. Be specific about it and tell the waiter to note down to opt out the alcohol in the preparation.

Other Italian food posts:

• Little Italy
• Pizza Ria

Italian: Little Italy

CAUTION: SERVES ALCOHOL / COOKING CONTAINS ALCOHOL

Venue/landmark: Just below Capital Hotel, with Wisma Merdeka on the opposite side, and Esso petrol station nearby in Kota Kinabalu city.
Time open – close:
Reservation: available
Contact no.: 088 - 232231

Basic RM per meal: RM 20.00 (w/o tax)

As the name implies, this place serves superb Italian spread. With red brick wall, open pizza kitchen from where delicious smell wafted, low reddish lighting and light atmosphere, it feels classic; you will fall into relaxed mode and chat freely with your crowd. Smokers’ area is outside facing the street so I suppose you’ll have 2 sources of air pollution here…

Come especially near Christmas and the place will steep up the festive mood with decorations of Christmas tree and cotton snows and hanging socks etc. Just remember to call for reservation during festive seasons as the crowd can really overflow the place.

The waiters are friendly and courteous, you can inquire in detail for everything in the menu . Since some dishes are prepared with alcohol as one of the ingredients especially pastas with cream sauce, those who are Muslim better be weary and inquire on this. You can ask the waiter note down to exempt the alcohol from the preparations.


1. Bruschetta
This is one of my favourite appetizers. It consists of slices of French bread about 1.5 cm thick, topped with generous amount of diced tomato seasoned with olive oil, vinegar and herbs. Tantalizingly sour to wake your taste buds for the main course and just enough to not completely fill you up. Grind a dash of black pepper and a sprinkle of cheese for extra zest! Oh yeah, for extra RM 5.00, they will add slices of smoked salmon onto it which I personally like since I love sashimi ^_^

Price: RM 6.90 (+ RM 5.00 for smoked salmon)



2. Zuppa di mare
A savory, tomato based soup with generous amount of clams, mussels, prawns, calamari strips and fish served with 2 slices of crisp garlic bread, this makes an “umph!” starter. Opt for serving with spaghetti added in and you will have a filling main course.

Price: RM 18.90 (+ RM 2.00 with spaghetti)



3. Pasta:

• Ravioli with mushroom served in salmone sauce I am a huge fan of mushroom so this is my favourite. Like the name implies, it’s pasta with mushroom filling (like mini curry – puff I guess). The sauce is based of salmon strips, artichoke and dill paste, very creamy and non – spicy. Artichoke is something like onion – looking but taste like tofu skin with texture of mushroom. A note on this: eat while served hot since the sauce become curd - like when cold so toss it with some black pepper when it gets cold to make it less sickening and dash some Tabasco if you want extra zest.
  

Price: RM 19.90



4. Pizza: their pizza crust is really nice, crisp edges and well – browned by the stone oven. Watch them prepare it with jest; I just couldn’t take my eyes off it (or maybe it was the cute chef). But they probably think you’re nuts anyway if you hang at the counter overlooking the pizza kitchen too long. Aside from what I had below there are others. You can also opt to create your own toppings.

a. Margherita: a simple tomato and cheese topped pizza for vegetarian.

b. ai Quattro formaggi: 3 types of cheese as toppings. There are mixed taste to this; salty, slightly sour – ish and sweet, all combined together but distinct in a bite. Warning; do not take with cream – based stuff unless you’re a cheese freak because I guarantee that you’ll feel sick later unless you’re having lemonade as your drink.

c. pollo e funghi: ah, this one is fresh mushroom and chicken and cheese, lovely with a dash of black pepper and Tabasco.


Price: RM 17.90


5. Lemonade
Oh I love their lemonade! Sour and refreshing, to be taken especially when having the cheese – based sauce. I dunno why but I find that too much cheese gives me a bad after – taste even though I love cheese. They have large and regular glass, the large ones especially served in bottle – like glasses. I think they serve about 500 ml for large ones.

Other Italian food posts:

• Tuscany
• Pizza Ria