1 post tagged “italiannies”
Today is Elysha's 20th birthday. This marks a new year of maturity (hopefully!) and more blessings to come. To commemorate this event, we (Kenny, Elysha's mom, sister and nephew + yours truly) went to Italiannies at One Utama. Elysha felt touched that I missed gym for this special event *grins*.
I bought her a box of chocolates from Koko Bistro. I have yet to try their gourmet chocolates but I tried the fondue with Jeaney and Ben before.
Anyway, this was the first time I met Elysha's sister and nephew. The nephew is a cute 2-month-old baby who was sleeping soundly in his mother's arms when I met them. He has such "heavy cheeks", as Elysha calls them.
Since I have an assignment on food reviews, I decided to add Italiannies to the list of restaurants and food to try. It is after all one of the famous Western food joints in Petaling Jaya.
Here goes nothing:
For starters, we were given foccacia bread accompanied with olive oil and vinegar.It was good because it had alot of herbs and the texture was soft. Healthy and fragrant, it is sure to be a hit among customers.
Altogether we ordered five dishes; each for everyone of us and the fifth one for sharing. The dishes were Classic Carbonara, Filet Mignon with Portabella Mushrooms, Grilled Salmon Oreganato, Conchiglie Pomodoro, Napoli Bianco Pizza and we had a complimentary dessert because it was Elysha's birthday. I would give the dishes a rating of 3.5/5. The service was excellent because the waiter was quick and friendly. Our orders came within minutes we ordered and they tasted delicious.
First up is the Classic Carbonara. It is served with smoked beef bacon and fresh button mushrooms. Just like the usual carbonara, it is cooked with fettuccine pasta and had a cream-based parmesan cheese sauce. The bacon was crispy and flavorful while the pasta was not too hard or soft. The texture is just right and the smell wafting in the air was amazing.
I ordered the lunch portion which costs less and there is less food but it is also satisfying. In fact, I felt full after eating half of the plate. It is filling for something so small. I would encourage people with a small appetite to order this dish. It is also one of the more affordable dishes on the menu.
The Napoli Bianco Pizza is one of the latest offerings of Italiannies. It has meatballs, cheese and pepperoni as toppings. The Alfredo sauce with chicken is the perfect touch to the already delicious pizza. One thing that is lacking in the pizza is the amount of cheese. Also, the crust was not very crispy or light. It was cold by the time I ate it. Perhaps I had to finish my carbonara before trying the pizza so I did not get a chance to taste the fresh pizza out of the oven.
The rest of my group said that the pizza was not bad but they would rather eat Domino's Pizza or Pizza Hut. Personally I felt that this pizza was not bad but it is not the best pizza I have tasted. Perhaps if it was more crisp and had more cheese topping it would have been a sure hit.
I would rate this pizza 3/5.
The Filet Mignon with Portabella Mushrooms was cooked medium rare. It would have tasted better if it was accompanied with red wine. Two beef filet grilled on top of garlic bread and topped with portabella mushrooms, french beans and rosemary potatoes. The dressing is balsamic oil which is perfectly suited with the beef flavor.
This steak is a definite must-try because it is also one of the newest offerings in Italiannies. Just the ideal dish for those who has a finer taste in dining and would want to fill up their appetite.
Next up is the pasta, Conchiglie Pomodoro. Unlike its strange and foreign name, the pasta is surprisingly delicious. It is a sauce-based shell pasta named pomodoro. The portion was quite big and it was big enough for two. The dressing was generous; it had an uncanny resemblance to bolognese sauce.
I would rate this a 4/5 because it is less fattening than a cream-based pasta and shell pasta always tastes better than sauce-based pasta. It is worth the money you're paying for it.
For fish lovers, the grilled salmon oreganato would satisfy your palate. It is served on top of spinach, rosemary potatoes and topped with oregano butter.
Salmon is known for its richness in Omega-3 oil, an essential in preventing cancer and improving blood circulation. This dish is also suitable for the health-conscious because it is high in nutrients from the fish and vegetables and low in calories.
I would give this dish a 4/5 because of its health benefits. The portion is also big enough for two.
Lastly, we were given a dessert on the house, a bread pudding. It had strawberries and sweet sauce on top and a cinnamon flavor. It is a warm and sweet dish.
In conclusion, I find this restaurant a perfect place for a romantic evening for two or a large family with a big appetite. It is also definitely a place for a group of friends just to hang out or celebrate a special occasion.
Albeit the prices being rather pricey, the quality of the food, ambience and service balances it out. If you want to spend your money wisely, this is the perfect place to satisfy your stomach and wallet!
