An authentic Italian lunch with two Italian natives, one a chef.
Portofino
Portofino is a name of a picturesque village in Italy.
Portofino at Lucky Garden, Bangsar on the other hand, is the brainchild of two Italian natives an one Malaysian man. Opened a little more than a year ago, this two-storey restaurant takes pride in serving affordable and authentic Italian dishes, in a semi fine-dining environment. The restaurant is also pork free.
And I was there just few weeks ago, eager to sample some authentic Italian dishes.
Fresh Orange Juice (Rm12). Lemonade (Rm9.90).
Mushroom Soup. Rm16.
One of the most fragrant and flavorful bowl of mushroom soup I've had. Four types of mushrooms were used - porcini, button, shiitake and portobello. The soup had a beautiful coarse texture, which felt very hearty and homemade.
Four Season Pizza. Rm36.
The 12" thin crust pizza was generously laden with four quarters of beef pepperoni, turkey ham, mushrooms and black olives. My favorite? Pepperoni.
Seafood Ravioli. Rm36.
The lobster bisque sauce tasted exquisite and the lobster and fish fillings were a pleasure to devour. Sadly though, the ravioli skin was just too thick. I think this needs to be hand-rolled for a better chew.
Roasted Lamb. Rm48.
What an odd surprise. Our roasted lamb dish came boneless, doused in a tomato based and herb sauce. One thing I really liked about it - no gamey aftertaste. At the side, delicious creamy mashed potatoes and salad.
Spaghetti Aglio Olio With Tiger Prawns. Rm38.
As much as I enjoyed this version of an aglio olio - in a pool of sauce and with three wonderfully grilled tiger prawns - I figured most Malaysians would still prefer the drier ones. You have to try this nevertheless!
Panna Cotta. Rm14.
The panna cotta came in fantastic fine creamy textures. Just perfect, after a hefty Italian feast.
Apple Strudel. Rm16.
I would highly recommend this to anyone and everyone. Apple strudel wrapped in filo pastry with a scoop of vanilla ice cream at the side. The crisp filo pastry wrap was a great idea, tucked with substantial amount of raisins and sauteed apple bits inside.
Overall Rating: 6/10. I had a feast devouring on some authentic Italian dishes that afternoon. My top picks would be the Mushroom Soup, Aglio Olio with Grilled Tiger Prawns and the unforgettable Apple Strudel. However, I figured some dishes may need to be localized to fit the Malaysian tastebuds - we are quite a picky bunch. I would definitely return for the sweet stuff - nothing beats a delectable serving of Italian desserts. On that note, the space is also open to private events and they're also in the midst of preparing for an upcoming wine tasting event in the weeks to come.
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