This street is steaming up; opening next door to Bistro a Table at Section 17, Verona Trattoria is stirring up a taste of Italy to complement its neighbor's French sensibilities.
Expect the basics here _ simple pastas, pizzas & no-frills fare. If some of the food feels familiar, that could be because Chef Enzo Dente of SS2's Buonasera is Verona Trattoria's consultant chef. Prices are democratically affordable; nearly every dish here costs below RM30.
Potato gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce is a surefire stomach-stuffer; it seems slightly too stodgy, but that describes nearly every gnocchi in KL.
Risotto with beef bacon & pecorino cheese (that's what the menu says). Errmm, what cheese? Still, if you must have carbs, this is far more fun & flavorsome than porridge.
Spinach & cheese ravioli. Insidiously rich & creamy, ensuring that we'll never be able to fit into our mothballed, size-28 jeans anytime soon. Or even 30, at this rate.
Speaking of Bistro a Table, head there this month to sample mind-blowing desserts like this mangosteen pavlova. Ripe morsels of our favorite fruit, resting in a child's sweet fantasy of cotton-candy-sticky meringue accented by Chantilly cream & kaffir-infused candied cucumber.
Profiteroles with Gula Melaka, pandan cream & cracked pink peppercorn. If only the French had colonized Malacca _ instead of the Portuguese or the Dutch _ this might have been something we could have savored all our lives, instead of waiting for chef Isadora Chai to create it only now.
Verona Trattoria @ Section 17,
Jalan 17/54, Petaling Jaya.
Closed Tuesdays.
Hehe I need to head to Bistro a Table soon. Lol can't believe I've not been yet. :(
ReplyDeleteBtw, this place doesn't look like the trattorias we've dined in at Venice. Too modern! :P
Baby Sumo: ya, i agree that some malaysian restaurants use the name 'trattoria' a bit too freely! but i guess it's a cool word that sounds nice, heh :D
ReplyDeleteYeah, I still haven't gone to Bistro a Table. :(
ReplyDeleteBangsar-babe: ouh, maybe you could head there for your next special occasion (though call to make a reservation, of course; it's closed on mondays) =)
ReplyDeleteThe sweets at Bistro look like mind-blowing stuff! Who needs to be confined by clothing sizes?! Not me! :-D
ReplyDeleteCK loved the mangosteen pavlova whilst I was raving about the profiteroles. And our guest Dr. Mouse fell in love with Chef Isadora's Ode to Newton. Perfect desserts. :)
ReplyDeleteOh you just remind me to continue edit my photosof Bistro A Table.... :P
ReplyDeleteWe tried both the profiteroles and mangosteen pavlova, yummy, yummy!
You blogged last night after our dinner?!! Wow.. mister zippy! My fotos still in camera! hahaha
ReplyDeleteDo you seriously still fit in size 28/30 jeans with all this eating you're doing?!?
ReplyDeleteI used to wear size 30's 10 years ago, I've had to change jeans 3 times since then cos I couldn't fit into the old ones anymore :D
OMG! Mangosteen pavlova - what a combo! and... gnocchi with gorgonzola... :-) Yum!
ReplyDeleteOMG!! Yummmmmmy! Hahaha I'm hungryyy like crazyyy right now. I haven't had cheesy pasta for a long while now. Now I want it badly!
ReplyDeleteHmm btw, the white table cloth doesn't seem to match the theme. It's sort of too simple...
If the Portuguese didn't colonize Melaka we wouldn't have other wonderful food like Devil's Curry! So let's not try to rewrite history..haha. I've seen gula melaka in crepe cake..and now in profiteroles. Wonder what's next? =D
ReplyDeleteCan tell you're totally gobsmacked by CHEF ISADORA! mwuahahaha :P cute la u..
ReplyDeleteMin: i'm still holding on to my old clothes, holding on to hope that scientists will someday invent a safe, metabolism-accelerating pill that will return me to my mid-20s glory days! heheh =)
ReplyDeleteKenny: a triumvirate of triumphant desserts! but i fear the mangosteen pavlova might vanish from the menu soon though, if it hasn't already! =)
CK: ya, i can't wait to see what kind of fruit pavlova will be served next time! so far, they've had dragonfruit pavlova, pakistani mango pavlova & mangosteen pavlova! :D
ReplyDeleteCiki: heheh, it was easy! i had a few photos of bistro a table's desserts left over from a previous dinner recently, so i just combined those with verona trattoria's pastas & risotto :D
Timing: heheh, i used to be a size 28 about five years ago. now i've increased sizes a few times already too! it's the curse of aging!!! :D
ReplyDeleteThe Yum List: yeah, mouthwatering, definitely! i usually try to order gnocchi whenever i see it on any menu, but it's tricky to get a really satisfying one =)
Rad: heh, i hope you have a nice neighborhood eatery near your place that serves cheesy pastas! :D but ya, you're right, the decor here could be improved. i like the paintings though. it gives the place an art gallery feel :D
Adam: ya, that's true! or maybe i could wish that the portuguese had colonized malacca for 50 years, followed by the french for 50 years, heheh :D gula melaka in a savory dish might be interesting. gula melaka with roast chicken maybe? =)
ReplyDeleteCiki: enchanted by her culinary magic, i'd say! spellbound, definitely :D
hmmmm another place with the word "trattoria".
ReplyDeleteThe ravioli looks good & beautifully compact. Picture makes it look like a sure droller to me since I have a weak spot for raviolis.
Missyblurkit: heh, yeah, it makes me remember trattoria il porcellino at menara hap seng :D i like ravioli too, though i think i'd prefer a meatier stuffing to add some bite & give the dish more texture =)
ReplyDeleteOh and I don't know if I can always eat clean with no drop or spill when eating pasta so the white cloth would catch the details ;p
ReplyDeleteOh, it's quite easy around where I live. I mean 600 meters away from here is a Pizza Hut ;p
Maybe I should go there soon then!
You're inspiring! :p
Patterned wall papers would look even more perfect for the restaurant, anyway :p
ReplyDeleteOmgosh I have so many complaints!!! Sorry hehe
UNFORTUNATELY, bistro a table is open only for dinners. sulk sulk sulk.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a New Year filled with bright new beginnings. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteRad: heh, i hope they wash the tablecloth after every meal :D the nearest pizza hut from my office is also about 500 meters away. but i'd just phone them for delivery instead =)
ReplyDeleteMichelle: heheh, the food deserves a long, leisurely evening spent at the restaurant! :D
Babe_kl: thanks! best wishes too to you, capt hook & boi boi! =)
Oh... That's not fair. I should consider moving my house closer to the pizza hut then :p hehe
ReplyDeleteMangosteen pavlova!
ReplyDeleteU must be so happy to see one of your fav fruits right??
Another fav is ciku right?
Rad: ooo, I think between KFC & Pizza Hut, i'd prefer kentucky fried chicken closer to me, heheh :D
ReplyDeleteRebecca: hey, you're right! I hope there'll be a ciku pavlova someday! Though I think ciku season is only in the middle of the year, hmmm...
but u missed out so many dishes! from Verona i mean...
ReplyDeleteCiki: heheh, saving them for another entry! next year, next year :D
ReplyDeleteOOh look at that Ravioli! Absolutely bursting with fillings.. Exactly what I would order if I'm there. hehe
ReplyDeleteIamthewitch: heheh, we almost didn't order the ravioli. but i'm really glad that we did in the end! :D
ReplyDeleteIf the french had colonized Malacca (and Malaysia by that matter) you would be like, lets say, Cambodia, Laos, etc...I don't think it is a great trade off just for some fancy deserts. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteHugo: heh, you're right there. yeah, it was just a throwaway, light-hearted thought :D
ReplyDeleteI see your point man, just putting it in perspective. Cheers and Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteHugo: yeps, no worries =) thanks, here's wishing u a good 2012 :D
ReplyDeleteYou can get a discount at this restauarnt during the week if you order anything on the a la carte food menu (excludes drinks).Basically you need a RedCard emmbership, there are free ones available on the website www.redcard.my
ReplyDelete