Porto Romano

A few weeks ago, I braved the traffic after work to meet up with my foodie friends to try out the new restaurant nestled at The Intermark ~ Porto Romano. They definitely not a newcomer in F & B industry as they already have 2 outlets at TTDI & Mont Kiara serving Albanian, Italian and Mediterranean cuisine.

This wall adorned with old classic movie posters greeted me once I step into the restaurant.

 

Bar counter with array of different wines & alcohols.

 

The cream colour wall, pristine white table cloth & soft lighting exuded a relaxing ambiance for dining.

 

Paintings & ornaments embellishing the restaurant.

 

Our dinner kicked start with the house wines of  Canepa’s Classico.

The Chilean wines ~ Red and White.

 

 

Porto Romano Salad (RM 24.00)

Presented in a giant seashell bowl consisted of fresh seafood such as mussels, prawns, clams & squids and also crisp vegetables in herbs, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil dressing.

 

Grilled Vegetables (RM 28.00)

A colouful platter of grilled bell peppers, tomato, aubergines and zucchini, dressed with balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and plenty of pungent chopped garlic.

Ox-Tail Soup (RM 29.00)

I sip and I was taken~~ Thick and intense with chunks of vegetables & the highlight definitely the braised till tender oxtail! Simply lip-smacking!

 

Porto Romano Seafood Soup (RM 24.00)

Combination of precious seafood and the tomato broth giving it a distinctive, appetizing & wholesome flavor that we just could not get enough.

 

Prawn Bisque (RM 16.00)

Velvety smooth prawn bisque was robust in flavors, each spoonful left a very strong aroma of the crustacean behind.

 

House made bread to go with our soups.

Spaghetti Puttanesca (RM 27.00)

Spaghetti cooked al-dente with mixture of Mediterranean anchovy fillets, capers, olives and aubergine in tomato base.  The aubergine was perfectly cooked without being too soft which still have a good texture to munch on.

 

Squid Ink Pasta (RM 35.00)

Fettuccine in mystical black – the squid ink pasta. Laden lavishly with squids definitely leads the savory taste to the overall bite.

 

Risotto Fruitti di Mare (RM 32.00)

The slightly chewy texture Italian Arborio short grain rice coated evenly with creamy and luscious white wine sauce, essence from the seafood nicely infused within too. Something that beguiles me into forgetting my disdain for my growing waistline >.<

 

Braised Lamb Shank (RM 38.00)

The gargantuan lamb shank was braised till tender in oven for hours then coated with appetizing tomato base sauce.

Moussaka (RM 38.00)

Sauteed eggplant, tomato, minced meat & ashed potato layered gratefully in the bowl then topped with cheese.

 

Char-Broiled Chicken Leg Spanish Style (RM 32.00)

With the most unpretentious looking, this chicken leg was meticulously char-broiled that was tender and bursting with flavor in every bite. The accompanied roasted potatoes & bell peppers were perfectly executed as well.

 

Pizza al Toro (RM 35.00)

Beef lover definitely will love this, copious topping of beef pepperoni, beef bacon, beef pastrami and cheese combine beautifully on thin crust base. Yummy~

 

Pizza Pesto & Chicken (RM 45.00)

Pesto sauce was used instead of the ordinary tomato sauce for this thin crusted pizza, fairly unique but the only gripe was the lean chicken meat was a tad too dry & bland.

 

Tiramisu (RM 15.00)

Well balanced taste of alcohol, coffee & cocoa. Creamy, soft & slightly bitter from the coffee, I’m not a coffee person & not too fancy about Tiramisu but I found myself had more than 2 scoops of it 😛

 

Torta di Mele-Apple Pie (RM 12.00)

Presented in the most artfully manner, the apple pie was wrapped like a parcel with phyllo pastry served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. In my humble opinion, the cinnamon flavor was a bit too overwhelming which I merely can taste the apple.

 

A perfect ending to the splendid dinner ~ The Caffe Vergnano.

Affogato

 

Espresso

 

Black Coffee

 

Latte

 

Verdict: This place definitely warrants a second and even third visit to further their menu. A place for rustic and hearty Mediterranean cuisines!

 

Ristorante Porto Romano