Urbano e Fresco @ Publika, K.L.

We got another new kid on the block. He is Italian and you can call him Urbano e Fresco. You might get charmed by his Italian accent with all the pizza, salad, panini and pasta. 

The decor was clean and stylish. 

This is such a creative idea

Chili Chili 

The meal started off with some bread served with extra virgin oil and balsamic vinegar. Both condiments were glossy and rich.

Imported balsamic vinegar and extra virgin oil from Italy. 

Cabo San Lucas Salad (RM17.90) - Romaine lettuce tossed with prawn, avocado, cheery tomatoes, roasted onions, tomato salsa and dressed with balsamic vinegar. The prawns were huge and fresh, adding a nice crunch to the salad. 

Bruschetta (RM9.90) - Toasted baguette bread with extra virgin olive oil, fresh tomatoes, onions and basil leaves. The diced tomatoes were extremely juicy and sweet, surrounded by quality ingredients.

Acapulco Pizza (RM26.90) - Hand tossed pizza topped with chicken pepperoni, fresh chillies, jalapeños, marinated chicken breast, red onion and mixed capsicum. The edges of the crust were nice and crunchy, with a little bit of charring. 

Verdict: SOMEWHAT SMITTEN

Trattoria Il Porcellino @ Menara Hap Seng

If you are a pasta fanatic crisscrossing town in search of the finest pasta in a non-halal way, beeline to Trattoria Il Porcellino, where Manager Edbardo Guerrrni and Executive Chef Olivari Vlanni have set up their latest camp at Menara Hap Seng. Located on the ground floor, next to Starbuck Coffee, Trattoria truly live up to its name as an informal restaurant serving simple Italian food with an emphasis on boar.

The bread did well beside a plate of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Prosciutto e Melone (RM28) - Parma ham served with fresh melon and toasted bread. Fresh parma were delicious in their minimalism. 

Rigatoni Bologenese (RM32) with minced beef and pork. This pasta captured the restaurant's prowess with rustic flavors. Just when we thought we were done with pastas, along came Trattoria Il Porcelliono. 

Tortellini Panna e Prosciutto (RM29) - Home made pasta stuffed with pork and chicken in creamy cooked ham sauce. The flavorful sauce added depth to the dense packets.

Chocolate Vodka (F.O.C) - The crisp flavor of the vodka paired effortlessly with the creamy chocolate.

 This is our current go-to place for delicious non-halal  pasta. Trattoria also offers lunch set menus that ranges between RM29 - RM35 : a choice of main, salad and free refill of soft drinks. *oink oink*

Verdict: TOTALLY SMITTEN

Emmy's Spaghetti Shack @ San Francisco

Emmy knows its all. She cooks, she dances and she loves her shack. For the past 10 years, Emmy's Spaghetti Shack has been attracting a steady stream of diners with its simple but perfected menu. This girl power restaurant is located off Mission Street on the border of Bernal Heights. It is a comfortable little place that fits right into the neighborhood. It is also possibly the best hidden restaurant in San Francisco. 

This dark dive restaurant had a rather interesting decor with aprons and t-shirts strung across the bar.

Walls are decorated with corrugated metal, splashed with colorful stickers.

Owners Jay Foster and Emily Kaplan had created a seasonal menu that will tantalized your taste buds.

The decor was fabulously eclectic

Hand written menus with no two that look alike. - Chic -

Spaghetti Meatballs (US$12.95) served with house marinara and parsley. The marinara was on the tangier side but it went perfectly well with the homestyle meatballs. Not to mention, the meatballs were ginormous - bigger than a ping pong ball! It was indeed big and beautiful.

Spaghetti maybe Emmy's specialty but this Panko encrusted pan seared cod fish with lemon caper butter sauce, roast leek and potatoes (US$17.50) is something you gotta try! Crusted fish coupled with the flavorful sauce was heavenly delicious. 

Fettucine with spicy Italian sausage, roasted cauliflower in a Parmesan cream sauce topped with herb bread crumbs (US$15.95). The cauliflower and spicy sausages helped to balanced the richness of the Parmesan cream sauce, while the bread crumbs added another spectrum of crunch to it. Bravo!

It may be called a shack but A Sexy Shack with Big Flavors!

Verdict: TOTALLY SMITTEN

Senja @ Saujana Resorts

Surroundings & Atmosphere – Nestled in the heart of The Saujana Hotel, this charming Italian restaurant only opens at night from 7pm to 1030pm. Senja’s interior white décor as well as outdoor patio overseeing the lake offers guests the finest dining experience around Subang area.

The Food – We ordered an antipasti which comprises Marinated Salmon, Anchovies and Seafood’s Salads (RM45), a Vegetables Soup for my dad (RM28), Pizza Primavera (RM38), Pizza Quattro Stagioni (RM49), Fillet of Seabass for mum (RM72), Beef Tenderloin (RM85) and Pave of Salmon with Squid Ink Risotto for myself (RM85).

Menu – Senja menu is a blend of honest Italian cooking with a contemporary touch. Chef Giovanni takes pride in its authentic Italian menu as it prepare most of its food from scratch.

The freshly baked bread was delicious, thanks it textured and appetizing spread.

Honestly, I didn’t have a chance to taste this bowl of soup since my Dad slurped up the entire bowl within minutes.

Even though the Seafood Salad was fresh and not overcooked. I felt there was something missing, perhaps some additional herbs will do good to this dish.

The Smoked Salmon was pleasant - not too smoky and the quality of the meat was good. I wished I had a few more pieces of these yummy fish.

The briny Anchovies was sharp and pungent. Just look at the colors of the anchovies skins.

This dish was a piece of art. The red pepper puree lifted the dullness of the fish and added a unique twist to it. The Seabass was not over cooked and the puree completed the dish by giving it a little zest.

The presentation of the food was superb, however the salmon was overcooked. Nevertheless, the Squid Ink Risotto was rich and tasty.

The Beef was tender and juicy, however I didn't quite like the milky taste.

Since I'm lactose intolerant, I won't be able to comment on these two beautiful pizza.

Overall – I always enjoy dining at Senja since it is so close by my house. The food is good but slightly overpriced. Honestly, I wouldn’t have come back here over and over again, if it wasn’t for my Saujana card.

Verdict - SOMEWHAT SMITTEN