KEN HUNTS FOOD: Eataliano @ Burmah Road, Pulau Tikus, Penang.

Monday, November 30, 2015

Eataliano @ Burmah Road, Pulau Tikus, Penang.

With a name like Eataliano, one can expect to see an Italian-inspired menu; Eataliano is one of the newest Italian-influenced cafe on the scene but their menu is small... featuring a range of Italian standards in the Pasta, Panini (Sandwich) and some Antipasti categories. The decor is casual but modern with traits of urban industrial design, even more inviting with the earth tones and natural lights flooding in from the large glasses allowing diners to have a clear view on the bustling Burmah Road. If you prefer your dining space to be more outdoorsy, take the flight of stairs to the second floor; there are a few tables available at the balcony which offers a better city view facing Gurney Drive/ Cantonment Road. The place is simple but the menu is seriously worth a look. Find Eataliano aturmah Road, a prominent corner lot at the junction of Burmah Road and Cantonment Road, Pulau Tikus.

We were up for a dinner event so we did not want to flood our tummy with heavy elements... hence we decided to try their Beef Meatball Ragu (Rm 12), one of the two Antipasti items available. The seemingly simple dish was not only complex with layers of flavors but they excelled in the texture of the Meatballs either. It appeared that the sharing can be awkward... with only 3 Meatballs but 4 slices of Buttered Garlic Toast (Baguette); it did not really matter to us as the thick Tomato-based Sauce was lip-smacking. It has apparent Tomato-flavor with a sleek sweetness and beautifully enhanced with a handful of Herbs and a touch of Cheese. The Meatballs were huge in size and absolutely succulent with strong Beefy note. However, the dish was impeccable... we thought they may want to tone down the salinity, the combination of the Buttered Garlic Toast and Meatballs was on the salty side, not too sure if they are aware of the existence of unsalted Butter?

Their small dessert menu downright is irresistible but we did not have much tummy space left so we settled for their Salted Caramel Waffle (Rm 13). The presentation paints a delicious picture with a slab of freshly-made Waffle with crispy edges and fluffy middle was served with a dollop of Vanilla Ice Cream, finished with a mayhem of Caramel Crumbles and lashings Salted Caramel as well as Chocolate Syrup. The Waffle did not disappoint, it has the quintessential crispy edges and fluffiness; we thought the idea of including the Crumbles was brilliant but we'd prefer smaller bits instead of huge chunks. Do not bother about the ersatz Ice Cream... not worthy to take up the calorie count. The sweet dish has potential but probably some fine-tuning to reduce the sweetness.... some acidity or tartness to counterbalance the richness and sugar will be great.