ITALIANO’S,
Jalan SS2/75,
47300 Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-7873 9695
Business hours: 11.30am to 3.00pm
and 6.00pm to 10.30pm daily.
IT WAS only natural for Adis Smajtic to develop an interest in cooking — growing up with his father who was a chef.
“My father worked as a chef and I also enjoyed cooking. I started working in a kitchen when I was 16. One of the first things that I learned from my father was to make pizza and I still use his recipe to this day,” said the 26-year-old, who goes by the name Ady.
Ady, the co-owner and chef at the Italiano’s restaurant in SS2, Petaling Jaya, said that he and his partner were running an restaurant at Kelab Golf Negara Subang and when the opportunity came about, they decided to take over one of the oldest Italian restaurants in SS2.
“We made minor changes to the interior to brighten it up but we’re maintaining it as a family restaurant. Many of the regular customers still come here,” said Ady, who specialises in Western cooking.
He said the restaurant was known for serving the best mushroom soup and many of their customers came there for the soup.
For starters, he recommended the Smoked Salmon Salad and the Stuffed Mushroom Caps.
The salad was a light starter with strips of smoked salmon tossed in, while the mushrooms were stuffed with turkey ham and mozzarella cheese.
Light and tasty: The Smoked Salmon Salad can be ordered as a light dish for the health-conscious.
They also had a selection of pastas like the Pasta with Homemade Meatballs cooked in tomato sauce.
“We have a choice of either beef or chicken meatballs that is homemade with minced meat and other ingredients like onions and herbs,” said Ady.
Naturally, he also said the pizzas in Italiano’s had a difference — a trade which he learnt from his father.
“What’s different with our pizzas is that we make the dough fresh in the restaurant instead of using frozen ones,” he said.
He said another of their best-sellers was the Braised Lamb Shank, which was cooked in pizziola sauce and served with a side salad, mashed potatoes and vegetables.
“The sauce has black olives and fresh rosemary herbs. What is special about our lamb shanks is that we marinate it a day before.
Sweet specialty: The tiramisu is a best-seller at Italiano’s and is also available by the tray
“We grill the lamb before braising it so that the flavour is sealed inside the meat,” he explained.
Those who preferred meat dishes could try the Hickory Beef Fillet and Shrimps or the Roasted Half Chicken, among others.
“For dessert, our speciality is the Tiramisu and we even sell them by the tray.
“Some of our customers would order them for their functions,” he said.
There are also lunch sets priced between RM10.90 and RM16.90 and those who order the sets can purchase items like coffee, tea, garlic bread or tiramisu at special prices.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
