Dinner at George Townβs latest dining spot this evening: 2-day-old π‘π²πΏπΌ π‘π²πΏπΌ at 4, King Street. The nifty little bottega is an offshoot of Nero Nero in Damansara City, Kuala Lumpur, which was established back in 2017.
The new Penang branchβs kitchen is currently being temporarily run by KL-based Executive Chef Marco Petriacci.
We started off with some drinks: π½ππ‘π‘ππ£π (peach purΓ©e topped with ππ€π£π©ππ‘π«ππ£π ππ§π€π¨ππππ€), πΌπ₯ππ§π€π‘ ππ₯π§ππ©π― ( Prosecco, Aperol, and soda) and, for the teetotaler in our party, an orange-based mocktail.
Focaccia with pesto and tapenade were served as we browsed the menu. These were some of the best weβd had in town.
Our dinner spread this evening:
Antipasti
πππ£π―ππ§π€π©π©π ππͺππ‘πππ¨π - deep-fried mini-calzone, filled with mozzarella, tomato sauce and basil. Served on a base of bell peppers and almond sauce. The mini-calzones were light & crisp - we could have ordered seconds, but resisted the temptation.
πππ§π’πππππ£π ππ ππͺπππππ£π - oven-baked zucchini, layered with Mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano and tomato sauce. This was good, but not something we canβt cook at home ourselves. It needed something to elevate it beyond the ordinary.
ππ€π‘π₯ππ©π©π ππ‘ ππͺππ€ - deep-fried lamb balls in Arrabiatta sauce. Another well-executed dish, but which seemed to lack the βwowβ factor.
Primi
πππππ§π€π£ π§ππ¨π€π©π©π€ π¬ππ©π π¨ππͺπ¨πππ π’πππ©. I always loved risotto, and would eat it in whatever rendition that it came by. This was as good as any, but felt like another of those βI can cook this myselfβ dishes.
πππ«ππ€π‘π πππ‘ πππ¨π©π€π§π - ravioli stuffed with eggplant, sheep milk ricotta cheese & mint. Served with Arrabiatta sauce & with a scattering of arugula on top. This was another βokayβ rendition.
ππ§πππππππ©π©π ππ§πͺπ©π©π ππ πππ§π - ear-shaped pasta shells in seafood sauce, garnished with calamari, prawns, mussels and clams. This is perhaps the best amongst the primi dishes we ordered - the deep, flavorsome seafood broth gave the dish an addictive taste. the pasta was al dente and the seafood used were super-fresh.
Palate cleanser
πππ’π€π£πππ‘π‘π€ π¨π€π§πππ© π¬ππ©π ππ€π£π©ππ‘π«ππ£π ππ§π€π¨ππππ€ π¨π₯ππ§π π‘ππ£π π¬ππ£π
Secondi
πΏππ£π©πππ ππ‘π‘π πππππ©ππ§π§ππ£ππ - pan-seared red snapper, finished with gremolata oil (garlic oil, parsley), served with green pea purΓ©e, wilted spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and caramelized nuts. This dish was superb. Meryl Streepβs reaction when tasting the sole filet in βJulie & Juliaβ came to mind when I had my first taste of this dish. 
ππ©π§πππ€π©π©π€ ππ πΌππ£ππ‘π‘π€ - lamb shank, slow-cooked for 24 hours in Chianti, served atop polenta, with vegetable caponata & rosemary. The meat was literally βfall-off-the-boneβ tender. But I do wish the whole dish (and the all-important gravy) had a deeper, mellower flavor, though. Maybe itβs just Day Two of the new restaurantβs operation. Maybe the chef didnβt have a chance to let the cooked lamb shanks sit, and allowed their flavors to develop.
Desserts:
πππ£π£π πΎπ€π©π©π π¬ππ©π ππ©π§ππ¬πππ§π§πππ¨. This was nicely balanced - light yet creamy-rich at the same time.
ππ€π§π©ππ£π€ ππ‘ πππ§π©πͺππ€ - Belgian dark chocolate lava cake, with Sicilian pistachio ice-cream. Strictly for chocolate lovers, of which Iβm not.
πΎπ§ππ’π€π¨π€ ππ‘ π’ππ¨πππ§π₯π€π£π.
πππ§ππ’ππ¨πͺ - Savoiardi biscuits in espresso, mascarpone cheese, eggs, sugar, Marsala wine, rum and cocoa powder. Very good rendition.
Overall, a good meal with most of the dishes competently prepared.
There was one stand-out: the pan-seared red snapper was perfectly cooked - moist on the inside, lightly crisped on the outside. Donβt miss this one if you do make a visit to Nero Nero.
Nero Nero had a turbulent start in DC Mall in Kuala Lumpur back in 2017. The first Executive Chef was Carmine de Filippo who specialized in βCalifornia Italianβ cuisine. His tenure lasted just 3 months: Aug-Oct 2017. De Filippoβs replacement was Domenico Nicolino, who also lasted 3 months: from Nov 2017 to Feb 2018.
The talented Giuseppe Lioce then took over, and ran the kitchen from Jan 2018 to May 2020, and most of the dishes associated with Nero Nero stemmed from his watch. Lioce was succeeded by Diego Reali in May 2020. Chef Reali was then transferred over to Natalia (owned by the same parent company, Cinnamon Group) when the present Executive Chef, Marco Petracci, joined in Sep 2021.
Address
Nero Nero - Penang
4, Lebuh King (King Street), 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +6012-207 0794
Operating hours: 12 noon to 10.30pm daily
πΎππ§π₯πππππ€ ππ πππ£π―π€ β thinly-sliced raw beef, served with honey-lemon mustard, served with arugula leaves, Parmigiano-Reggiano & croutons, drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar.
