Back to Nero Nero for lunch today, with a visiting cousin from Hong Kong. This place has been working very hard to cement its reputation as the go-to place for Italian fare in Penang at the moment.
Our lunch consisted of:
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.
π½πͺπ§π§ππ©π β whole burrata from Puglia, served on a bed of basil-marinated cherry tomatoes, crumbled bread, arugula leaves and extra-virgin olive oil. Best burrata in town: very creamy.
πππ£π―ππ§π€π©π©π ππͺππ‘πππ¨π β deep-fried mini-calzone, filled with buffalo mozzarella, tomato sauce & basil, served on a base of pureed bell peppers and almond sauce. These little morsels of deliciousness were almost singularly the reason why I kept coming back to this place again and again. Very addictive.
ππππ‘ππ€π‘ππ£π ππ‘ πππ§π©πͺππ€ β tagliolini pasta in truffle-cream sauce, topped with pecorino cheese.
ππ©π§πππ€π©π©π€ ππ πΌππ£ππ‘π‘π€ β lamb shank, cooked for 24 hours in Chianti wine, served atop creamy polenta, vegetable caponata and rosemary jus.
πΏππ£π©πππ ππ‘π‘π πππππ©ππ§π§ππ£ππ β pan-seared red snapper, finished with gremolata oil (garlic oil & parsley), served with green peas puree, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and caramelized nuts.
πππ―π―π πΏπππ«π€π‘π β pizza with tomato sauce, chili, mozzarella and beef salami.
πππ§ππ’ππ¨πͺ β Savoiardi in espresso-coffee liquor, mascarpone, egg yolk and cocoa powder.
Honestly, we donβt really get very good tiramisu in Penang, or anywhere in Malaysia, for that matter. There was a good one, once upon a time, at the now-defunct Fatto A Mano, a casual Italian eatery in Bangsar (Kuala Lumpur) conceptualised by Riccardo Ferrarotti for owner, Christophe Chatron-Michaud whoβs Franco-Italian.
Interestingly, Riccardo Ferrarottiβs Penang outpost, Bottega, is the closest competitor to Nero Nero for the title of Best Italian in Penang at the moment.
