Pietro

While big crowds was heading to the city to watch the annual F1 Grand Prix, we headed to the opposite direction for an Italian restaurant in the North area.
Pietro is a casual dining restaurant opened by a Chinese chef. Although not located at the most accessible street, the place was at least half full on this particular Sunday evening, which I took as a good sign. The menu was quite extensive, with more than a dozen dishes recommended as chef specials written on a blackboard on the wall.
While we were still deciding what to have, our complimentary bread was already brought to the table. By the time we finished placing the order and started digging in, the bread was already half cold. Instead of olive oil or butter, it was served with a creamy dipping sauce, which strangely reminded me of canned mushroom soup. The bread itself was sliced unusually thin and its taste (or the lack of it) and texture quite resembled cardboard paper. If it is true that you can judge the culinary standard of a restaurant by their bread, then my expectation for the meal to follow had definitely been lower.

I have never been a fan of lobster bisque. There is something in the combination of the thick liquid and its flavours that I find nauseating.  And my opinion remained unchanged after trying Pietro's creation, which was slightly lighter on with consistency and flavours.

The Pizza Romana was served next. The thin base was covered with tomato sauce, ham, slivers of mushrooms, melted mozzarella and chopped parsley. It was claimed to be baked in a wood fire oven. There was nothing about the dish in which I could find fault, or to praise really. The crust was baked just enough to crisp up without being burnt but it lacked the smokiness produced from a wood fire oven.

The ravioli with seabass and scallop in seafood sauce was one of the chef's specials. It was not for this dish I would not think it was worth the journey to come here at all. The tender seabass was wrapped in pasta sheet cooked perfectly to al dente, which was served in a creamy tomato-based sauce containing slices of scallop (so small it was almost unnoticeable) and tiny flakes of chilli. The pillows of pasta was flavourful and the sauce was rich and creamy, with sweetness from the seafood and a mild kick from the chilli. It was a much better job than the pizza. 

Attention to details does not seem to be the forte of the owner of Pietro. None of the serving plates was warmed up. The pizza was cut off centre to present slices of different sizes and shapes. A picture of the Eiffel Tower was hung on the wall in a restaurant serving Italian cuisine. The dishes lacked a sense of genuinity and pride that would have to originate from an Italian chef cooking food from his home country. 

Given the affordable pricing range and the wide variety of main course, Pietro may just survive as a family style restaurant. 

Pietro

12 Jalan Kelulut