Hmmm…I don’t know about that. I eat almost everything and anything. On most weekday lunches when my lunches comprise steamed broccoli, cauliflower and kai lan, I’m a cow. Dinners are slightly more adventurous for me, but Italian cuisine seems to be my favourite; especially after a rough day.

Going to KL for Italian food is a nightmare on a weeknight. Porto Romano in Mon’t Kiara is less stressful and prices are friendly on my wallet. A plus point about this Mont Kiara outlet is that the place is quiet enough to have a decent conversation. rif and I shared the Porto Romano Salad (RM20), a colourful creation arranged in a large seashell. The vegetables were crisp and lightly accented by the tangy dressing. We enjoyed the mussels, squid rings and prawns; all fresh and succulent.

Moussaka is the Greek version of lasagna, and Porto Romano’s version (RM38) was just what I needed to drown my work sorrows. It came with plenty of minced lamb, aubergine, cheese and rich sauce – hearty and deliciously comforting. For smaller eaters, it’s best to share. I had trouble putting this away.

The Ravioli with Smoked Salmon Filling (RM28) wasn’t as impressive as we expected it to be. I didn’t quite taste the smoked flavour of the salmon as it was minced/shredded to tiny bits – such a shame, as I thought I was getting tiny slivers of salmon, not shreds. Also, the gravy tasted a tad bland.

Pizza Diavola was generously topped with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. Like the previous pizzas I’ve had here, this was good stuff. The pizza base was thin and crusty, yet held the copious toppings well. This tasted even better with dashes of Tabasco sauce.

Dessert was a letdown that night – we decided to try something different and ordered the Cassata. It looked as though barely any effort was put into its preparation. Tastewise, it was boring. We should have stuck to the tiramisu.

Ristorante Porto Romano
No. 28, Jalan Kiara
Banyan, Mon’t Kiara
50480 Kuala Lumpur
603 6207 8171