Metro

Friday May 30, 2008

Italian restaurant maintains authenticity with fresh ingredients

By TAN KARR WEI


FOR the past eight years, Allergro Cafe has been serving its regular customers platters of good Italian food amid a pleasant ambiance.

“We’re a family restaurant and some of our customers have been eating here since we opened and I've seen their kids grow. Food is very important but what makes the difference is the ambience and the personal touch. I want people to feel comfortable and relaxed,” said owner and chef Claudio Giovanni.

Heavenly: There is a variety of desserts to satisfy the sweet tooth like the panna cotta with caramel and strawberry sauce (left) or tiramisu with bitter cocoa powder.

The cosy restaurant in Subang Jaya is decorated with oil paintings and antique pieces.

“Everything here is from abroad. I travel a lot so I pick up various items along the way ,” he said.

He even updates the kind of music he plays at the restaurant every now and then.

Meeting Giovanni in person could be quite an experience in itself, as he greets customers with his witty remarks and trademarj cheeky grins.

Flavourful: The pizza dough is homemade and you can customise your pizza toppings.

Giovanni, who hails from Italy, does his best to preserve the authenticity of Italian food at Allegro.

“Not many have tasted original Italian food so it’s hard to tell the difference sometimes. For us, pastas are very important. I use fresh basil, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and peeled potatoes for the sauce,” said the 37-year old, who have acquired a slight Malaysian accent due to staying long here.

He takes pride in the fresh homemade pasta (which comes in the form of fettuccine, tagliatelle, cannelloni and lasagne skin) made with eggs, fine flour and semolina to get the al dente texture.

He recommended a cold platter of fresh oysters for starters, or Allegro's version of Caesar salad with homemade salad dressing made of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

There is a selection of pizzas to choose from or you can come up with your own selection of toppings.

Nothing but the best: Giovanni only uses chilled tenderloin for the steak as frozen meat is not as tender.

“We make the pizza dough ourselves. It has to be thin, crispy and firm,” he said.

Giovanni is particular about the choice of meats, preferring not to use frozen meats to prevent contamination when defrosting.

He only uses chilled tenderloin beef from Australia, resulting in a steak that is tender and flavourful.

Make sure to leave some space for dessert, as there are a few Italian sweets to choose from.

There are many versions of tiramisu in the market but the ones served at Allegro are made with layers of Italian sponge fingers dipped in espresso, covered with mascarpone cheese and dusted with bitter cocoa powder.

The zabaione leaves a distinctive taste in the mouth as you nibble on the slightly warm egg meringue flavoured with marsala wine that is served with cold vanilla ice-cream.

Giovanni makes the effort to find special ingredients for special occasions like Christmas or New Year, bringing in items like duck breast from France or venison from Australia.

He also prefers to go the extra mile by catering to customers’ requests.

“I’ve had regular customers call us in advance to ask for something different that’s not in the menu,” he said.

  • Allegro Cafe, 51A, Jalan SS 15/4 Subang Jaya. Tel: 03-5631 5682. Business hours: Mondays to Saturdays, 12.30pm to 3pm, 6pm to 11.30pm. Sundays, call restaurant for information. Reservations recommended on weekends and special occasions.

  • E-mail this story
  • Print this story

Source:

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Star Metro on Facebook Star Metro on Twitter