Saturday 14 November 2015

MARKUS: Modern Italian Cuisine (with some healthy fine dining tips!)

Hello people!
It's weekend! It's time to nourish your body and soul with nice food. (slurp~slurp~)
I am excited to share with you a delicious Modern Italian Cuisine in Penang!
(I had a short hair cut before this, gonna share later! XP)
My first fine dining experience was honourly taken by this elegant yet delicious Italian Restaurant.


How can you resist these attractive yet yummy food?
Follow me, I will show you more...

Here it is, Markus Restaurant: Modern Italian Cuisine.


As a consumer, I would say they are very consumer-oriented.
Showing their menu at entrance to ensure consumers are well-informed with their signature dishes.
Well, I am a person who like to make my own choices, that is very helpful for me to plan my meal.

A cozy environment with soft lighting and elegant interior design.

Don't forget to get a namecard and share with your friends.

A machine that meant to serve wine in glasses.

Italian style dining tables.

Attentive service experience.

I like this art pieces on the wall, this reminds me of Norway.

6 steps of wine tasting, do you know this?
See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip, Swish and Swallow 

Every tables will be served with Sparkling Water. 
I am not a fans of Sparkling water since my first experience in Norway. It seems to be a very common water for westerners.

Now, let's see what we wanted for the night.

This is a seasonal menu by the restaurant.
According to the owner and chef, they may change the menu every 2-3 weeks, depends on the availability of ingredients.

After reading through the menu, we had decided to get the advice from the owner.
Ops, I looked so desperate for their food. XP
Too many good foods to choose from, it's really hard to make a decision sometimes.
You could also get them to recommend you their signature dishes.

Flat oven-baked Italian focaccia bread
Our first appetizer was served with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Crunchy, sweet with a little sour.

Fresh Air-flown Atlantic Galway, Kelly Oyster
I'm not an oyster person because I'm afraid of the fishy odor.
Surprisingly, it did not give me much fishy smell, but a sweetness after taste because it's very fresh.
In fact, by squeezing some lemon juice and Tobacco sauce, it enhanced its freshness and became more flavourful.
Since raw oyster is not bacteria-free, lemon juice would help to reduce the bacteria activity by lowering down the pH, making it safer to consume too.
Oysters are generally low in calories: 3 oz(about 85 grams) of oysters gives about 69 kcal. 
It's considerably low in fat and cholesterol but a rich source of iron and zinc.
Iron plays important role in blood production, while zinc is very essential for normal taste perception, wound healing, sperm production and fetal development (pregnancy).
*Fresh oyster is not advisable for people with liver disease and weakened immune system.

Here comes my favourite alcoholic beverage, wine.
How could we not get wine for fine dining? XD
Alcohol may help to protect people from oyster-borne illness at certain extent, but not 100% guarantee.
This was a house wine recommended by the owner as well.
Note: A glass of wine for women a day and two for men are beneficial for heart health. 
It would help to increase HDL cholesterol, which helps in lowering total cholesterol.
But, also be aware of its calorie. So, moderation is the key here.

It tasted smooth, sweet with a little bit bitter after taste.
I really enjoyed their wine, you know from my face expression, don't you? XP

Zuppetta Di Zucca Tartufata, RM20
Pumpkin Veloute with saute Wild Mushroom topped with Crispy Truffle Parmesan
I enjoyed their pumpkin soup, it's really smooth, rich and flavoursome.
A combination with wild mushroom and Parmesan cheese, making a complete plate of carbohydrates, protein and vegetables.

Now, I'm going to show you a magic show. XD
Step 1: Insert fine herbs into the tea pot (I named it).
Step 2: Pour the cream with milk to infuse the herbs.
Step 3: Add in lobster bisque
Step 4: Pour the mixture into the plate served with lobster.
Zuppa Di Aragosta, RM39
Italian-style Lobster Bisque, deglazed with Brandy, served with Lobster Meat, infused with Fines Herbes
Lobster, a seafood that serves about 80 kcal in 3 oz (about 85 gram)
Generally, lobster is also low in fat, but considerably high in cholesterol.
People with heart disease and high cholesterol are not advisable to overeat.

Prosciutto Di Parma Con Melone, RM29
Finest Italian Parma Ham to pair with Melon
Raw finest Italian Parma Ham (pork) with fresh melon, salty and sweet, very savory.
The sweetness of melon work perfectly with salty Parma Ham that truly conquered my taste buds.
Do you know vitamin C in fruits would help to increase absorption of heme iron from animal source ?
Yes, it helps.
However, 1 slice of Parma Ham gives you about 65 kcal and is high in sodium.
Therefore, sharing this dish with your friends would be a great idea.
Sharing calorie is always a good idea. XD

This was how I wrapped it over.

Yummy!

Cold Angel Hair with Japanese Hokkaido SeaUrchin Topped with Lump Fish Caviar
Asian doesn't feel satisfy or full without noodle or rice, at least that's me XD.
This was a cold dish served. 
It was my first time eating Japanese Hokkaido SeaUrchin.
Honestly, it's not a common taste in our food, but worth to try.
Never try, never know.
It tasted a bit bitter to me, but it went well with the caviar and angel hair.

Insalata Di Spinach, RM28
Imported Spinach Leaves mixed with Crispy Parma Ham, dried Cranberries & Pine nuts dressed in Red Wine Reduction
How can we forget about vegetables for our dinner?
Here it came: Insalata Di Spinach!
The leaves were crunchy and very fresh.
The addition of cranberries and pine nuts increased its sweetness and crunchiness. 
Don't forget fiber from plant helps to reduce cholesterol and weight as well as to ensure excellent bowel health. 

Australian Lamb Tenderloin with Caponata, Mint Jelly & Red Wine Reduction
Our next dish was Australian Lamb Tenderloin!
I rarely eat lamb, because I'm afraid of the strong game smell.
But this was at my bearable range, not too strong of game smell yet very delicate.
Caponata (a dish of mixed vegetables and herbs), Mint Jelly and Red Wine Reduction reduced its game smell and enhanced its taste.
Lamb is also considered as red meat that generally contain high in cholesterol and saturated fat.
So, moderate consumption with regular exercise would enable you to consume it without much concerns.

Anatra Con Purea Di Patate E Zucchine, RM63
Modern Smoked Duck Breast, served with Sweet Mash Puree, Green Zucchini, dehydrated Raspberry Chips
Our last dish before dessert was this, smoked duck meat.
Special, isn't it? Let's see how it was made..
Ta da~~ It was another magic show by the Executive Chef, Markus Lee.

The smoked duck was then garnished with Sweet Mash Puree made from sweet potato, as well as baby carrot, dehydrated Raspberries chips and Zucchini. 
Duck meat did not taste very salty, but the garnishing ingredients provided a bonus point in term of nutrients and deliciousness. 
Duck meat contains considerably high in cholesterol, saturated fat and uric acid. 
Oh my god, then you can't eat? No, I didn't say that. 
Everything should be consumed moderately.
Perhaps, 1 or 2 pieces would be just nice for people who have those concerns.  

Cioccolato, RM26
Molten Valrhana Guanaja Chocolate Lava Cake with Vanilla Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream
Chocolate lovers! You must not miss this! It's very rich in chocolate!
Of course, the Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream really caught our eyes, especially the ladies! (yummy!!!)
But, I'm not a chocolate lover XD. I only enjoyed a bit of the smooth Vanilla Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream.

Zabaione Al Marsala Wine E Frutti Di Bosco, RM23
Fresh Mix Berries with Marsala Wine Sabayon with a scoop of Summer Berry Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream
I personally like this so much, a dessert that incorporated wine, berries and ice cream!
I don't like dessert that is too sweet, but prefer some bitterness after taste.
This is one of my favourite desserts in Markus, absolutely luscious.
A must try item: sweet, sour with a bit of bitterness.

Affogato Al Caffe Con Gelato Vaniglia E Frangelico, RM28
Mini scoops of vanilla Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream Served with Italian Hazelnut Liqueur & Espresso Coffee
This is another delicious dessert that I would highly recommend, a must try dessert!
They mixed Italian Hazelnut Liqueur and Espresso Coffee into the ice cream.
It was sweet and bitter yet some nutty taste. 
It's my first choice of their dessert. XD Must try!

Tiramisu, RM25
Made with Amaretto Liqueur with Lady-Finger Biscuits, Valrhana Dark Chocolate Chips & Mascarpone Cream
Last dessert, my all time favourite -- Tiramisu.
Their Tiramisu was smooth, moist and not-over-sweet.
It melted as it touched my tongue.
You could imagine how moist and smooth it was.

Oh right, one more highlight here.
There's a secret garden at second floor!

WINE BAR!
You could choose to just enjoy your wine or liquor at second floor.
It'll be available from 18 Nov 2015 onward, don't forget to ring them for reservation ya!

They have plenty of wines in their storage.

Their temperature was pretty low to keep the wine in good quality.
I was shivering when snapping this photo. XP 
It was so cold~~~ And I wore sleeveless dress! oh my!

If you have a group of friends or on business meeting, you're most welcome to reserve their VIP room.
Their minimum order is RM150 per person, depending on types of event and budget allocation.

Cheered for the night!
People usually choose fine dining for some social gathering and special events.
There's some little tips for fine dining:
1. Bring more friends if you would like to try more dishes. Sharing is always so loving.
2. Always order at least a dish of vegetables. Their vegetables are fresh and superb!
3. Moderate consumption of wine, not drink to drunk. That would leaves you some unwanted effects.
4. Regular exercise could give your more calories allowance for your meals.
5. Eat to live, only then you'll be able to live to eat. 

That's a wonderful night spent with my lovely friends in a cozy, relaxed environment, served with luxurious food and attentive services.

Can't wait to experience it? 
Find them at:
Address: 37F, Jalan Cantonment, 10250 Pulau Tikus, Penang.
Operating hours: 12pm-2.30pm and 6pm-10.30pm, closed on Tuesday
Phone number: +604-2261443
Email: restaurant.markus@gmail.com



1 comment:

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