Dinner at Bella Italia

Long , long time ago , there was this Italian who asked me if I had any favourite Italian dishes .

Naive as I was , I mentioned Pizza Hut . He roared so loud with laughter and then proceeded to admonish and correct me very gently that Pizza Hut was Americano then in the next breath , insisted that I when I had the means , I had to go visit Italy one day ( which I did eventually ) , as they had the best food in the world . 

Sardinia was mentioned but I never got round to doing that as I am and always will prefer the megacity loop. 

One day maybe I will get round to doing just that .

Anyway , it took the last trip for me to finally "get it" .

That real Italian cooking is indeed delicious , not plain or odd .

After learning how to appreciate their cuisine , that in itself presents another problem . I am no gazillionaire so thank gawd there are expats who can whip up something close to that, near my tramping ground .

In that retrospect , I find myself growing more and more fond of what is dished out at Bella Italia down in Bellisa Row , the reason for this post .

Tonight is the first time we're enjoying dinner here and I notice that there is at least one diner who took pains to dress up .

We ask for the customary pizza . Not the usual Quatro but a Pepperoni pizza this time . The base is so scrumptious I find myself slowly turning my nose up at American pizzas nowadays .

Because he was more in the mood for something different , we did exactly that and ordered an Antipasto .

Buttery button mushrooms , lightly smoked generous slices of salmon wrapped around lettuce with a wedge of lemon dangling on top , two very fresh and juicy mussels baked in cheese and mouthwatering tomato paste , ham , baked eggplant layers , more vegies and chicken ....I tell you what , if you love their Quatro Pizza as much as I do , this is like having part of it on a plate . 

Delightful sample pieces yet won't burn a big hole in your pocket .

Grilled tenderloin steak ...

I cannot recall the looooong name in Italian , just know that it is served together with a garlicky tomato and achovy paste on the side , with enough milk in the  mashed potatoes to throw any diet out the front door .

Don't sneer at this . Apparently le hubs says that this is a rare treat as it entails a longer cooking time .

Judging from the sear lines , he's adamant that they are using an electric grill which is more expensive and so time consuming , you probably won't get this elsewhere as most restaurateurs prefer to use the quicker pan method as opposed to this . So in a way , it speaks of the owner's personal preference as well as his love affair with food . Which benefits the diner . Win win either way .

It has the appearance of being wrapped tight in string , baked then broiled . 

Took longer to appear but the result is quite different , the emphasis is not on the taste of the marinade but the quality and light marbling of the meat .

Recommended for steak lovers who want their beef to taste like beef . The garlicky tomato paste with anchovies on the side gets more addictive the more you eat . Paired with the mash , the taste proved to be quite an awakening.  

With a dedicated post this long , needless to say , we savoured every bite .

Tip : if you have never eaten here before , it could take some adjustment on your part before you agree with me .

Location : Bellisa Row , Penang