Lunch @ Gianni’s Trattoria Restaurant & Cafe, Johor Bahru

It has been a long 2 months and I am finally going for my KL getaway! Yeah! The very first food stop for my getaway is Gianni’s Trattoria in Johor Bahru (JB). Had not expected to make this stop as in my mind, I was actually expecting really cheap hawker food, not fine Italian food!

I had eaten at Gianni’s a couple of times but have never been there for lunch. My friend mentioned that Gianni’s has some value for money set lunch during weekdays and hence we headed to check it out.

The set lunch menu is displayed at the door only. So if you are interested to know what is available, please check out the chalkboard before going in as there is no printout of the set lunch menu. Basically, you can choose your main from a fish, pasta or pizza. The meal comes with a soup and drink and it costs only RM25++. What value for money!  The main course itself is worth more than that when ordered ala carte!

Shot of part of the interior. We always seem to sit at the same place every time we go. Can you spot the oven in the picture? The restaurant was empty during lunch except for a table of korean ladies having their lunch. Perhaps it was due to the fact that there were not many offices around this area and most of the patrons only visit during dinner to pamper themselves after a long day at work.

Once the orders were taken, we were served some house bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip.

Closeup of the house bread.  Though not warm, the bread (we guessed it was focaccia) smelled great and goes well with the dip. Helps to satisfy those empty stomach while the chef prepare our food.

The set lunch menu comes with Ginger Iced Lemon Tea but my dining companions requested for a change to Iced Lemon Tea  while I kept to the original order as I was curious how ginger will go with iced lemon tea. When it was served, we were puzzled as to how the waiter can tell them apart. After much comparison, we deduced it was due to colour and the sediments in the ginger iced lemon tea.

My Ginger Iced Lemon Tea.  The colour is much darker and it is really a huge glass. The taste of the ginger in the iced lemon tea does not hit you immediately. It comes as an after taste and gets more spicy with each sip. I guess the normal iced lemon tea or a latte would go better with the meal.

The Pumpkin Soup was served right after the drinks were put on our table. Looks great with a dollop of cream and a drizzle of oil.

My “oil art” as I attempt to taste what exactly it was. I guess it was olive oil? The pumpkin soup was not as thick as those that I have tasted before. It is more fluid and there were bits of bacon in it. I did not really like the taste of the cream in the soup though hence did not stir all of it in.

My friend’s order of Pizza Diavola came first. The pizza arrived faster today as there was a takeaway order of more than 20 pizzas. Much easier to make one more pizza since the chef is already working on the dough and the oven is properly fired up.

 Side view of the thin crust. The pizzas here is a must eat when you visit.

Next came the Pasta – Farfalle Salmon Aglio Olio Style . The pasta is made into nice bows and looks too pretty to eat. ;P

There is a very generous portion of salmon buried under the pasta.

Closeup of the Salmon and Farfalle. Lovely dish with the pasta cooked al dente and not feeling oily at all.

Top view of my Main Course – Red Snapper with Spinach in Balsamic Reduction. Lovely presentation.

Side view of my Red Snapper with Spinach in Balsamic Reduction. Loved this dish! The fish is fresh and the spinach is cooked so well that it melts in your mouth! The sauce tasted buttery rich and compliments the fish perfectly. Yum!

I would say the Gianni’s set lunch is really really value for money and do visit if you happen to get a day off during the weekday. You will not regret it! 🙂

 

Gianni’s Trattoria Restaurant and Cafe
110, Jalan Serampang,
Taman Pelangi,
80400 Johor Bahru, Johor
Tel: +6073312230

 

 

Photos taken with Nikon D50 and Sony Ericsson C905