Modern, Chic And Fresh
~ Porto Bello ~
Porto Bello in Damansara Uptown hopes to take dining to the next level with a menu highlighting a fusion of international flavours. The menu, which features close to 40 dishes with an appealing fusion of flavours was introduced when the restaurant opened 6 months ago.
Despite having opened only last year, Porto Bello has already been getting rave reviews on the Internet for its savoury and delicious dishes that are not your run-of-the-mills standards.
Tucked in the bustling suburban vicinity of Damansara Uptown, the restaurant's cosy interior, friendly service and quality food have made it the neighbourhood's latest favourite hangout spot. The restaurant's concept is simple - modern, chic and fresh, in line with the type of food served. Porto Bello serves a menu encompassing Italian, French, Western and Asian cuisines.
With a comfortable seating capacity of 40 pax, Porto Bello offers a contemporary dining space with stylish sofa dining chairs and matching dark wood table. Attractive red masonry bricks wall with character and warm tones sets the mood for this stylish place, making it a charming and relaxing space for its diners.
Elegant dining table with cushioned chairs lends an air of sophistication to the restaurant
Diners are offered to have a snapshot of polaroid taken at Porto Bello and display on the bulletin broad for remembrance.
Homemade Wild Mushroom Soup
RM 8.90
The menu starts off with the tasty Homemade Wild Mushroom Soup which is a blend of fresh mushrooms, spices and herbs cooked with cream. A combination of 5 types of fresh mushrooms; brown shimeji, white shimeji, shiitake, king oyster and oyster mushrooms are used to prepare this bowl of mushroom goodness.
You can bite into the tiny bits of the freshly blended mushroom as you slurp the tummy-warming soup. I like it very much as Porto Bello's version is different from the many that I tried so far. The soup is thick and creamy and sets the tone for the rest of the meal.
Bombas
RM 6.50 (3 Pieces)
An appetizing starter of Bombas which are fried mashed potatoes balls stuffed with minced chicken and coated with breadcrumbs before deep fried till golden brown. Served with a dollop of BBQ sauce and Aioli (a combination of mayonnaise and garlic) for added flavour. Servings portion is hearty and generous, good for sharing for light eaters.
Said to be originated from Italy, the Bombas reminds me of the Arancini or arancini, tasty little fried rice balls filled with meat sauce, tomato sauce, mozzarella and peas. The name derives from the food's shape and colour, which is reminiscent of an orange (the Italian word for orange is arancia, and arancini mean "little orange").
Legendary Crab Cake
RM 10.90
RM 10.90
Next, the perfect appetiser for crab lovers. Eating this gives you a complete crab-licious experience as it is generously prepared with real fresh crab meat, lightly seasoned and not too overwhelming to take away the crab taste out of the dish. Dressed with toppings of herb Aioli and tomato relish just to bring out the flavour of the crab cake.
French Escargot
RM 13.90
Porto Bello's French Escargot is one of their best appetisers I ever tasted. Garlic and cheese are already one of my favourite culinary combinations, so it's inevitable that I will enjoy this starter. French snails cooked perfectly with the right amount of seasoning and balanced well with the creamy garlic cheese-based sauce of whipped cream, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
The flavours of the cheese and the escargot are a good match with the french snails practically 'bathing' in the creamy sauce. Sinful but delicious, you can keep the leftover sauce for dipping with your toast or fries. We even got it reheated again to eat it with our fries too. Remember this ~ Good food (even leftover sauce) should not be left to waste!
Signature Dish ~ Smoked BBQ Spring Chicken
RM 29.90 (Half a bird)
Moving on to the mains, you must try this Smoked BBQ Spring Chicken. Smoked and grill to perfection, the spring chicken is drizzled with barbeque sauce and served with fries, coleslaw on a bed of fresh lettuce. "We smoked the chicken with special wood called the Sarsi Wood for its fragrant, as it gives them a smokey natural flavour and better texture," explained Chef Tan.
As the main star of the menu, Porto Bello's house special, Smoked Chicken meal is simply amazing. Tenderly prepared with care as the spring chicken is lighted seasoned with cajun, spices and paprika powder and smoked in the oven by the heat generated from the special Sarsi wood. A super tedious preparation with perfect timing but the end results is amazing.
Highly recommended dish if you have had enough of the usual roast or grilled chicken commonly served in many restaurants. As for me, I will definitely come back here for another meal of the super-licious and aromatic smokey chicken to satisfy my cravings!
Porto Bello Chicken Pie
RM 22
The signature dish of Porto Bello is none other than the Porto Bello Chicken Pie. Looking very much like a burger due to its size and design, it's actually a pie. Portobello mushrooms are large Crimini mushrooms with a firm, meaty texture and delicate flavour. A large minced chicken patty rests on a base of the pastry is topped with thick and hearty portobello mushroom.
Mushroom fans will love the meatiness of roasted Portobello mushrooms. Check out the firm and thick mushroom together with the juices flowing through to the minced chicken patty. Nevertheless, it could be better if the chicken is made from thigh meat instead of breast meat as the latter is less tender and juicy.
Frita Bolognese a la Porto Bello
RM 18.90
Porto Bello's new menu item, the savoury and delightfully cute little Fritta Bolognese. Creative innovation of Chef Tan, 2 in 1 dish featuring spaghetti with homemade white sauce (roux) and veggies coated with breadcrumbs fried to perfection into crispy golden balls. Drenched with chicken or beef bolognese sauce of your choice, truly detectable and bursting with flavours after the first bite.
Check out the delish spaghetti in white sauce (roux)
Definitely a must-try for pasta lovers! Pure comfort satisfaction on a plate with different texture and taste. At the first bite, you can taste the crispy outer layer of the frita, to be followed by the flavourful spaghetti within. Do check this unique dish, you will be impressed as it a totally wonderful combination of comfort food, so to say!
Lava Cake
RM 13.90
Desserts are simply tempting with this rich chocolate lava cake served with vanilla ice cream. As a chocolate lover, I find this rich and moist dessert wonderful. Cut open the delightful chocolate cake and out pours a river of rich dark chocolate fondant. The only setback is the texture of the ice cream isn't soft and smooth as expected. Perhaps a better choice of premium ice cream should be a better match to this near-perfect lava cake.
Panna Cotta
RM 14.90
Porto Bello's creation of Panna Cotta, an Italian dessert is deliciously light and creamy. Served chilled with melt-in-the-mouth texture, garnished with sprinkles of lime rinds for some zest and strawberry sauce for added sweetness.
Click link for: Porto Bello Menu
For lunch, there is the quick option of rice with many variations such as Dry curry chicken rice, Butter prawn rice. Thai sauce fish fillet rice, Tomyam fried rice among others. Price from as low as RM 9.90 to RM 13.90, you can have a decent and tasty lunch set meal with 1 soup of the day and 1 drink option of lemon tea, Jasmine tea or green tea.
Porto Bello Brunch Set priced at RM 21.90. Only available on weekends and public holidays.
You can expect to have cravings for hearty and good Italian food fulfilled when dining at Porto Bello. Choices are aplenty, prices are affordable together with its stylish and chic decor, this is a great for a romantic dinner date or gathering with friends to relax and unwind over the great company and good food!
Porto Bello
No. 8 Jalan SS 21/58
Damansara Utama
47400 Petaling Jaya
Tel; 03 - 7496 6588
Opening Hours: 10am to 10pm ( Pork-free)
FaceBook: PortoBelloPJ
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