Foodies, we’ve introduced and shared so many experiences with you throughout the year. From local street food, to cafes and restaurants, we realized we haven’t been sharing with you some fancy experience. We visited Markus Modern Italian Cuisine some time ago and are very excited to share everything with you. So sit down, grab some food as this is going to be a remarkable experience.
About Markus Modern Italian Cuisine
Markus Modern Italian Cuisine is a small neighbourhood restaurant with a semi-fine dine concept. Established in 2014 by the young, talented Chef Markus Lee. He has trained and worked in a few notable restaurants overseas, which includes 3-Star and 1-Star Michelin restaurants. Every dish is prepared in authentic Italian way, with a touch of modernism. It’s like the marriage of traditional and modern, authentic yet full of surprise.
Ambiance of Markus Modern Italian Cuisine:
We would rate it an A+ comfort with a touch of elegance. It’s not like other fine dining places, fancy but pressured. Markus Modern Italian Cuisine offers a leisure and sophisticated dining experience. You could be a carefree Italian, sip a glass of wine while enjoying your meal.
Starter- Complimentary Bread Basket
What’s better than bread served warm? Homemade bread that’s toasty on the outside yet soft and fragrant on the inside, pairing with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We must say we loved the texture of Sourdough Focaccia, with that hint of herb. It went really well with the balsamic vinegar.
Appetizer- Capellini d’Angelo Freddo
Cold angel hair pasta infused with seawater emulsion, the texture is very light and smooth. With Tabasco, truffle, caviar and scallop added, the combination might sounds heavy. No the cold pasta is very refreshing and smooth to the throat, with a spark of tanginess.
Appetizer- Insalata Caprese Moderno
Taking salad to a whole new level, the color of the dish represents the Italy flag. With tomatoes resembling red, mozzarella white, and basil leaves green. We thought the flavors are bit odd to our liking, with tomatoes standing out, and mozzarella adding texture to it. It was good but not our favourite, maybe because we’re more of a carnivore?
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Main- Linguine Al Granchio
When it comes to pastas, Markus Modern Italian Cuisine has strict protocols. Every stretch of pasta is freshly-made, tossed and fired to perfection to blend in all the flavors. This plate of crab meat linguine might look simple, but has explosive flavors. The crab meat juice melts perfectly into the al-dante linguine, soaking up all the essence and the vodka pink sauce. This is truly a combination of modern-traditional.
Main- Saltimbocca Alla Romana
The dish explains straight up pork tenderloin topped with parma ham and pan-grilled till golden brown. Before tasting, we were told by Chef Markus to best pair the pork with the mashed potatoes lying underneath. A little fun fact: You choose to choose an expensive, fine-looking knife when it comes to cutting meat.
On first bite, heavenly. Crispy pork that gives off so much flavor and might be salty standalone. Paired together with mash, it just somehow balances off the saltiness and added a hint of sweetness to it. Kudos to Chef Markus for the suggestion beforehand.
Main- Candy Wrapper Pasta
This is the one this we got really excited about. As the name suggests, this pasta looks just like candy. Not only pleasant to the eyes, but a fine palate to the hungry souls. The pink pasta skin is made out of beetroot, all stuffed with pumpkin puree and paired with the cream sauce. We must say the combination is surprisingly good and refreshing. We doubt you could find candy wrapper pasta elsewhere but Markus Modern Italian Cuisine.
Main- Filleto Di Manzo
Our last main that we had, also the most fulfilling one. 30 months Australian Grass-fed beef tenderloin seared and seasoned just right. The texture we have to say, soft to the cut, reddish-pink and juicy in the center. It’s the perfect beef steak. Again, we get to choose our desired artsy fancy knife out of the box for the cut, a little joy in between meals. We took the first bite and everyone was surprised by how tender and juicy the beef was. One word: perfection.
Dessert- Cioccolato Trio
A very interesting chocolate plate, chocolate lovers will absolutely dive into this. Hazelnut Liquor Chocolate Milkshake that has a tint of brandy that comes in a mini size, warm chocolate lava cake and vanilla ice cream to pair with and last but not least, chocolate mousse to finish off the plate. They’re all made from premium french Valrhona chocolate, so expect the taste to be rich and smooth.
Dessert- Tiramisu Camuffato
Forget about the classic, old school tiramisu. The “camouflage” tiramisu from Markus melted our hearts. With four different sprinkles on top like green tea, cookies, chocolate and oreo, they add a distinctive flavor and texture to the velvety-smooth tiramisu. One bite is all it takes for you to fall in love with their tiramisu.
Last but Not Least:
Did you know Markus Modern Italian Cuisine has a custom-made wine cellar that stores more than 160 labels of fine wines? Decisions….decisions….decisions. Wine tasters and lovers will absolutely fall in love and be spoilt by choices.
As for the menu, they have the Seasonal menu that changes every two weeks or ala carte menu, just like the above that changes once in a few months. That way, you get to explore the creativity of chef.
Verdict on Markus Modern Italian Cuisine:
Will we revisit? Absolutely yes. We have no reason not to. The warm, welcoming service, food, presentation, ambiance, everything is above our expectation. Especially the humble, bubbly chef that is so kind and passionate. We truly recommend you to try out Markus if you’re looking for a remarkable dining experience.
Markus Modern Italian Cuisine
Address: 37F, Jalan Cantonment, Pulau Tikus, 10250 George Town, Penang.
Operating Hour: 12 p.m.-2:30 p.m., 6 p.m.-10 p.m. (Closed on Tuesdays)
Taste: 8.5/10
Price: 7.5/10
Experience: 8.5/10
Ambiance: 8/10
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