Ristorante Bella Italia, Batu Feringhi, Penang

This is my favourite Italian Restaurant in the whole wide world, right here, in Penang. If you are ever around Batu Feringhi and want some Italian food, remember this name: Ristorante Bella Italia.Saturday was warm, and going to beach was what I had in mind, and so my guy and I went over to the beautiful beach to enjoy some fresh warm breeze and the beautiful sunset backdrop against the sound of the splashing waves.We managed to snap some nice pictures of it and here is one:The place is just opposite the Shangrila's Golden Sands Resort. It has both al fresco and inside rastaurant seats. A very lovely decorated place, with lots of very beautiful paintings framed against the walls. The ambiance is very romantic - good music, soft lighting, and - very good services. And this is fine dining. Not where there are large noisy crowds. So, I love this place. We were both hungry and thirsty. And HOT! I wanted to order so many different food, and taste all of them! This is the author, looking so intensely at the menu, thinking of ordering everything from Starters to Desserts and Drinks.... But, it was only the two of us, and we do have some different taste. I love bruschetta. He don't like tomatoes. :-)
Entree was super for us, we had 2 starters and a soup to share. Bruschetta Con Olive $5.50 with chunky tomatoes, black olives and mixed with olive-herb marinade. It looks simple, and it tastes good.
He had the Prostini Al Aglio $4.00 which is the garlic bread. One thing we have in common is our love for mushrooms. Aah, yes, the Crema Al Funghi $11.20 was excellent, loads of mushroom in creamy soup, and what made it wonderful, was a hint of spice in it- it has to be either fresh grounded pepper or some fresh green little chili. We did raced our spoons as to who will get the most scoops, as we shared this one together. :-)
Thirsty for me means drinking either one of the following: cool mineral water, 100Plus, or Coke Light. We had Coke Light. Nothing Italian, just plain simple Coke light. Main courses falls into 3 categories: Pasta, Pizza, and Meat dishes. I always go for pasta, because, if you're a frequent reader, you'll notice how I timelessly repeat the phrase "I Love Pasta".
I think about a week back, I did had a Spaghetti Vongole at a fast pasta cafe, but oh my, I did not eat any of the clams because it was not fresh! And then, when my dad brought home some fresh clams, I made my own and it tasted so fresh and good. Now within the same week, I chose to have the Spaghetti Alla Vongole $21.80 here. I tell you, the clams were very fresh. Some cute little cauliflowers and broccoli were hiding in the pasta, and the hint of spiciness - is what I love!
I know Italian emphasizes lots of Aglios (garlic) in most dishes, and yes, garlic is a universal favourite herb... but too much can ''kill' the taste of the whole meal. Definitely send Vampires scattering, running away for the entire week. Bella Italia is good stuff, so you can be assured of the finest blend of Italian ingredients. :-)
The guy had his chicken of the day. Pollo Alla Parmigiana $31.50 is a little pricey for this piece of Italian chick, but the taste was good. I liked it. I like the marinated asparagus by the side of the chicken....
See my fresh clams up there? I finished ALL of them, piece by piece, ensuring I have not left even one bite! Yumm... My tummy's pretty happy tonight!

We were left with no room for dessert at the end of our main meals. I would have loved some cappuccino and either tiramisu or pana cotta :-( Maybe next time!