Are you craving for Italian food or looking for a place with great ambiance and delizioso Italian semi-fine dine?? Look no further, as there is one just right in town. The name of the restaurant is Markus. Markus is the name of the Chef at this restaurant. It is just seated along Jalan Cantonment next to DHL office.
The young, passionate and talented, Chef Markus Lee started off his culinary journey from Penang. During the years of his apprenticeship he has been trained and worked at various fine establishments near and far to develop his culinary skill. Most notably: Amador Restaurant (3 Michelin-Star restaurant) in Germany, Shook @ JW Marriott in Kuala Lumpur and Garibaldi from Singapore (1-Michelin Star restaurant).
After spending long time abroad, Chef Markus decided to return to Penang and setup a restaurant with a semi-fine dine concept behind it. The menu is seasonally inspired, sourcing the ingredients by importing from the finest suppliers or freshly handpicked from local producers. The Ala Carte menu changes every few months and the Seasonal Ingredients are brought in almost every week.
All these will be in their January Ala Carte Menu with very minor adjustments and changes to it only. Most of the main ingredients used are imported from Italy with a DOP rating (originating from its authentic place)
Bread Basket (Consisting of Homemade Foccacia Bread & Homemade Gluten Free Bread) served with Balsamic Vinegar & Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The Foccacia bread was packed with Rosemary fragrance, while the homemade gluten free bread was served hot and soft. Serving with Balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, this is a great starter.
Roast Beef topped with Tuna Sauce, Borlotti Beans and Freshly Shaved Italian Black Truffles.
The roast beef was prepared in medium doneness while the inviting part was the tuna sauce topping and generous sprinkle of Italian black truffles. This dish is another great starter.
Pan-fry Hokkaido Scallops served with Spinach & Truffle Emulsion
The imported scallops were pan-fried and served with spinach and truffle emulsion. The salty based scallops tasted creamy with the gravy and were packed with truffle aroma.
Lobster Bisque served with Fines Herbes, Lobster Tail and Milk Foam
The lobster meat was served in a bowl with fines herbes, then topped with milk foam and lobster bisque. The taste of the soup was packed with shrimp flavor while it gave the feeling of sea breeze in the mouth.
Pounded Pork Tenderloin topped with Sage, Parma Ham (authentic ham) and served with Mash Potatoes (and freshly shaved black truffle).
note: the restaurant will not have freshly-shaved black truffle by January but a truffle infused mash potato instead.
The pounded pork tenderloin was so tender and juicy. The mash potatoes tasted creamy and when mixed with both the pork tenderloin and ham they made a perfect combination.
Cheese Wheel Pasta serving with Homemade Truffle Infused Pasta, Crispy Parma Ham (Authentic Prosciutto di Parma Ham) & Crushed Pistachio Nuts.
Below is a short video of how the cheesy carbonara was made.
The carbonara pasta was packed with char-grill flavor. A type of liquor was poured inside the cheese wheel together to be mixed with the cheese and torched until liquidized. Adding together with it in the cheese wheel were savory parma ham and crispy pistachio nuts.
Foie Gras & Eel Risotto
The risotto was cooked with creamy sauce and topped with pan-fried ele slices with teriyaki sauce and foie gras. This is an extraordinary east meets west mix.
Smoked Duck Breast with Potato Quenelle & Berry Sauce
The juicy and smoky duck breast slices were sided with potato quenelle that was soft and milky. The duck slices have to be taken together with the potato quenelle and the berry sauce to complete the umami flavor.
Gnocchi (homemade potato dumpling) with Tomato Sauce & Buffalo Mozzarella (authentic Italian buffalo cheese)
The gnocchi is something special. The bite texture is similar to Koream rice cake (Tteokbokki). The addition of authentic Italian buffalo cheese and the tomato sauce blossoms the entire dish.
Limoncello Souffle served with Vanilla Haagen Dazs Ice Cream (the limoncello is our homemade lemon liqueur)
The limoncello souffle is made of homemade lemon liqueur and it tasted appetizing. When served with Haagen Dazs Ice Cream it creates a happy ending to the entire dish.
Classic Tiramisu (use of lady fingers, chocolate chips, Italian amaretto liquor & Italian mascarpone cheese)
For those that love a milky ending rather than a sourish ending, the classic tiramisu with Italian amaretto liquor and Italian mascarpone cheese will be a lovely choice. In fact this is one of my favorites.
Overall, Markus Restaurant serves delizioso and creative fusion semi-fine dine of Italian cuisine. Chef Markus is constantly updating and changing the menu to suit the customer needs. The taste of the food is complex and gives a umami flavour. The ambiance of the restaurant is also cozy and comfortable.
Editor’s Review (5 Stars Rank):
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Quick Facts:
| Family Friendly |  |
| Parking | |
| Pork Free |  |
| Alcohol | |
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| Credit Card | |
| Reservation | |
| Private Room | |
Operation hours: 12:00pm – 3:00pm; 6:00pm – 10:00pm (Close Tuesday)
Contact: 04-226 1443
Address:37F, Jalan Cantonment, Pulau Tikus, 10250 George Town, Pulau Pinang
GPS: 5.4323854,100.3098316