THE eggplant parmigiana was brought out, the melted cheese still bubbling on the surface. Dipping in with a spoon, we pulled out slices of eggplant with tomato covered in stringy mozzarella and parmesan.

It was a delicious starter (RM19) at Fellini Ristorante & Cafe, a hidden gem of an Italian restaurant in Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya. It is where Rennie’s House of Oxtail used to be.

We were in the mood for a pizza, and agreed on the quattro formaggi (RM29), topped with four Italian cheeses – gorgonzola, grana padano, mozzarella and pecorino. The robust flavour and strong aroma of the blue-vein gorgonzola comes through, supported by the salty pecorino, the milder grana padano and creamy mozzarella. We like the thin crispy base covered with a tasty pomodoro (tomato sauce), and how the cheeses all come together on the pizza.

We must have the al pesto pasta (RM27), said the friend I was dining with and who has been to Fellini’s a few times. For the main meat dish, we settled on the spalla di agnello, or roasted lamb in a rose sauce with mash and vegetables.

Linguine cooked al dente, finished in the fragrant pesto sauce of Italian basil, pine nuts, fried garlic and olive oil, lived up to expectations. It had a generous shower of grated parmesan and sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley. 

The week before, I had had a bad pesto pasta at another restaurant, which made it rich with cream. Fellini’s pesto pasta (RM27) revived my craving for it.

Spalla di agnello (RM40) is lamb shoulder roasted, then cooked under a low temperature in the oven in a ready sauce of whole peeled tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs. The chunky sauce had already been simmered for eight hours to yield tangy and sweet flavours, with red oil oozing from it. The sauce had soaked into every fibre of the tender meat. Instead of potato mash to mop up this luscious sauce, we had thick fries on our plate.

This was remedied when Fellini’s Italian owner, Tony Anastasi, bustled over and ordered a separate bowl of mash for us, topped with grated parmesan. He drizzled spiced extra virgin olive oil on the soft, moist and buttery mash, and we wiped the plate clean of the delicious sauce with it.

Dessert, of course, had to be panna cotta and tiramisu (both RM15 each). The friendly Anastasi came by again with a bottle of Frangelico, a hazelnut liqueur from Piedmont, and splashed it over the panna cotta. He also served us a small glass of the liqueur, toasty with hazelnuts. The shivery smooth panna cotta was so good. We loved the tiramisu, too, layered with mascarpone with a base of Italian ladyfingers soaked in espresso and liqueur.

We felt at home dining at Fellini, with classic Italian family favourites on its menu. It is good for more visits, for the Fellini’s special pizza with chicken/beef pepperoni, sausage, olives, garlic chilli mix and cili padi, pasta coda di bue (in a sauce made with slow-cooked oxtail), stinco di agnello (slow-cooked lamb shank) and mushroom risotto.

The establishment is pork-free and during this CMCO, menu items can be ordered and delivered by contacting 012-655 7710. There is also limited dine-in at the restaurant at 119 Jalan Gasing, Seksyen 10, Petaling Jaya. – October 17, 2020.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.