Via Pre Penang: What to Order at This Long-Standing Italian Restaurant in George Town

It's common to find rapid changes in the food business, we sometimes find ourselves chasing after the new dining spots out of curiosity to discover and experience. There are some spots in Penang that you will find yourself returning to it. Via Pre is one of them.

Established in 2012, Via Pre has been serving Italian cuisine in Georgetown for more than a decade. Their first spot was at Weld Quay before they moved to the current location Lebuh Penang. This round, we brought our two little foodies along for a family meal.

With a table filled with antipasto, soup, pasta, pizza, seafood and desserts. It turned out to be quite an Italian feast!

If you are planning your own visit to Via Pre, perhaps what we have tried here could your guide.

Thank you Via Pre for hosting us.

Salumi e Formaggi 1 pax (RM 42)

Iberico Polpette RM 32

Fish soup RM 29

We started our meal the Italian's way, with antipasto choice of Salumi e Formaggi. Something to nibble on while waiting for the mains. It's like a simple sampling plate of Italian cold cuts and cheese. We had the single pax portion but you can opt for 2 pax portion for sharing, it was such a nice addition if you are sharing several dishes around the table.

We also had the Iberico Polpette, featuring air-fried pork meatballs served over roasted capsicum with a red onion and thyme compote. The combination gave the meatballs a nice balance between savoury, sweet and herby flavours. It also comes with chickpea "focaccia", its like a flatbread which was particularly enjoyable for scooping up the compote.

The Fish Soup was a comforting dishes to have. It combines vegetables, with the fish of the day where we had the barramundi fish cooked with paprika, lemon juice and tomato coulis, giving the soup a slightly tangy and savoury character.

Mezze Maniche Amatriciana RM 39

Mezzi rigatoni pasta from the brand Mancini been used to cook the Mezze Maniche Amatriciana

Spaghetti Chitarra Carbonara RM 39

Beautiful block of guanciale only at Via Pre Penang

The Carbonara is probably one of the dishes I would strongly recommend trying because they did it the authentic classic Italian's way by using crispy pork guanciale, pecorino cheese, egg and black pepper. There is no cream involved. This result its rich and savoury profile, al dente pasta with the guanciale adding plenty of flavour and texture to the pasta.

If you prefer something with a little more punch, the Mezze Maniche Amatriciana is cooked with crispy pork bacon and onions in a spicy peppered tomato sauce. They are using the mezzi rigatoni from the pasta's brand Mancini that really makes a big different. While carbonara gives you the classic flavour, this was more towards tomato and spicy option.

la Genovese (RM 72)

panfried 120gr tuna steak, prawns, scallops, on baby spinaches salad with baby squid & purple cabbage

Calabrase RM 48

We then marched into our main course of La Genovese, it was quite a seafood loaded main. It features a 120g pan-fried tuna steak together with prawns, scallops and baby squids, served on a baby spinach salad with purple cabbage. So if you are looking for something lighter than a pasta or pizza but still want a substantial main, this is an interesting option.

Of course, we could not have an Italian feast without pizza! The Calabrese comes with tomato sauce and mozzarella, topped with spicy pork salami, chilli sauce, pickled sweet peppers, mixed olives and fresh basil. There is a noticeable spicy kick from the chili, so this is one would be recommended for those who enjoy a little bit of heat on their pizza.

Dark Chocolate Flan RM 22

Tiramisu RM 28

Our dessert started with the Dark Chocolate Flan, served in a glass with plain whipped cream, Amaretto crumble, salted caramel sauce and vanilla gelato. Scope the wholesome of the dessert from the bottom of the cup to enjoy, you will get the combination of warm, rich chocolate flavours with cold vanilla gelato makes this really an indulgent way to finish the meal.

Then, of course there is room for Tiramisu. This is the classic Italian dessert with combination of espresso and Marsala liquor flavoured savoiardi biscuits layered with mascarpone and egg cream. If you are a traditional tiramisu lover, this is the familiar and comforting Italian dessert to go for here.

Via Pre has huge range of drinks to offers, from red wine, white wines, Rosé. The Penang's scorching sun weather is calling for a refreshing bottle the handcrafted Kombucha, a little fizzy, soury with a hint of sweetness feels nice.

We then had the Italian Gelato for the kids. They offers the option of chocolate, vanilla, pistachio and strawberry.

While we have two kids to handle, their NO-LO drinks of Planteur cocktails with very low alchohol percentage was perfect. It has the tropical fruity flavour, with balance of the citrus and the warmth of rum.

Our perfect lunch was properly ended with the essential Italian's ritual, which is a cup of Italian espresso.

From left: Planteur Cocktail RM 28++, Blueberries & Grapes Handcrafted Kombucha RM 19++

Strawberry Gelato Italiano Single (RM 12)

Espresso (RM 9)

We have known Via Pre as a familiar name from the Penang's dining scene for authentic Italian foods, but this time we got to introduce it to our next generation which is our little foodies.

Sometimes, not every dining discovery has to be somewhere new. Some old favourites are simply worth rediscovering.