A new face: Osteria Emilia brings excellent pizza and casual Italian dining to Kiara's 163 Retail Park
KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 — The newest in the mixed bag of restaurants, cafes and bars found in 163 Retail Park is Osteria Emilia.
It's the latest effort from the Tinkermen Collective of restaurants, who are responsible for brands like Proof Pizza and Vintry.
Italian in name and menu, you’ll find staples like porchetta as well as pasta and pizza galore here.
The interior is staggering, with an imposing wine collection displayed in a rack that stretches up to the ceiling and arches around the central dining area.
Nothing here is done without a flourish, with a wall of windows coaxing in gleaming rays of sun and providing a tree-lined view of the street below.
You’ll scarcely find a better complimentary bread basket which contains an interesting inclusion in the form of pieces of pizza dough.
The stunning wine rack make for quite the centrepiece in the restaurant (left). I couldn’t help but be impressed by the use of pizza dough in the bread basket (right).
It might seem needless to mention free bread, but the pillowy soft bits of dough soak up the first-rate balsamic and olive oil dip with aplomb and are a little flex of what is to come on the pizza front.
With their wood-fire oven in tow, Proof Pizza has shifted from the nearby Arcoris and brought with them their much-vaunted pizzas.
The Proof oven makes its presence felt.
The Pizza Pancetta, Gorgonzola E Figs (RM42 for medium) is a winning number in every single way.
It should come as no surprise that the dough is airy, light and puffed to perfection, while the combination of potent gorgonzola with mild mascarpone is a balanced, creamy backdrop on which the salty pancetta and sweet figs work their magic.
Pancetta, gorgonzola and figs are a winning combination.
The Linguine Vongole here is done well but not particularly outstanding.
On top of all that is a sprinkling of peppery arugula, near-translucent shavings of what I reckon is Grana Padano and a light drizzle of sticky and sweet aged balsamic vinegar.
Moving away from the doughy variety of carbohydrates, the Linguine Con Vongole E Capesante (RM38) is a well executed classic, but a little underwhelming.
Porchetta with crackling that’s just so, so, crisp.
Do not sleep on the polenta chips! They are a revelation.
The pasta is cooked to a satisfying al dente, the white wine sauce carries enough spice from the chilli and there is no shortage of delectable clams and scallops, but the lack of savouriness meant it was a little wanting.
Things soon picked up with the Porchetta Di Maiale (RM62), a tender roll of herbed and roasted pork paired with a luscious thyme jus and rosemary potatoes.
Tiramisu here threatens to knock you out; just how I like it.
Best of all, the crackling is shatteringly crisp, without the sometimes stiff and dense texture more characteristic of porchetta than say, Chinese suckling pig.
A side of Patatine Di Polenta (RM16) is shockingly good, crispy cushions of soft polenta dusted with grated Parmesan, rosemary and paired with a pink-ish brandy aioli that leaves you wanting more.
Look for the pretty typography on the signage.
The meal ended on an incredibly booze-laden high thanks to the Kahlúa and rum infused Tiramisu (RM24), which bleeds rich, dark liquid as you bring your spoon down on it for a mouthful of an elegant and refined taste of Italy.
Amidst one too many pretty places that mostly can’t back it up with their food, Osteria Emilia stands out in 163 Retail Park as a place that serves up more than just an aesthetic; with outstanding pizza, top-shelf ingredients going into every dish and an impressive wine list to boot.
Osteria Emilia KL
GF-19, 163 Retail Park, Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
Open Monday to Sunday, 11am-3pm; 5:30-10pm
Tel: 03-6211 0060
Instagram: @osteria_emilia.kl
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