By Aiman Azri
With its striped Vespa scooting into Bangsar, Eatalia has launched its second branch this month, bringing a bit of Tuscany to Telawi. The restaurant has long nurtured a loyal following at its original birthplace in Desa Sri Hartamas, so this is a welcome expansion for Bangsar-based fans of Italian fare, with an extensive selection that'll take customers from pesto to primavera, pollo to panna cotta.
The wood-fired oven at Eatalia's entrance is evidence enough that pizzas are a priority here, with about two dozen varieties on the menu, meticulously prepared on crisp, lightly smoky crusts.
With swoon-worthy names that span Casanova to Romeo to Juliet, these are pizzas intended to ignite a lifelong romance with Italian cooking, be it a Mediterranean vegetarian ensemble of olives, oregano and garlic, robustly savoury and aromatically layered with mozzarella and tomatoes (10-inch pictured here for RM20, or 12-inch for RM27), or the Bresaola, blanketed with salted air-dried beef, rocket leaves and hints of truffle oil for an unmistakably Italian creation (10-inch for RM28, 12-inch for RM35).
Calzones, the Naples-origin folded pizzas, are also available; named for the Baroque concertino instrumentals, the Calzone Ripieno is a harmonious half-moon of beef bacon, mushrooms, cheese and tomato sauce packed within the pizza, ensuring fully loaded fulfillment for peckish patrons (10-inch for RM22, 12-inch for RM29).
The abundance of pastas is fodder for multiple visits. Eatalia is a destination to bookmark for devotees of fresh pasta, with ravioli, gnocchi and lasagna made in the kitchen here, as well as pappardelle for the Abruzzo-inspired Al Ragu D'Agnello, beautifully marrying tender pasta ribbons with rich, punchy lamb ragu (RM25).
Dried pastas also display delicious dynamics - to name two, the Spaghetti Con Arragosta, slicked up with tomatoes, garlic, basil and dried chillies, shows off a striking centre-piece of a slipper lobster split open (RM38), while the Rigatoni Alla Corleonese should satisfy vegetarians with its bumper crop of grilled eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers (RM22).
Risotto Al Nero Di Seppia, darkened with squid ink and brightened with squid slices, rounds out the carb repertoire, well-executed enough that we wish there were more risotto on the menu (RM33).
Beyond pizzas and pastas, some solid appetite-whetters to start with include the oven-baked eggplant, tasty and textured with mozzarella and tomato sauce (RM18), and an evergreen salad of rocket leaves invigorated with crisp pears, Grana Padano cheese, toasted nuts and a lemon dressing (RM22).
We were too full for main courses, but Eatalia's list of temptations is long, from Australian tenderloin steaks to Norwegian salmon, lamb shank to stuffed chicken.
Eatalia in Bangsar now has some fun pizza promotions, including a Buy 5 Free 1 promotion on 12-inch pizzas, as well as special Kids Make Their Own Pizza sessions at noon every Sunday! Kids can play with the dough and ingredients, as well as choose their toppings for the perfect pizza that will be cooked for them (complimentary for December 2018; subsequently at RM15 per child for future months). It's a creative exercise recommended for children from 4 to 12 years of age, exclusively on Sunday afternoons; call the restaurant to book a seat for your kids (photos of the sessions courtesy of Eatalia).
Also, this Sunday, 23 December, a life-size, walking Bumblebee will make a thrilling appearance at Eatalia Bangsar for the kids! Drop by at 12.30pm to catch this Autobot in action and have your snapshot taken with him.
Many thanks to Eatalia for having us here.
Eatalia
25, Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur. Daily, 11am-11pm. Tel: 03-2288-8188
This feature first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com
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