Natalina's head chef Stefano Maria La Penna celebrates seasonal sensations that represent Italy's wide-ranging regions, including Stefano's own central province of Chieti in Abruzzo.
This is Italian cooking with a modern Mediterranean mind that remains true to tradition: Natalina sources prized produce from Italy, including Roman multi-coloured cherry tomatoes for nuanced sweetness, Tuscan truffles, flour, cheese and more.
From handmade pasta recipes rarely seen in KL, like Mezze Maniche Alla Morronese (‘half sleeves' pasta with wagyu white ragu), to hearty meat main courses like Veal Milanese and Braciole Alla Genovese (rolled beef filled with garlic, parsley and cheese), plus citrusy specials like chitarra with lobster, tuna bottarga and lemon zest, Natalina's summer spread is a must before the season slips away next month.
Start with Burrata, plump and pleasurable, lively with a medley of Roman-cultivated confit cherry tomatoes that run from red to yellow, fruity with a gently uplifting acidity. Possibly our favourite burrata salad in KL right now.
Crostone Mediterraneo lands on long-fermented dough, its thin crust carrying the flavours of the coast in salty anchovies and the countryside in herbaceous basil and oregano, vibrant with tangy tomato concasse and briny black olives, bursting with the bite of fresh cherry tomatoes and red onions, softened with stracciatella for a creamy, lingering finish.
Crocchette di Calamari proves irresistibly addictive, served hot and crisp with a melt-in-the-mouth savoury stuffing of calamari and baby octopus that speaks deeply of the sea, dressed in garlic tomato mayonnaise for added aromatics.
For the ultimate pasta indulgence, Chitarrina al Frutti di Mare features Natalina's own spaghetti chitarra, a square-cut pasta with full-bodied firmness, served with a princely portion of Boston lobster and clams in velvety shellfish sauce, generously garnished with tuna bottarga and lemon zest for bursts of richness and brightness.
Mezze Maniche alla Morronese is steeped in classic Abruzzese nostalgia, harkening to chef Stefano's heritage, showcasing short ridged pasta woven with a robust white ragu of four-hour slow-cooked wagyu beef and earthy porcini mushrooms, homely and hearty, rounded out with spinach and red peppers.
Gricia al Tartufo coats handmade fettuccine in silky cheese emulsion, lavished with smoky duck bacon and fresh Tuscan black truffles for delectable layers of depth and decadence.
For carnivorous appetites, Veal Milanese is beautifully built and breaded for sharing, embodying Milan's centuries-old culinary legacy: Veal rack, lightly pounded for even tenderness, deep-fried in clarified butter for a golden crust that yields to confident succulence, complete with mushroom sauce, salad and potatoes.
Braciole Alla Genovese is a comforting cross between the rustic and refined: Rolled beef, bursting with beef bacon, garlic, parsley and breadcrumbs, thickly braised in Genovese-style mushroom truffle sauce, finished with dehydrated black olives and ricotta.
Don't skip dessert: Summer shines sweetly in Amarena e Limone Meringato, an invigorating tart with lemon custard cream, cloaked in torched meringue, zingy with lemon zest, nectarous with amarena cherries, and Crostata di Pistacchio, a classic Italian pie with a cheese filling and pistachio paste, perfect with toasted pistachios and Natalina's nutty own pistachio ice cream.
Natalina Italian Kitchen
Lot 06 - Level 03, Avenue K, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.
Daily, 12pm-10pm.
Tel: 012-673-3860
