KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 — Despite being much more low profile than Bangsar Baru and even Lucky Garden nearby, Jalan Kemuja in Bangsar is home to some of the trendier cafes, restaurants and bars in town.
On weekends, it's capable of drawing a crowd that belies the sleepy, residential nature of the street.
In the midst of these is Trattoria Dacristian, which took over the space that once housed the celebrated A.zeta Kitchen, which closed earlier this year after the death of chef-owner Andrea Zanella.
The chef and owner here is Cristian Grandi, who has worked in KL for a number of years, namely at Luce Osteria and Roberto’s where his pizza creations garnered acclaim.
Now, he’s come out to run his own restaurant, and the menu is a mix of comfort fare from all corners of Italy, including seafood-heavy dishes from the South and fresh pasta and meat dishes from the North, as well as a plethora of pizzas to choose from.
The space itself is simple, relaxed and like other places along Jalan Kemuja, able to pull off an open-air, alfresco setup in spite of the scorching heat by way of the awning out front.
Beat the heat with a plate of Maiale Tonnato (RM34), slices of cold slow-cooked pork in a creamy, mayonnaise-like sauce that’s flavoured with tuna and anchovies, topped with some capers.
Traditionally, this is done with veal and called vitello tonnato, and generally served during summer.
Nevertheless, this version is appropriately creamy, savoury and briny and perfect on a hot evening.
Next was Gnocchi Gorgo e Salsiccia (RM44), another Northern Italy hallmark.
A funky, creamy Gorgonzola sauce engulfed these delicate, little potato dumplings and bits of pork sausage.
Each spoonful was a delightful combination of toothsome gnocchi and meaty sausage enveloped in the distinctly pungent aroma of Gorgonzola, made all the more luxuriant by the cream.
We made a slight detour to the coast with the next dish, Branzino alla Piastra (RM44), a fairly simple preparation of Mediterranean sea bass.
In Italian, "alla piastra” translates to "on the grill” or "on a griddle”, and as such this dish typically involves grilling or pan-searing the fish, resulting in crispy skin and a moist interior.
Here, it’s served with a simple sauce of lemon and capers, with asparagus and thick wedges of roasted potato on the side.
The result is moist and slightly silky flesh that’s a touch sweet, balanced by the citrus and brine in the sauce, and skin that straddles the line between crispy and softened by a kiss of sauce.
On to the main event.
We ordered two pizzas, the Napoli (RM38) and the Saporita (RM44).
The first was the simpler one, from the "pizze classiche” section and consisting of tomato sauce, mozzarella, anchovies and dried oregano.
The dough sported substantial char around the edges, and was sturdy enough to hold yet had enough slack that it didn’t resemble cardboard.
Look away, however, if you’re not a fan of the diminutive anchovy fish, as this was bursting at the seams with an intense, salty fishiness.
I, however, absolutely loved it.
Maybe I have a thing for salt, a sucker for sodium, if you will, but this pizza spoke straight to my heart, tingled my tongue, tickled my brain and all of the above.
The latter was a little more complex, from the "pizze speciali” section and instead consisted of tomato sauce, mozzarella, radicchio, speck and mascarpone.
It was a great display of combinations that work: rarely is bitterness so welcome in a pizza as it is in this, with the radicchio playing off the the savoury, paper-thin speck and the creamy mascarpone just oozing all over the place and mellowing everything out.
For dessert, we went with Cannoncini della Nonna (RM20). Typical of Piedmont, these may resemble cannoli but cannonicini is lighter, as it is made with baked puff pastry instead of fried dough.
The interior is stuffed with custard cream, and they are served with whipped cream that’s not too sweet on the side.
These are flaky, creamy vessels of joy, primed to alter your brain chemistry in all the right ways.
Trattoria Dacristian
14, Jalan Kemuja, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11.45am-11pm
Tel: 03-6738 8908
https://www.instagram.com/trattoriadacristian/
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