Osteria Emilia 163 Retail Park

Osteria Emilia, Italian Restaurant, Mont Kiara

Osteria Emilia Mont Kiara

Words: Jacob Weber
Photos: Rich Callahan

An ‘osteria’ is a ‘traditional wine bar that has evolved to serve simple meals’.

Well, the wine at Osteria Emilia in Mont Kiara is certainly authentic – but the meals are anything but simple. The rich, vibrant, and expertly designed menu here celebrates all that is good about Italian cuisine – and we all know there’s a lot of good about Italian cuisine.

Fun fact: three of the oldest osterias in Italy, established between the 14th and 15th century, are found in Emilia-Romagna, one of the richest gastronomic and wine-making regions in the country. So you can guess where this place got its name.

Osteria Emilia is a stunning modern space in 163 Retail Park; classy and contemporary, a Milan-meets-Manhattan vibe. It’s flooded with natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows, which gleams off the gorgeous green emerald tiles behind the bar and glints off the eye-catching metal archway in the middle of the restaurant and the hundreds of wine bottles it holds. Even the funky steel light fittings are in the shape of spinning pizza dough.

It’s the latest addition to the Tinkerman Collective, a European extension of the trendy Public House at Bangsar South. There’s a wood-fired pizza oven in the kitchen with Proof’s name on it, and it looks right at home. We meet Chef Kim, a 12-year veteran of Italian restaurants in Malaysia and Singapore, and his excitement is palpable. At the time of our visit, Osteria Emilia is still in launch mode, and there’s plenty more to come. They’ve just taken delivery of a pasta machine so they can make fresh, handmade pasta in-house – and if the ‘standard’ variety we sample is anything to go by, future diners are in for a treat.

Osteria Emilia 163 Retail Park
Osteria Emilia Entrance
Osteria Emilia 163 Retail Park
Osteria Emilia, Mont Kiara
Italian Restaurant Mont Kiara
Italian Restaurant – 163 Retail Park
Italian Restaurant Mont Kiara
Dining Area

Osteria Emilia Italian Restaurant

Naturally, we start with bread for the table – and it’s just beautiful. Tomato focaccia and flatbread (made in-house) and wood-oven-fired ciabatta roll from Smith Breads are perfect for dipping into the quality balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

The Insalata di Pere e Mela (RM28) (Pear & Apple Slaw) is a lovely light summery starter; tangy, fresh and crispy. It’s like a sweet and savoury fruit salad, with apple, pear and strawberry yoghurt bouncing off the cucumber, beetroot, pecans and radicchio.

Italian Restaurant Mont Kiara
Insalata di Pere e Mela

The bergamot aioli that comes with the Calamari Fritti (RM32) (Fried Calamari) will win more than a few hearts with its sharp citrus edge that makes every mouthful a little more interesting. The calamari itself is excellent, too; a generous portion, nicely salted, thin and crispy, and crucially not dripping in oil like so many others one comes across.

Italian Restaurant Mont Kiara
Calamari Fritti

Suddenly, a real-life Renaissance painting arrives at the table. The Verdure Plank (RM48) – or, vegetable platter – looks fit for a royal medieval banquet. Tastes like it, too. Three kinds of bruschetta (peperonata, sun-dried tomatoes and olive tapenade, and roasted tomatoes) rub shoulders with Bocconcini cheese balls and more tapenade, alongside Lombard chillies, olives and caperberries. Pecorino cheese with chilli jam completes the picture. The wooden platter is amusingly presented on top of two massive cans of traditional tomatoes, quite literally elevating this masterpiece as a table centrepiece.

Italian Restaurant Mont Kiara
Verdure Plank

Time for a proper Italian ‘pie’ – pizza, that is. The Pizza Pancetta Gorgonzola e Figs (RM42/M; RM60/L) is a stunning sweet-and-savoury mouthful – you’d expect nothing less from the Proof ovens. It’s chewy and crusty in all the right places, with the ideal consistency and contrast in every bite. One of the more sophisticated pizzas you’ll (probably) ever eat.

Osteria Emilia 163 Retail Park
Pizza Pancetta Gorgonzola e Figs
Osteria Emilia 163 Retail Park
Proof Pizza Oven – Osteria Emilia

The Tonno alla Griglia (RM52) (Grilled Tuna) will be a popular choice for those who prefer their fish dishes on the meatier rather than the flakier side. The generous portion of quality tuna is seared perfectly to medium, and fresh to the point of sweetness, which the accompanying mango salad lifts wonderfully. The smooth, creamy avocado puree provides a smooth contrast in texture.

Osteria Emilia 163 Retail Park
Tonno alla Griglia

If you like seafood but love pasta, you can have both – order the Linguine con Vongole e Capesante (RM38) (Linguine with Clams & Scallops). The silky smooth linguine is seasoned well with classic herbs and rich butter, backed up by a white wine sauce which works wonderfully with the generous helping of fresh, salty Venus clams and scallops.

Italian Restaurant Mont Kiara
Linguine con Vongole e Capesante

Risotto allo Zafferano con Guanciale Brasato (RM48) – saffron risotto with braised beef cheeks – is Chef Kim’s favourite dish, and we can tell. The 24-hour braised beef is so tender that my knife goes through it like butter. The rich and creamy risotto is absolutely the perfect consistency, and the saffron adds that little extra touch of indulgence. It’s one of those dishes where you sit back in your chair with a deep, satisfied sigh after the first mouthful alone.

Osteria Emilia 163 Retail Park
Risotto allo Zafferano con Guanciale Brasato – Osteria Emilia

We finish the mains with a special signature dish, the ​​Maiale Iberico Saltimbocca (RM 118). An Iberico heritage pork chop is wrapped in cured prosciutto ham and cooked to juicy, tender perfection. Pork wrapped in more ham – what’s not to like? (As far as carnivores are concerned, I suppose.) The spinach and parsley bagna cauda is a fine supporting act. Talking of favourites, this is Yin How’s (founder of the Tinkerman Collective and a man who knows fine dining) personal highlight of Osteria Emilia’s menu.

Osteria Emilia 163 Retail Park
Maiale Iberico Saltimbocca

A Tiramisu (RM24) seems an appropriate way to finish our authentic Italian meal, and the first bite confirms it. It’s exactly as a classic tiramisu should be; soft, fluffy and sufficiently boozy enough that you know you’re really treating yourself to dessert. There’s both Kahlua and rum in here, which explains that.

Osteria Emilia 163 Retail Park
Tiramisu

Wine List

The experience wouldn’t be complete without some proper Italian vino, so we treat ourselves to a couple of glasses – for professional reasons, obviously.

We start with a Tiberio Cerasuolo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Rosè 2021 (RM160/bottle), which feels rather unique for a rosé, almost a ‘red-white-wine’. It’s dry, acidic, and slightly effervescent, full of vibrant red fruit and citrus notes with a hint of spice in a long finish. It’s left to macerate for 24 hours (a process involving steeping grape skins and solids in wine after fermentation) which adds a different depth to this typically light and breezy type of wine. It really works with the gorgonzola on the pizza, if I had to pick just one dish to pair it with.

Italian Restaurant Mont Kiara
Tiberio Cerasuolo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Rosè 2021

We’re pleased to see a house pour of such quality in the Istine Chianti Classico 2020 (RM180/bottle), an organic and very fresh Chianti. It’s balanced, medium-bodied, and bursting with cherry, raspberry and strawberry notes, with vanilla and oak on the nose. It’s very drinkable and washes the risotto down very well.

Osteria Emilia 163 Retail Park
Istine Chianti Classico 2020 – Osteria Emilia

We also order a couple of Kombuchas (RM18), provided by Boocha. The ‘Vitality’ has a nice fiery ginger kick and sweetness from the lemon; the ‘Recover’, featuring real chunks of passionfruit, is intensely sweet and fruity and tropical. We even get little wheat straws to sip them with, which are a bonus sustainable touch – and much better than those pathetic paper straws that are meekly offered as an eco-friendly alternative elsewhere.

Osteria Emilia 163 Retail Park
Booch Kombucha

To finish, a lovely Long Black (RM10) is made with the Tinkerman Group’s own blend of beans; mostly Arabica, but with a small amount of Malaysian-grown Liberica beans, which are rare to find.  

Osteria Emilia Review

Although Tinkerman’s version of an osteria is rather more sophisticated than the traditional definition, it hasn’t sacrificed much in the way of authenticity. Shiny and modern though the restaurant may be, its menu highlights hundreds of years of Italian gastronomic heritage, from classic pizzas and pasta to rich and wholesome meat and seafood dishes (and there are lots of vegetarian options as well). Many of the ingredients are imported from Italy to stay true to this spirit, and the passion from the kitchen and service team is clear to see. And even if you’re not hungry, it’s a very pleasant spot for a very pleasant vino, too.

Reasons to visit Osteria Emilia: high-quality, authentic Italian cuisine and exclusive wine list; wide variety of dishes for sharing, grazing, and devouring; wood-fired pizzas and (soon-to-be) fresh handmade pasta; light and airy space in the heart of Mont Kiara.

Osteria Emilia
Ground Floor, 163 Retail Park,
19, Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara,
50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+603 6211 0060

Osteria Emilia Opening Hours
Daily 11 am–3 pm, 5:30–10 pm

Find more Italian restaurants in KL here and stay up-to-date on the latest happenings in KL’s food and beverage scene here and here.

One Comment

  1. I would have a hard time deciding what to order.
    Coffee is on, and stay safe.

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