With so many new Italian eateries mushrooming in KL/ PJ, it's easy to forget the good ol' restaurants that have been around for ages like La Risata in the Bukit Damansara area:
(It has been around for YEARS - no small feat in the fickle, dog eat dog F&B world)
(Thanks for the great reminder TNG! Hope we can do dinner again soon...)
It's definitely not lavishly decorated but La Risata has a cosy ambience, and remains a pretty popular choice amongst people (esp. families) living in the area:
(Warning through: I have actually eaten here a couple of times through the years, but forgot to blog about it - Anyway, sometimes they can mess up orders when there are too many people, etc, but the service was ok that night when I went there with my friend Z, TNG and her darling Unka....)
That night we started off with the Pizza Vegetali (RM 25++):
The thin (wood fire baked) crust of the pizza was crispy, and quite generously topped with pesto, pine nuts and slices of grilled vegetables - not bad.
(I am too much of a carnivore to truly appreciate this though - haha...)
Next up, the Zuppe di Pesce (Seafood Soup)(RM 30++)
Yummy.
Although it was just a teeny weeny bit fishy (really, just a small bit - almost negligible), I really liked this hearty soup filled with all kinds of seafood.
(It may seem a bit expensive, but I think it's fairly priced considering the amoung of seafood that was in it...)
We alo tried the house speciality - Spaghetti ala Risata (RM 31++)
Simply put, this is baked Seafood Marinara, and boy, they do it well here - robust, tart tomato base (yay! Not sweet) with a fairly generous mix of seafood matched well with the surprisingly al dente pasta.
I was still endeavoring in my effort to eat more fish so I had the Pan fried Mullet in Tomato Sauce (RM 36++):
(Mullet fish, not the red neck Mullet hairstyle... Haha...)
Overall, not bad.
The pan fried fish had a slight crust and was fairly tender but just slightly overcooked. Again, the tomato based sauce was nice - making this dish an enjoyable meal.
Ah, calorific desserts! Once shared, I supposed the sin is shared too, right? :)
The 4 of us shared the Meringue with Raspberries, Red Currant and Fresh Cream (RM 15++) and the Tiramisu (RM 14++):
Both were fairly good:
- the crispy, sweet meringue matched well with the topping of smooth cream and sour berry sauce, and
- the tiramisu was creamy and not too sweet, but unfortunately didn't have any (alcoholic) kick.
(And again, they were decently priced - I still find it amazing that some restaurants can charge >RM20++ for a simple Tiramisu...)
Ah, La Risata, I shall not forget you so easily again! :)
(Have already eyed some pizzas and pastas that I want to try the next round)
So, it's: Wide array of decently priced Italian food in the Bukit Damansara area BUT watch out, if I remember, it can be quite packed on Saturday nights - better to book ahead of time.....
Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:
La Risata Ristorante Italiano @ Damansara Heights, KL
128, Jalan Kasah, Medan Damansara, KL
Taste: 6
Ambience : 6
Service : 6
Price** : RM 50++ per person
Parking: Limited***
Website: Click here
** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
***Very few spots around the shoplot area, but you can opt to just park by the roadside I guess...
Telephone No.: 03-2095 9572
Opening Hours: 12noon - 2.30pm, 6.30pm - 10.30pm
(BTW, they have a branch in Ampang - Address: 26 Pesiaran Ampang 55000 Kuala Lumpur, Tel.: 03-4252 6269)
NO PORK SERVED
OTHER REVIEWS:
- w-i-n-n-i-e in her P00H's world
- ling239の咖啡花园
- Tummy Thoughts
- After Giovanni
- sooyindotcom
TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Jalan Kasah, Damansara Heights, Medan Damansara, La Risata, Italian, KL, Kuala Lumpur
Posts
The pasta looks pretty good, Hey, check with you, which Italian restaurant would you say is the top choice...
ReplyDeleteOh how ironic. Husband and I just had dinner there on Saturday with my mother- and brother-in-law. Dropped in without booking, but it was during the match between ManU & Chelsea, and La Risata doesn't have a TV, so easy to get a table then!
ReplyDeleteMy impression of La Risata is that it tries to stay true to authentic Italian kampung food. Hence why even the restaurant decor is very "kampung" a la Itali, lah. If you're expecting the Americanized Italian fare that has been popularized by such places as Pizza Hut and Domino's, you might just be disappointed.
The food is definitely very strongly flavoured (and the overcooking is very "rusticated"). The fish is unapologetically fishy and the meat is likewise pungent. The pannacotta is just the best I ever had.
to Nyonya Chef:
ReplyDeleteSo far, I really like Sassorosso (in Lorong Yap Kwan Seng).
:)
Go try it if you haven't yet. Then tell me if you like it too.
(Better still, take me with you!)
to Hani:
Ooh. Haven't tried the Pannacotta there yet...
(Yay! Something to look forward to!)
Yeah... Sat night is the worst! Remember parking my car about 500m away near the housing area & had to walk to the area under heavy rain :(
ReplyDeletei still like this place too! i like the pizzas!
ReplyDeleteIt's been around for yonks, which stands as a testament for it's food ;) I distinctively remember them having more rice dishes though! Hmmm.. Must go back again soon ;)
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to visit this place, but am always lured by Vintry's next door.
ReplyDeleteNext time, I shall make it a point to eat at La Risata. ;P
to thule aka leo:
ReplyDeleteOh no... You poor thing! :(
I hope you didn't fall sick after that...
to ciki:
Yeah, the pizza is yummy! :)
(Worth every ounce of carb! Haha...)
to kheng leong:
Rice dishes? Oh, well I think I did spot some risotto dishes on th menu - must go back to try it soon too... :)
to Bangsar-bAbE:
Don lie - you never went there because got no pork, right? :P
Ahhh... memang lama tak pergi. Kena berkembali ke tempat ini.
ReplyDeleteDo they serve muscles, i meant Mussels?
to qwazymonkey: Ooooh... I wish that was on the menu! ;)
ReplyDeleteto thule aka leo:
ReplyDeleteOh no... You poor thing! :(
I hope you didn't fall sick after that....
to ciki:
Yar yar, the pizza is so yummy! :)
to kheng leong:
Ooh rice dishes? *am carb addict*
Was too distracted by all the other dishes to notice - must go back soon to try it too! :)
to bangsar-babe:
LOL. You never went because they La Risata doesn't serve pork izzit? :P
I love anythin w pesto so that pizza was wht i ordered the moment we got a table.! LOL.
ReplyDeleteyup, atr visit is a must - wan to try the risotto & pannacotta!
to TNG:
ReplyDeleteWell, pesto is yummy! :)
I used to slather it on everything when I was studying in Melb.
(Toasted pesto, cheese & bacon sandwich is yummy....)