Ristorante L’Opera

Ask any KL-ite to name the best Italian restaurant in town and chances are they would pick any one from the *Piccolo Mondo’s chain of restaurants. Even higher are the chances that most of them would cite Ristorante L’Opera, the brand’s flagship outlet located right in the heart of the city. Needing no introduction to city dwellers, Ristorante L’Opera has been considered the crème de la crème of Kuala Lumpur’s crop of Italian restaurants for over a decade. The secret does not just lie in the variety of dishes served up, but also in the innovative way in which they are prepared, presenting an interesting contemporary twist to classic Italian recipes.

Where is it?

Forming part of Piccolo Hotel, Ristorante L’Opera is situated on the ground floor of Piccolo Galleria, right along Jalan Bukit Bintang’s lively Bintang Walk. Just a few steps away are Lot 10 Shopping Centre and Pavilion KL, as well as the city’s other prime shopping malls such as Sungei Wang Plaza and Berjaya Times Square. The Bukit Bintang Monorail Station is also just minutes down the road.

Décor

Warm earthy tones dominate Ristorante L’Opera’s interior. Wooden slats cover its ceiling and dark cream walls surround the restaurant on three sides. Appointed with square wooden tables and plush fabric-lined chairs, tall French windows let in natural light.

Encompassing five main areas (The Pizza Bar, The Pasta Bar, The Deli Bar, The Patio and The Island), the restaurant features open-kitchen islands with interesting objets d’art displayed along the top, and marble countertops. On the pavement outside, right on Bintang Walk itself, is an elevated alfresco dining terrace called The Island, where patrons can enjoy their meals amidst the sights and sounds of bustling Bukit Bintang.

Atmosphere

Ristorante L’Opera’s earthy tones and subdued lighting gives a most welcoming, cosy atmosphere. The air is filled with the smells of freshly-baked bread and pizzas in the stone oven.

Due to its strategic location and eye-catching front, the restaurant never wants for patrons, especially during lunch and dinner times. Busiest during the weekend, it receives just as many walk-in customers as hotel guests.

Drinks

Ristorante L’Opera has an extensive drinks menu. Its wine list consists of a healthy selection of Italian red, white and sparkling labels, along with representatives from Chile, Australia and New Zealand, ranging from RM 130 to RM 285 per bottle. Other than that, a wide selection of liquors which includes Famous Grouse malt, Amaretto, Absolut Vodka and Jack Daniels Whiskey is also available, with the most expensive being Hennesy X.O. at RM 950 per bottle, as well as a handful of local and imported beers.

The restaurant also has a huge selection of cocktails, ranging from classic favourites such as Margaritas and Bloody Marys, to signature concoctions with intriguing names such as ‘Death by Chocolate’ and ‘Adios Mofo’.

Food

Our review starts at around 15:00, so with the mad rush of the lunch crowd out of the way, Ristorante L’Opera’s Executive Chef, Derrar Hassane, is able to spare some time to explain each of the dish served. No stranger to Italian cuisine, the well-travelled chef believes in making food that is not just edible, but also – and most importantly – memorable.

There’s plenty to choose from on the pork-free menu, from salads and sandwiches to pizzas and pastas. We are presented with four of the restaurant’s signature dishes: rolli di salmon al mascarpone (rolled smoked salmon slices with mascarpone cheese, baby greens and lemon dressing), pollo allozafferano (baked chicken strips marinated in saffron and herbs and garnished with tomatoes and French beans), agnolotti (jumbo dumplings stuffed with pumpkin, honey and walnut drizzled with creamy gorgonzola sauce and garnished with fried basil and balsamic vinegar) and Fiorentina pizza, a classic Italian favourite with spinach, eggs, Mozarella cheese and chicken topping.

The salmon simply melts in the mouth with a subtle smokey flavour. The saffron gives the tender chicken strips a unique, tangy flavour, which goes down well with the rest of the group. The dumplings are soft and have a pleasantly sweet flavour, perfectly complemented by the creamy gorgonzola dressing, and the pizza’s light and crispy base brings out the flavours of its toppings to the maximum instead of interfering with them – just how a pizza should be.

Service

There are not many diners around at that hour, so our dishes are served within 15 minutes of our arrival. We like the personal touch provided by Chef Hassane and we have been told that he has taken the trouble to ensure that we get to sample a perfect set of dishes which not only complement each other in terms of taste, but also best showcases the restaurants’ offerings.

With the kind of ambiance, food and service one can find in Ristorante L’Opera, it is no wonder that this restaurant remains one of the city’s top culinary choices. If you love Italian food, then this is definitely the place for you; if you don’t, then this restaurant just might convert you.

*On 8 January 2009, Piccolo Mondo was awarded The BrandLaureate SMEs Chapter Awards 2008 for Brand Excellence in Food & Beverage for Italian Food.