It’s pork to dig into with gusto at the Mosto Wine Bar & Restaurant at One KL, just across the road from the Mandarin Oriental. The menu showcases classic Italian food, mainly pork dishes. Among them are Porchetta or roasted pork with herbs, Cotechino or Stuffed Pig’s Trotters served with lentils and sautéed spinach and Costolette allo Spiedo which is Italian-style spit roasted pork ribs with butter and sage.
Gran Tagliere — signature Italian cold cuts with assorted cheeses, honey and breads
And you can’t ask for a better antipasti than Gran Tagliere, a platter of six types of Italian cold cuts like parma, iberico, mortadella, bresaola, salami and lardo, four types of cheeses, among them, truffle and pecorino, as well as three types of bread including foccacia. There’s honey and a blueberry conserve which pair so well with the cheeses. Together with wine, you are set for a leisurely lunch, or dinner. It was my first time tasting lardo, a slippery smooth and decadent cured pork fat from the back of the animal..
The Gran Tagliere (RM99) makes for a great sharing with three or four people before the pasta and main courses.
Pasta e Fagioli, an Italian bean and pasta soup
We moved on to Pasta e Fagioli (RM28), an Italian bean and pasta soup. Tagliatelle pasta with cannellini beans, kidney beans, pork belly and sliced pork made for a thick, filling soup. But the Spaghetti Aglio Olio with Roasted Pork Belly (RM37) shone with the almost Chinese siu yoke with crispy crackling.
Spaghetti Aglio Olio with roasted pork belly
Risotto Con Salsiccia E Vino Rosso or risotto in a red wine reduction with Italian sausage
Risotto Con Salsiccia E Vino Rosso (RM48) or risotto in a red wine reduction with Italian sausage turned out to be a trifle salty, though the texture of the rice was right.
Hard to fault these juicy, tender pork ribs roasted on the spit
We had grilled pork ribs in two styles. The first was the Costolette di Maiale (RM78) or grilled pork ribs with barbecue sauce, and the other Costolette Allo Spiedo (RM78) or Italian style spit roasted pork with butter and sage.
Costolette di Maiale — Grilled pork ribs with barbecue sauce, served with roasted potatoes and salad
The meat was so flavourful, tender and juicy in the spit roasted one, and I liked the buttery roasted potatoes too. I think if it had been a nice char siu sauce I would have loved the grilled pork ribs with barbecue sauce. However, this sauce overwhelmed the meat with its sticky sweetness. If you enjoy eating with your fingers, go for the spit roasted pork ribs.
Hamburger Di Maiale — with pork patty, pork bacon, grilled pineapple, lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese & caramelized onions & fries on the side
The Mosto Burger (RM38) has a 180g pork patty, crispy pork bacon, grilled pineapple, lettuce, tomatoes and cheddar cheese and caramelised onions in a charcoal bun, with fries and salad on the side. The charcoal bun is definitely not Italian; perhaps ciabatta or any Italian bread would have served it better. Still it’s hard to fault this combination of juicy pork patty, bacon, caramelised onions and pineapple.
Loved this Tiramisu
A delectable Tiramisu and Molten Chocolate Cake were our desserts, but other options include Panna Cotta and Truffle Cheese with honey and Sardinian flatbread.
Molten Chocolate Cake
Mosto Wine Bar & Restaurant is on the Ground Floor, ONE KL, Jalan Pinang; call +603 2386 602. The interior of the restaurant features woody tones from the chengal dining tables on a dark marble floor. There is floor-to-ceiling wine cellar and a spacious outdoor terrace.