It's always cause for celebration when a decent new destination for Italian fare unfurls - Luretta is a place for hams, cheese, pastas, wine & more, with produce brought in from Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany & elsewhere across Italy to ensure authenticity. This deli-restaurant is tucked inside Isetan's department store in 1 Utama, but it's reputedly run independently by the Sassolini brothers from Cesena; they weren't around when we visited, but their affable team keeps things humming along at a brisk clip.
Luretta's platter of mixed cold cuts (RM39) works for sharing, but for a more distinctive order, try one of the sandwiches or folded pizzas, made with Italian piadina flatbread & interesting fillings. Our sandwich showcased a successful combo of Parma ham, rocket leaves & traditional Squacquerone, a soft, full-fat cow's milk cheese (RM27). The folded pizza (crescioni) came stuffed with a rustic mix comprising bits of savoury pork sausage, lots of creamy mashed potatoes & slivers of onions (RM25).
For hot, hearty Italian comfort food, spaghetti heaped with tender Italian sausage meat & green peas in cream sauce (RM26) is enjoyable, though its heaviness makes it best suited for two customers. Our favourite here is probably the porchetta (RM35) - fatty, moist & robustly seasoned, this boneless pork roast should prove irresistible to the final glorious, guilty-indulgence bite.
Complement your meal with Tuscan craft beer, aromatic & smooth, or Emilia-Romagna organic wine, with a surprising number of varieties available by both glass & bottle (averaging out at RM30/RM160). And if you're inclined to shop, Luretta's shelves are stocked with everything from baby artichokes & giant green olives to red pesto sauce, gluten-free pasta to organic coffee.
Luretta D.O.P. Italian Deli
Isetan Eat Paradise, Second Floor, 1 Utama, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 017-293-0521
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