This Italian restaurant with the very happy name La Risata – in Italian this means ‘the laugh’ – is no newbie in the gastronomical landscape of Kuala Lumpur. Its first outlet in Ampang opened in 1996 and a few years later the restaurant in Damansara Heights followed. An icon since many years, La Risata has been synonymous with good Italian food.
Inside the Damansara Heights restaurant, you can easily imagine being in the charming streets of Rome, Naples, or Venice. With its red brick walls and interior defining timber, the place oozes a warm Italian ambiance. There is a terrace at the front, but we thought it was a bit too close to the road and parked vehicles, hence we opted for a table inside.
Antipasti and more
Upon entrance, we were greeted warmly by Nurul, the amiable manager of La Risata in Damansara Heights. She guided us to our table and started to bring out our foods, one by one. The appetisers were a great selection from the vegetarian menu: Insalata Portobello, La Parmigiana e melanzane, and gnocchi al gamberi, being little potato dumplings with prawn pieces in herb butter. My favourite dish hands down was the parmigiana – a blissful mixture of baked eggplant with two types of cheese… So yum!
Pizza, risotto and more
Next up was a Pizza Bianco, very easy to bite into and offering a unique twist with its white base and delightful toppings of dried beef slices and truffle cream.
We started to feel quite full, but we were (luckily) not spared, and next up salmon ravioli and risotto with lobster and saffron graced our table. Both dishes simply melted in our mouth, but our undisputed favourite was the ravioli. So tasty!
We thought we had no more room for dessert, but Nurul insisted – a decision we didn’t regret. The panna cotta with strawberry sauce and the cannoli with a fantastic creamy zesty filling both went perfectly down with an espresso.
Amidst the culinary feast, our entrée of thinly sliced bread and olive tapenade felt somewhat subdued, especially compared to the amazing dishes Nurul and her attentive staff brought out afterward. Nevertheless, our dining experience at La Risata was second to none and we can’t wait to come back to try more from the menu.
25 years strong at La Risata with a special dish
La Risata recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and for this occasion, a special dish was created: a 25-layer lasagna! It’s still available at the restaurant, so be quick to make a reservation, if you don’t want to miss out.
Another dish that we noticed on the menu was a long-stretched pizza, with a variety of condiments on top. It looked delicious and we will definitely try that one on our next visit!
Useful info
For those planning to visit, reservations are recommended and can be made here. Parking tip: you’ll find parking space in the narrow lane behind the block. Especially on weekdays there will be plenty of parking spaces there.
At the table, one does not age – Italian proverb.
If you’re looking for local flavours with a twist, we like Beta KL.
We were invited by La Risata. As always, our opinions are honest and our own.
