Once in a while, the palate yearns for a change. Not because you stopped enjoying your daily meals, but because you’d like to kick things up a notch. For us, that hankering calls for a quick trip to an Italian joint. This time around, we trekked to Publika’s Positano Risto to get our fix.
The restaurant first welcomed customers back in 2017 in Singapore. The Malaysian edition quickly followed, opening its doors in upscale Publika in just a year. Home to many other buzzy restaurants—therefore is flocked by many food connoisseurs—it’s no wonder that Positano Risto joined the ranks.
One thing to know about Positano Risto: Though they no longer have their Halal certification, they updated their menu with Italian nomenclatures, and they guarantee that the kitchen and their supply chain remain Muslim-friendly. So if you’re accustomed to pairing your favourite Italian dishes with your choice of vino, that might be something you have to skip here.
With a cosy ambience that can accommodate both an intimate date and a family sit-down, the restaurant can easily become a staple in your monthly agenda. The sizeable menu, comprising over 10 antipasti options, hand-crafted pasta dishes, pizzas, and more, is going to keep you coming back here to sample everything that the restaurant has to offer. Between indoor seating and the option to go al fresco, we’d say that there’s plenty of flexibility here to fit any occasion.
But enough about the space; let’s get to the dishes—keep reading for our Positano Risto review, filled with our top picks from the restaurant.
When servers first brought out the Calamari Fritti, the scent wafting in the air was a real head-turner. Once on the table, it’s clear that the fresh calamari was fried to perfection. Coated with just enough batter so as to not overwhelm every bite, the rings are accompanied by fried golden zucchini that adds a crunch to the platter. Completing this symphony is the homemade tartar sauce, which has the perfect balance of richness and zing to keep us going. Since we arrived with an empty stomach, this was quickly finished.
As the resident pizza lover, I wouldn’t ever skip the opportunity to get one whenever possible—especially when the crust is made of fresh sourdough. For this, Positano Risto put forth their signature La Stella, an eight-pointed pizza that serves as the restaurant’s most premium option for pizza. The visual presentation alone was enough to consider it a winner throughout this tasting. Pepperoni, turkey ham, arugula, and homemade burrata cheese top the pizza, and the combination literally makes the tastebuds sing. Of the 11 pizzas on the menu, my experience with La Stella guarantees that I will be returning to try out the outstanding ten.
Another winner is the fragrant Ravioli All’ Aragosta. The dish is part of the restaurant’s handmade pasta offering, so expect a grander flourish from this side of the menu. Each plate arrives with seven delicately placed pasta pieces. Filled generously with slipper lobster (which is known to be sweeter than other lobster variants) and served in a lobster cream bisque sauce, the ravioli should be the go-to for any crayfish lover.
To wrap up the beautiful dinner, Positano Risto served us with their pièce de résistance: the classic Tiramisu. Served tableside, it was a show in its own right. Coffee-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone cream and meringue come together topped with dark chocolate shavings, and dusted with cocoa powder. The result? A heavenly, perfectly balanced dessert that is complementary to the rest of the evening. It was the ideal ending to an Italian feast.
Address: Lot 2, Block C1, Level G3, Publika Shopping Gallery, Jalan Dutamas 1, Solaris Dutamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Opening Hours: Opens daily from 11 am to 10 pm.
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