Mamma Rosy Osteria Italiana, Kemang

There is one particular restaurant that had been our target for a while, but we only could finally make a visit some days ago. We’ve been hearing so many great things and rave reviews about it, not only about the dishes, but also about the place itself. Located in Kemang Raya 58, Mamma Rosy is right in the middle of one of Jakarta’s culinary hot spots, making it easily accessible. The restaurant is apparently a big house, with many sections inside, each with their own uniqueness and functions. Built by the genuine Italian family, Mamma Rosy is famous for its Italian authentic homemade dishes made by Mamma Rosy herself. With the tagline: Gastronomia – Terrace Bar – Concept Store, I personally was very intrigued, and so I was so eager to try what this restaurant is about!

When we entered the place, we were surprised by the strong Balinese atmosphere and turned out that the house is indeed design with Balinese style. We arrived around 4pm, and because there was a staff meeting blocking any other area, we were seated in the main dining area, Saletta, which is the no-smoking area of the restaurant. Only later after that, we knew that the place is very big, and there are many other dining areas which we could have chosen. There is the outdoor portico just beside the Saletta, which looks pretty casual and comfortable, with the view of beautiful garden with small pond/pool in the center. And apparently, there is also dining area on the second floor overlooking the street of Kemang. And you can also watch how your pizzas are grilled, too bad I just knew about this later after our pizza was served! T__T

   

   

As stated earlier, we were seated in the Saletta, which is probably the most serious-looking dining area in the house. It was only 4pm that time, so practically we shared the lovely room with nobody else, so it was kind of romantic and private. XD Since we were still full from lunch, we decided to try some of their salad selections and a pizza to share. Our waitress was helpful and informative so it didn’t take long for us to decide despite of so many options offered!

It all started with a basket of complimentary bread basket, which sadly only consists of not-so-fresh focaccia and another kind of bread. I was expecting more selections of breads (and of course bigger quantity!) but well, I preferred to focus more on the little cute containers of olive oil and vinegar that came along with the basket.

Tomato, tuna chunks, onion, potato, boiled egg, black olives. The bowl screamed fresh even from the moment I saw it for the first time, and it was, indeed. The portion was like, HUGE, and that time, I finally understood why people say that Mamma Rosy’s dishes are considered affordable. I myself was shocked by the amount of ingredients used in the bowl, including the tuna chunks. On top of that, the black olives were simply the stars because they were served fully, as in not in any cuts or lesser. Bravo! And nothing can beat the taste of homemade Italian salad dressing which I totally experienced in this very bowl.

Boiled octopus with potatoes marinated in lemon herbs, and extra virgin olive oil. The octopus were well-boiled to become softer and chewable, cut into small pieces making them very easy to eat. I really appreciated the aromatic lemon herbs marination, so the octopus were not fishy at all. The generous amount of potatoes were just overwhelming, even for two person sharing (and telling you, we are BIG EATERS! XD), we couldn’t manage to finish the potatoes. A simple dish but truly impressive.

Tomato, mozzarella, basil, onion, tuna, garlic, chili, olive oil and potatoes. The pizza was very big, with nice thickness and crispy crusts. The toppings were again very generous, and I seriously just noticed that everything I ordered that day had something to do with potatoes, and honestly, I was getting a bit sick of them, LOL! The waitress recommended Karnivora, which is a meat lover pizza, but because we were afraid of getting too full, we ordered this one instead. This is probably the pizza which has the most mozzarella on it, amongst the ones that I have eaten until now! The tomato paste was extremely delicious, with right amount of sweetness and sourness, although it was a little bit too dry in my opinion. I think the pizza was great, but Mr. K said it was rather bland, so after suggesting him to sprinkle some salt, he approved that it was quite good. Just a matter of preference, I guess.

Grandma’s Recipe Pudding with Eggs, Amaretti biscuits and caramel sauce. Again, this was recommended by our waitress, and we were happy about it. The pudding was not like typical one, it was a bit harder and more solid. I was expecting something soft like custard pudding, but this one was good when combined with the bottom layer, which is the amaretti biscuit. What I loved about it is both of the layers are quite similar in consistency, although very much different in textures, resulting in a good combination of a unique pudding cake. The caramel sauce was sweet and addictive.

Basically, a nice and memorable experience in Mamma Rosy. Too bad it was raining when we went outside and we didn’t get the chance to take picture of the whole place, let alone enjoying some open sky from the second floor’s table. But I promise I am gonna coming back real soon to try more of the menu (pasta!) and the infamous Mamma Rosy’s tiramisu!