[REVIEW] Mamma Rosy: Food From The Hands of an Italian Mamma
There's something about the world of Italian cooking that truly captivates me; ask any Italian their opinion about food, the response will always be something like 'my mother cooks it better'. This probably rings true for any home cooking, but for me, it tells a lot something about the culture of food in Italy. The culture of food that's deeply rooted to its centuries of rich history, dating back to the roman times.
Like any big capital cities in the world, it's definitely not hard to find good Italian food in Jakarta. From the cheap and warung style pasta restaurants that serve pasta with ingredients that's nothing like how they do it in Italy, to fancy haute cuisine Italian restaurants that fly truffles and smoked roes ingredients, as well as the chef, from best parts of the world. But I'm sure many agrees that no matter where you are, you'll bound to love home-cooked meal more. I had never really had a true home-cooked mamma style Italian cooking. The kind you only see in movies and read in books, hearty meals that are cooked with a whole of lot of heart using recipes that have been passed from generations to another, with utmost pride, until I came to Mamma Rosy.
The story of Mamma Rosy started with Daniel Vigone, an Italian expat that has been living in Jakarta for over 10 years. Daniel, whose family has been in the restaurant business since after the World War II, has always dreamed about introducing his grandmother's and mother's authentic Ligure cooking to the city.
When in 2013 Daniel found a big house in Kemang Raya that he saw fit to be turned into the restaurant of his dream. Before long, the whole Vigone family emigrated to Indonesia to dedicate their lives for the restaurant; especially mamma Rosy who became the icon of the restaurant and who now you can always see busying herself in the kitchen, making everything from the handmade Pasta, the sauces, the decadent tiramisu.
“Our food is actually very simple,” Stefania Vigone, one of Rosy's daughter explains, “Liguria is where the mountain meets the sea, so our food is a mix of seafood and ‘mountain’ food. We have a lot of dishes which is very specific to our region, but we also have the general Italian favourites like pasta carbonara, arrabbiata, etc. so it’s a mixture of all that. But everything in the menu is our family’s recipe." Stefani added.
One of those that's specific to the region is the Vitello Tonnato, a typical food of the northwestern Italy that consists of finely sliced roast beef tenderloin with smooth tuna puree and dotted with capers. An interesting combination that rings true to the Ligurian 'mountain & sea combination' philosophy. Though because i'm not a big fan of tuna, what delighted me the most was discovering their awesome focaccia to be had with the Vittelo Tonnato.
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Mamma Rosy's complimentary focaccia
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My degustation continues with the Ravioli con Aioli, fried handmade spinach and beef ravioli with aioli. To me, the aioli steals the show here. Usually never a fan of thick & creamy condiments, I find this emulsified olive oil authentically light and addictive.
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| Ravioli con Aioli |
When in an Italian restaurant, you can't skip the world's most popular flatbread, the pizza. I opted for the wood fire oven baked 'Karnivora' Pizza, with smoked beef, garlic ground beef, and paprika. The toppings are as simple as I wanted it to be, and the bread perfectly chewy with the perfect thickness. Molto bene!
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| 'Karnivora' Pizza |
Next comes the other true test of great Italian cooking, the home made pasta. Stefani picked for me another signature, the truffle tagliolini, or freshly handmade tagliolini (a type of pasta shape that is traditional to Liguria) with leek, parmigiano regiono cheese, and truffle-infused oil. Let's just say that I Mamma Rosy's incredibly al dente pasta has changed my perception of the real home made pasta.
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| truffle tagliolini |
I also tried their delicate yet flavourful filetto alla Ligure; oven-cooked dori fillet with white wine, capers, tomatoes, and black olives. Another one of the many Ligurean specialty you can find in the restaurant. And last but not least, who could say no to a rustic and perfectly made Tiramisu.
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| filetto alla Ligure |
There's nothing better way to really understand one's cooking, than to understand the cook's roots and, if possible, her history. Not too often have I had the chance to get to know a restaurant as I have been given the chance to get to know Mamma Rosy--both the restaurant and the family behinds it.
For anyone that loves food and loves learning about food and the culture behind it, a place like Mamma Rosy is a perfect example of where to start. Where else in Jakarta, or anywhere really, you can eat great food where the person whose name is patented as the name of the restaurant, still cooks in the kitchen and will gladly hug you when you give her a loud ciao mamma!
MammaRosy Restaurant
Jl. Kemang Raya 58, 12730 South Jakarta
Tel. +62 (0) 21-71791592
Facebook: @MammaRosy
Instagram: @MammaRosy_jkt
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