It's hard to deny that Mozza is one of Bangkok's most-buzzed-about new eateries at this moment. The 100-seater, set next to EmQuartier's ground floor courtyard, has been packed from the first hour it opened its doors on Dec 10.
Mozza was founded by a group of restaurateurs behind the success of Cocotte and Pesce. It offers Neapolitan-style comfort fare, the likes of pizza and pasta prepared from classic home-style recipes under the culinary direction of Cocotte's French executive chef Eriko Van de Wolf and Mozza's Italian head chef Samuel Alvisi.
Complementing the heartfelt cuisine is the cheerful communal vibe of the restaurant's semi-open-air dining space decked out to mimic a cosmopolitan bistro in the West.
On the day we visited, the crowd seemed a lovely mix of local foodies, international families and expats.
Kicking off our meal with truffle beef tartare (690 baht) proved a great idea. The classic French starter boasted naturally flavourful hand-cut Australian Angus beef and was perfected by a helping of Italian fresh truffle, Parmesan cheese, extra-virgin olive oil and cured egg yolk.
Following the super scrumptious beef tartare was a simple platter of burrata accompanied by Parma ham and sweet mango (620 baht). The sumptuously round and wobbly ball of the artisan Apulia cheese, its supply gummy skin revealed inside a thickened mozzarella cream centre, went marvellously with delicate slices of Parma ham, and was lent a sweet, fruity dash by the mango.
The restaurant specialises in handmade fresh pasta. Among its most popular dishes is the trofie tartufate (840 baht).
It's a very aromatic and comforting dish featuring Northern Italian-style hand-twisted trofie pasta tossed with morsels of braised beef cheek, sautéed mushrooms, freshly shaved black truffle and Parmesan cheese.
Beef lasagne might be easy to find in Bangkok, but not all of it tastes good, let alone follows authentic Italian recipes.
So when I learnt that Mozza's lasagna alla Bolognese (440 baht) is prepared according to the age-old recipe of chef Alvisi's grandma, I knew I couldn't miss a chance to give it a try.
The homely-looking dish, featuring paper-thin pasta layered with generous portions of gooey beef sauce and cheese, to my utmost delight, proved among the best in town.
The restaurant offers a dozen options of pizza from its imported Neapolitan oven to exhibit a characteristically charred and bubbly crust.
We had the Mangia fuoco (680 baht), named after a fierce fictional character in The Adventures Of Pinocchio and literally means "fire-eater".
This restaurant's best-seller boasted a peppery hot topping, a reddish blend between 'nduja (spicy spreadable pork salumi), ventricina (spiced salami) and chillies. The fiery yet tasty pizza was lent a creamy balance by dollops of burrata, resulting in one very addictive delicacy.
Stick to the Mangia fuoco or other classics, such as the truffle-mushroom calzone and eight-cheese pizza, if profound taste bud pleasure is what you're after.
Those seeking Instagram extravagance, however, should order the Lupicante (1,390 baht), featuring on its pie crust a chubby whole lobster with orange-hued bisque sauce, mozzarella and green peas.
I found the Lupicante, which means "lobster", enjoyable. Yet, taste-wise, it was quite subdued compared to the others.
Mozza is among those eateries you visit as much for the desserts as for the savoury dishes. Don't miss its aromatic, rich and smooth house-made gelato (160 baht), or the gianduia praline lava cake with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce (320 baht).
The service wonderfully matched the overall vibe, with the staff super-brisk, knowledgeable, friendly, yet never too fawning.
