KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 — The name Mauceri is already associated with fresh pasta which Paolo Mauceri and his wife Yan started selling from home. 

They have now opened a pop-up restaurant inside the chilled confines of Kloe Hotel, along Jalan Bukit Bintang, which is open from Thursday to Sunday. 

Currently, they’re running this pop-up till the end of February 2026. 

Even though it’s been open since July, we only made it there recently. The place next to the hotel’s swimming pool is perfect for a leisurely meal with its laid-back setting and retro 80s tunes playing in the background. 

Weekends see families dine here with their little ones while weekdays see a spillover of people staying at the hotel. 

It’s the fresh pasta that shines here, where all shapes, sizes and even stuffed, are dressed up in various sauces. 

What elevates their pasta is it is extruded from a bronze cut die, which gives the pasta a rough, porous texture that allows the sauce to cling better to the pasta. 

It’s always the simplest dish that excels, like the Bucatini Cacio e Pepe (RM49) served with an egg yolk and finely grated pecorino. 

Mix it all up to amalgamate the egg yolk to create a yellow sauce that coats the strands of pasta. 

It’s easy to eat these strands that twirl beautifully on the fork, unlike slippery commercial pasta. 

Looks-wise, the Beef Tortelli with Parmesan Foam (RM60) resembles the night after a snowstorm as those nuggets of stuffed pasta are blanketed with a white, soft foam using Parmesan cheese. 

Once you find the tortelli, bite into it to find soft, stewed beef pumped up with a distinct beefy flavour. 

Crowd favourites include Prawn Linguine in a tomato based sauce while Linguine with Clams takes a butter garlic route to your stomach with those fresh molluscs. 

I sprang for the Gigli Pasta with Cavolo Nero (RM49), as it’s an out-of-the-box shape, resembling a frilly flower that captures the sauce. 

Perhaps paying tribute to the garden, those pretty pasta takes a green hue from the use of dark green kale leaves dotted with specks of red from chillies. 

It’s more of a good-for-you pasta that may not be everyone’s cup of tea though, so pick out one of those decadent pastas on the menu instead if you’re not up for an adventure.

From the appetisers list, their Puglian Burrata Garden Pea Salad (RM58) is on the same playing field as the freshly made pasta. 

Mix the wobbly burrata with the peas and pea shoots, as a pesto links everything together giving creaminess mingling with the sweetness from the peas and nuttiness from the pesto. 

Beetroot Soup (RM21), one of Mauceri’s signature items, gives you wholesomeness with every spoonful that gets a touch of creaminess from a dollop of creme fraiche and warmth from the spices used. 

Switch to a refreshing, light Bluefin Tuna Tartare (RM48) if you anticipate more eating ahead of you, as these cubes of pinkish-red tuna are taut and dressed with black pepper and a whisper of lemon oil. 

Leave room for some dolce as you wrap up the meal, like a tall looking Tiramisu (RM28) or the super refreshing Lemon Sorbet (RM16). 

The classic Italian dessert gets a makeover, served with homemade coffee sponge and nuts, crowned with a creamy mascarpone that threatens to spill out but maintains its elegant composure. 

Lemon Sorbet confined in a frozen lemon shell isn’t the puckering sour type that’ll make your eyes squeeze shut  with every spoonful, probably because it uses freshly squeezed lemons but it freshens up the palate, making it a perfect end to a meal here. 

Restaurant Mauceri 

First floor, Kloe Hotel

227, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 012-6334524

Instagram: @mauceri_kl

*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.