(This post is brought to you by Pizza Brava)

The smell of freshly baked pizza greeted me as I stepped into Pizza Brava – a unique pizza outlet located in Desa Sri Hartamas – a good sign that I was in for a good meal.  

As I took in the tantalizing aromas of freshly baked pizzas, my eyes zeroed in on two classic Vespas parked inside the outlet. I say parked instead of placed because the Vespas are not there just for show. Restaurant owner, Leon, informs me that he sometimes takes them out for a drive. “I have road tax for both of my Vespas, and I occasionally take them out for a ride or to fill petrol. These are classic Vespas, one is from 1965 and the other is from 1969. I have one more on the way, a 1951 model,” he tells me proudly.

Pizza Brava Ambience

As I admired the baby blue and bright red Vespas, my eyes began to roam around the quaint little outlet, taking in the vintage black and white photographs on the wall, the imported wood tables, the rows of wine, Pellegrino bottles on the shelf, bottles containing sizzling red chillies infused with olive oil on the tables, the open pasta kitchen at the back, the fancy espresso machine behind the bar and finally, the impressive wood fire oven located right in front of the restaurant where all the delicious pizzas are baked to perfection. Any pizza lover will know that nothing can compare to baking a pizza in a wood fire oven. The oven helps retain and expand all the wonderful flavours of a pizza while cooking it in no time. Sadly, not many outlets believe in using a wood fire oven.

One thing that struck me as I took my seat was how ‘homely’ the place felt. According to Leon, the concept behind Pizza Brava was to create a place where everyone felt at home and welcomed. “I always liked the little pizza cafes in Italy and I wanted to emulate that idea here in Malaysia.”

Pizza Brava from the Beginning

As I spoke to Leon, I learnt that Pizza Brave initially begin its humble beginnings as a kiosk in a popular food court in Hartamas, Hartamas Square. Business soon flourished as more and more people started to discover the unique taste of Pizza Brava. Eight years later in 2003, the first Pizza Brava outlet opens.

Leon, the friendly owner of Pizza Brava tells me he has a background in engineering, but opening a pizza restaurant was something he always wanted to do. “I studied Mechanical Engineering but even as a student I’ve always wanted to open my own food outlet, specifically a pizza outlet. My vision was to have a pizza outlet that would make anyone feel as if they were having a meal in Italy!”  Kuala Lumpur may not resemble Italy, but eating in Pizza Brava will definitely make one feel they’ve been to the European continent thanks to the food.

Leon tells me that as a student, he used to work part time in another established outlet in Kuala Lumpur specialising in pizzas. “I was only a bartender, but every opportunity I got, I would steal into the kitchen to talk to the chefs and learn how to make the perfect pizza.”

Pizza Brava Menu

The main specialty at Pizza Brava is its ability to produce delicious, mouth-watering pizzas thanks to its wood fire oven. The extensive menu features 23 types of pizzas which come in 10 and 12 inches. That is a lot to choose from! The house specialty and also the best seller is the ‘Pizza Brava,’ which is deliciously topped with beef pepperoni, cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, capsicum and olives, but I personally took a liking to the ‘Trio’. Meat lovers will definitely appreciate the generous topping of meat and cheese as it bodes well with the crispy and crunchy thin crust pizza.

Pizzas aside, the outlet also specialises in delicious al dente pastas! Pasta lovers will definitely enjoy the 18 different types of pasta on offer. I personally enjoyed the Spaghetti al Pesto with its generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and pine nuts. Yummy!

The menu also boast a variety of starters, meat and seafood entrees,  desserts, coffees and espressos, teas served in a pot, soft drinks, fruit juices, beer and wines.

Pizza Brava Prices

Besides the delicious offering of food, one can’t help but appreciate the super affordable prices listed on the menu. The starters are all priced within RM20, while the pastas and main dishes are all within RM40+. The pizzas are all priced between RM18-RM28, and desserts don’t cost more than RM12 (the Crème Brulee priced at RM10 and Tiramisu RM12 is a must try).

A glass of wine is priced at RM26, while beers (Tiger, Heineken, Guinness, Corona, and Carlsberg) are priced within RM12-RM18.

The outlet also introduced a special lunch time offer, which is an offer working people looking for something affordable and delicious can take advantage of, as it runs between Monday-Friday, from 11am-3pm. The set lunch allows you to choose a salad or soup to go with your choice of main dish, with a free flow of ice lemon tea. All this is priced from RM12.90 only. To make things easier, you can also choose between four different set meals to share between two to five people. The menu for these includes starters, pizzas and pastas, all priced between RM49.90 (2-3people) -RM83.90 (4-5 people).
 

So the next time you get a hankering for some mouth-watering Italian wood fire pizza, or perfectly sumptuous al dente pasta, then do make a trip down to Pizza Brava. Whether it’s a night out with your friends, loved one or your family, dining at Pizza Brava will definitely make it an enjoyable meal.

Click here for more information on Pizza Brava

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