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here are plenty of choices for Italian food in town, but not many will please diners seeking the real Italian flavor.

Italian Ambassador to Indonesia Roberto Palmieri said that some restaurants have misinterpreted the simplicity of Italian food.

“I’ve been to all the Italian restaurants, none of them are real good,” he said.

Created with his support, Il Gusto Italian Food Center sets to straighten out these misinterpretations, and present the authentic Italian passion for food to your dining table.

Il Gusto, which means taste, offers authentic Italian cuisine for those looking for the original flavor.

“We try to bring the real gusto, the real Italian taste,” said Luca Chiericati, supervisor at Il Gusto restaurant.

A homemade touch brings this authentic flavor.

The two-story building’s decor evokes the atmosphere of an Italian town. Inside is a courtyard typical of Italian homes, with a traditional boat painted in the national colors of red, white and green stripes in the middle.

An antique Vespa scooter on the corner stairs hails the Italian pride and passion for engines.

Arches rise to the second floor in common Italian provincial architecture motifs. It houses a traditional market, like it would in Italian streets where you find almost all you need to make your Italian cuisine.

And it’s not just retail goods on sale here, since about 60 percent of what is for sale is used in the restaurant’s kitchen. There’s also a meat shop where guests can choose the perfect steak for the kitchen to cook.

The background Italian music and the bright walls keep the second floor light. Laid out like a balcony, it is easy to imagine tasting the superb meals while looking out over old buildings of an Italian town.

The choices of pasta, pizza and steak on “Il menu de Il Gusto” are all enticing, and get the appetite in gear. The menu has most of the favorite dishes originating from all over Italy — but it is most popular for its pasta.

As with most traditional Italian restaurants, a complimentary basket of bread and butter is served while waiting for the main dishes.

With Bueno Appetito to start, the casarecci alla carbonara (pasta with smoked beef, egg, cream and parmesan) immediately lived up to the promised authentic Italian taste.

The combination of pasta, cream, meat and cheese were proportioned just right, with no single flavor dominating another.

The main course petti di pollo al marsala con purea (chicken breast with marsala wine served with vegetables and mashed potatoes) was just as amazing.

Rich in flavor, the chicken was tender and saucy, while the mashed potatoes had a great cheesy and creamy taste.

The next treat, pizza funghi (mushroom pizza), surely made the night. The thin crust was covered with meat and fresh mushrooms melted on a layer of cheese.

While some prefer to complete an Italian feast with wine, the homemade lemon iced tea is a delicious and
refreshing alternative, and the Italian chocolate and fresh fruit pudding topped off the meal perfectly.

Every menu item spells out the Italian passion for simplicity. Not too much but just perfect — every element in balance, with no need to put extra cheese or chili, as the kitchen has prepared each meal perfectly.

“It’s really simple stuff, but well made,” Chiericati said.

It is. The restaurant offers real Italian taste — a piece of Italy in the heart of Jakarta.

— Photos by Wibisono Notodirdjo The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.