As we approached Casa Mia Italian Kitchen and Bar, a waiter smiled warmly, welcomed us in, and put away our umbrella. It was raining on a typical monsoon day.
The walls were lined with various imports from Italy, and the orange and yellow lighting gave the restaurant a cozy, warm feeling. Casa Mia (Italian for “My House”) lives up to its name with seemingly home-cooked Italian cuisine prepared with heart and care, serving authentic Italian dishes.
In a curated meal for Coconuts, Casa Mia served up a delicious five-course meal that left us feeling comforted, full, and eager for just one more bite.
Because head chef Mario Fraschini was out of the country on business, sous chef Myo Min Latt, previously of Kuala Lumpur’s award-winning Italian restaurant Nervivo, explained the menu for the afternoon.
“In traditional Italian kitchens, you don’t use additives like MSG or chicken powder. It’s about the ingredients and showcasing the wonderful products that we procure from local vendors and from Italy,” Myo Min Latt told Coconuts.
Compare: DiVino: Classic Italian made with skill and flair
The first course was a Pizza Crudo – a simple and delicious tomato and mozzarella pizza topped with rocket and Parma ham.
Next, Casa Mia showed us how Caesar salad is done: the lettuce, croutons, bacon bits, and the softly boiled egg were tied together by a creamy and rich salad dressing.
The Scialatielli – homemade pasta with seafood and a white wine and saffron sauce – was chewy and delicate, and the sauce was creamy and fragrant. Although delicious, there were only a few small clams and two baby-sized shrimps for a big dish.
Our favorite dish, the Pollo Alla Diavola, arrived last. Chef Myo Min Latt spent a full five minutes explaining how to get the chicken skin perfectly crispy, but after that, we were too busy digging in to listen to how he made the delicious honey-lemon sauce. Although the chicken was the star of the whole meal, the French fries deserve a special mention.
The perfect way to end the meal was with a classic tiramisu paired with a cappuccino.
The price of the five dishes came out to K63,500 (US$46.53). This would be relatively high for a two-person meal in Yangon, but this meal would have been more than filling for three people. We left feeling stuffed, despite eating only a handful of bites from each dish.
Our conclusion: Casa Mia is a great choice for a casual night out, or a formal business lunch, serving authentic Italian fare at affordable prices compared to L’Opera or DiVINO.
Casa Mia is located on the ground floor of Sule Square in Kyauktada Township. The menu can be found on the restaurant’s Facebook page, which also provides updates on promotions throughout the year.
Reservations can be made by calling 09 964 348881.
Casa Mia serves an Executive Lunch set for K12,000 (US$8.80). The entrées change almost daily.
