‘La milanesa’ is a dish that is well-travelled. Originating from Italy and bearing great resemblance to the Wiener Schnitzel of Austria, it is said that it took on its current amalgamation after being brought to Milan by Austrian troops who were fighting in the Napoleonic wars. During the periods of great migration from Italy to South America in the late 18th Century, the milanesa found a new home in Argentina, where it asserted itself as a staple form of the breaded and flattened piece of either veal, chicken, pork and even the humble aubergine. Like with a lot of Argentine cuisine, it took on its own personality with the addition of ham, cheese and tomato on top. It is rumoured that this occurred after a chef burnt a milanesa, not wanting to throw it away; he covered it with the ingredients that we come to associate with the classic milanesa today.

Now in 2024, the milanesa once again returns to Europe, Valencia specifically, with the opening of the restaurant ‘Mila’ (in  C/ Conde Altea) by Roberto Furchi and Andrea Sblano with milanesa as the star of the show. Wanting to fill a milanesa-sized gap in the market following the boom of empanadas, Mila has aimed to combine respect and innovation to bring forth the milanesa for the modern age.

Backed up by Argentinean chefs Germán Carrizo and Carito Lourenço, Mila is put in a strategic position to bring the best milanese for Valencian taste buds through their in-depth knowledge of Argentine cuisine. A dish that is certain to set you up for the day or destroy any hunger, Mila is championing their own Milanesa, the ‘Mila’, prepared with roasted peppers, fresh tomatoes, basil and Parmesan cheese, alongside many other variations with notable mentions including the truffled Mila, a traditional milanesa served with black truffle béchamel sauce, a very decadent choice indeed.

Report by Sebastian Garraway

Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’

MILA (RESTAURANTE ARGENTINO)

C/ Conde Altea, 39

L’Eixample

46005

Valencia