It’s easy enough to get caught up in the excitement after reading EatDrinkKL‘s glowing review of il Lido. It didn’t take much to convince Bald Eagle to go there with me. “You buying?” he asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief, knowing that I would agree because I wanted to go so badly. “Fine,” I said. “Oh, sweetheart, can you also pick me up from the office on the way to the restaurant?” the blackmailer pressed. “I don’t feel like driving in the jam.”
I should have let him starve that night when I found him sprawled on my timber floor.
**************
The amuse bouche was a slice of bluefin tuna, cured and served with balsamic vinegar, its texture slightly chewy, and its flavour subtle, probably from a young bluefin. Good start. As we looked around, a couple of tables were occupied, and the atmosphere was jovial. Service was stellar. As the wait staff hovered around with watchful eyes, I thought to myself that digging the nose wouldn’t be a wise move. I bustled with my GF1 instead, feeling thankful that I had brought a tiny camera instead of the bulky DSLR. I glanced up, and immediately someone came to my side. “I’d like some sparkling water, please,” I said. It came in an instant. I fluttered my eyelash, and someone appeared before me again. I felt like Aladdin. Service was that good. Not only were the staff helpful, they were friendly, courteous and knowledgeable too. Please God, make this last.
Our starter, a pan fried goose liver with saba wine must and sweet potato galette, came with two pieces of liver, fried such that the centres were still soft and melting, although it didn’t possess the requisite crisp surface that I liked. This did not deter from my enjoyment of the dish; the saba wine must tasted very much like vino cotto (I reckon it is probably similar) and it provided a fruity sweetness, complemented by the delicious sweet potato galette. The risotto with gorgonzola cheese was a simple, wholesome dish, bare and unadorned. Barring the intense flavour of the exquisite blue cheese (which you could either love or hate), the rice was soft on the outside but possessed a bite or a crunch, what one would call a perfectly cooked risotto. The shredded radicchio, such a simple vegetable, balanced the flavours of the dish.
Since the restaurant was only in its first week of operation, there appeared to be teething problems, one of which was the speed at which the dishes came out. It wasn’t much of an issue for us as we were happily caught up in our conversation to notice time pass by, but hey, we’re easy to please. The idle time allowed us to observe our surroundings; nice sleek padded seats which looked like Mademoiselle chairs by Kartell/Starck and the most gorgeous and recognisable Skygarden Lights by Marcel Wanders/Flos. One of the private rooms was decked with Louis Ghost chairs by Kartell/Starck. The walls were a mixture of textures, all dark, that allowed the focus to be on the food.
The pappardelle with goose liver, duck confit and shaved truffle was decadent. Cooked al dente, it was obvious that the pasta was made fresh. The piece de resistance was definitely the Sardinian roasted suckling pig. Three square pieces formed the meal, but it was a labour intensive process, starting with a 4-hour confit, followed by chilling, pressing and grilling. The result was the most tender pieces of pork with a thin layer of fat separating the crisp skin and the flesh, all meltingly delicious. The roast was served with sweet tart cranberries that cut through the richness of the dish. By this time, we were stuffed, and shared the creme brulee sampler, and while the servings were small, each mouthful packed a punch.
Helming the kitchen is Chef Samuele Alvisi who hails from Milan and has substantial experience in the F&B industry. Beppe de Vito, the handsome man behind il Lido in Singapore, is also currently around to ensure that there are minimal teething problems. For now, the rooftop lounge is not open yet, but once it is ready, I reckon that it will be an amazing place to chill out, what with the view of the Twin Towers in the distance.
Oh, my husband ended up kindly paying for the meal, so all was well that evening.
il Lido
Lot 183 Jalan Mayang (located directly opposite the Australian Embassy)
Off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng
50450 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2161 2291
Fegato d’Oca con Galletta di Patate Dolci e Salsa alla Saba
Pan Fried Goose Liver with Saba Wine Must and Sweet Potato Galette
Risotto al Gorgonzola e Radicchio con Salsa alle Nocciole
Gorgonzola Cheese and Radicchio Risotto with Hazelnut Sauce
Pappardelle all’Anitra e Fegato d’Oca
Pappardelle with Goose Liver, Duck Confit and Truffle Sauce
Maialino da Latte con Legumi Arrostiti e Salsa alle Prugne
Sardinian Roasted Suckling Pig with Plum Sauce
Combinazine di Creme Catalane
Creme Brule Sampler with Vanilla, Coffee, Pistachio and Strawberry
Simple and classic decor
Gorgeous photography, even hawter photos … 🙂 Love it!
Oops, your post was so good … that my brain stopped working . I meant gorgeous photography, even hawter dishes 😉
LOL Julian. Glad you like the pictures! See ya in a coupla weeks. 🙂
The food looks dreamy and your descriptions even dreamier, if possible.
P.S. Fab tie, Bald Eagle! Did our fasion-savvy AWOL get it for her hubby? 🙂
curiously enough, quite a few ppl have been asking me if this place also serves pizza. i initially didn’t even notice the absence of pizza on the menu, since the pastas more than make up for it! 😀
Fuyoh. 2 famous bloggers in one night? This restaurant is definitely doing something right…. 🙂
(mmmmm the creme catalana looks good!)
LFB: thanks, sweetie. Yep, Bald Eagle owes his fashion sense to my diligent training in colour coordination and styling. All my effort has certainly paid off, eh? 😀 hope you are well and are enjoying your (sorta) hols.
Sean: Bald Eagle asked the same thing of me when he arrived late for dinner that day, and like you (and as you very well know), I didn’t notice it’s absence. It was nice bumping into you that day. Sorta like the icing on the cake. 🙂
J: only 1 famous blogger la (Sean…he gets recognized all the time). Oh you’re a desserts kinda girl, eh? 🙂
Ahhh, a man who can carry off those shades of pastel would most definitely know better than to let the lady pay!! Stunning pics… totally spazzing out waiting for my turn to visit this place!
My my.. cant wait for my upcoming visit. So far this mth’s been good, Nathalie and now this.
foie gras overdose!! why oh why, m i unemployed now. need to go find some pocket money from somewhere to go here
its such a fine place for dining in.. i like the interior 😀
hahaha.. was the really sean?! 😛
YES u should have let the nekid man starve., just for fun.. see how skinny he can get.. mwuahahaha
the last pic…was so romantic….lovely ambience
Thought BE was holding a cigar in that arrow-Sean photo.
You transferred all your knowledge in color coordination and styling to him and left none for yourself? He seems to be in more myriad of colors than you! Pink la.. colorful hat la..
So fine dining means you don’t get the pig’s head staring dolefully at you and the pleasure of grabbing one of the wee hocks to chew on, eh? SY.. SY.. SY… SY… SY…
This place will definitely eat into my car tire replacement fund. *Sheesh* There go the pirelli’s 😛
Great place for a romantic night out! Those pieces of suckling pig sure looked decadent.
minchow: go soon while both chefs (SG chef is in KL for the moment) are around!
TNG: still can eat after SG? 🙂
lotsofcravings: You quit a month too early. hehe. maybe you can convince wifey to buy you dinner? lol.
wyyv: i’m in love with their interior too. simple and classy.
cumidanciki: Ya lar, can’t you recognise his silhouette? 😛 BE skinny? No thanks. Must be meaty enough to hug. 😀
mystic_swastika: Yeah, it’s a nice place to wine and dine.
gfad: BE doesn’t smoke. 🙂 I’m gonna ignore that subtle insult. 😛 CHIS. Actually hor, he carries off colours better than I do, hence my obsession with black. It’s all about personalities – he’s the extrovert, while I’m the introvert. So it makes sense that we dress the way we do. 😀 I like your definition of fine dining. So true! (BE says you should blog more and express that quirky side!)
unkaleong: Love is a many splendoured thing.
Pureglutton: Absolutely! Love the pig! Yum.
zomg i want those food, NOW!
again, we are reminded why you are the undisputed queen of the camera…be it a dslr or P&S. hail da queen. damn, that foie gras is speaking my name.
KY: You know where to get it! 😀 Near your office, somemore.
Fatboybakes: Sarky biatch. I suggest you go eat there quickly, but then again, you can cook your own at a fraction of that price hor. 😛
Can you imagine if FBB has his own B&B farm and starts rearing cows, chickens, ducks and geese. Imagine all the free-range meat, eggs, butter, cream, liver etc. he’d concoct out. Culinary heaven aitelyu. He can call it FBB’s BS.
That’s Bayan Selera, mind you. 😀
Oh, opkors that wasn’t a subtle insult. Just stating a natural fact. Look at the flamboyant peacock as opposed to the sombre peahen..
gfad: somemore you know his wife’s name, rite? Lagi one more B there.
And yeah, I have accepted the fact that he’s the attention grabber in the family. 🙂
I see, someone has mastered the art of ‘henri-ing’! LOL
Lol Lisa…looks like we’ve made your Henry a verb. Here’s to more henri-ing in the future!
i having lunch in this restaurant today…it is really nice place. especially the second floor…i will go there again…the taste of food always on my mind…yummy
i mixed up with il divo & il lido LOL! I wonder if il divo taste better or il lido?