Eating out in Med-style at Favola.

Once, we have to really search at the nooks and crannies of Kuala Lumpur to get good Italian food – usually run by Italians from the motherland. Today however we are truly blessed – good Italian (and Mediterranean) food is easily available in the heart of the city, not far from major office centres and even some in the more famous shopping malls dotting the KL landscape.  This time however this writer heads towards a more upscale setting – the Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur.

Located within the KL Sentral area, the hotel is situated at the nexus of transportation of the capital city, so visitors have access to the major forms of transport.

Going back to good Italian food, Favola is one of the signature restaurants that the hotel boasts; the other being Prime.

Ambience of the restaurant as a whole reflects a very Venetian-inspired motif with the use of stunning Italian frescos in and around the restaurant, earthy tones on the wall and furniture alike and the piece de resistance – a magnificent looking wall display of Venetian Masks, all original from Venice. The wall piece is a sight to behold.

Also available in the restaurant is an extensive list of wines, which one can choose to be paired with the available main courses listed in the menu.

Getting down with it

My colleague and I sat down in the plush seats of the restaurant and were joined by Dawn Lim and later on by Junior Sous Chef for Favola, Chef Sazali Nazim. He explains to us that the food at Favola isn’t specifically Italian or Venetian, but it is inspired by the cuisines originated from there.

The chef also shares that for the lunch crowd, apart from the main dishes, there is also an antipasto (which literally means ‘Before the meal”) buffet. Here, one can indulge themselves in a selection of cold and hot dishes, designed to whet the palette before the arrival of the main course. Among the items available is a local buffalo milk mozzarella as part of the cheese platter. There are also salads, finger food of all types and the Italian staple – bruschetta.

We started with a nice hand-tossed and oven-baked pizza, topped with the freshest seafood I have ever tasted, barring seaside restaurant. Chef Sazali says later that the seafood is bought in when the demand calls for it and are all shipped within 24 – 48 hours before the food is on the guest’s tables.

Accompanying the meal is a selection of bread, freshly baked daily on premise. Also given is a dipping sauce made from extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Next up, indulgence in the form of a Wagyu Beef Cheek Lasagna. The restaurant definitely serves good quality Wagyu beef in its pasta dish, which was both divine and rich, without tasting too beefy or tomato-y that some lasagnas tend to have.

The star of the day however is the Black Angus Ribeye, which was seasoned only with some salt and pepper to highlight the natural taste of the cut of meat. Accompanied by some grilled lemon wedges and a simple salad, the steak was cooked perfectly medium, and because of that was so juicy in every bite.

A sweet end

We ended the day on a sweet note, with two desserts – tiramisu and homemade ice cream.

The tiramisu was served in small glasses and was topped with popping candy, which gives every bite an extra pop. Childhood memories came back rushing with every bite. The ice cream in the tiramisu tasted very smooth, and the Illy coffee jelly was both powerful and subtle at the same time.

Befitting its name, Favola means ‘fable or story’ in Italian and as such creates beautiful culinary stories that are enjoyable by anyone who passes through its doors. Do head down there for your own culinary fable.

One Response to “Wine & Dine: Enjoy the Best of Venetian”

1. what is VPS says:

   January 3, 2012 at 3:45 pm

   Hiya…..

   Nice read, I just passed this onto a friend who was doing a little research on that. And he just bought me lunch because I found it for him smile So let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch! “Creativity comes from zeal to do something, generally it is t…

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