It was from Sean's that i knew that Il Lido is finally open. Again and again his blog taunted me with big bold writing "GO, THERE, NOW"i was expecting nothing less than spectacular food and impeccable service
So finally, i decided to drag my lazy ass to give this newest addition a try-We had problems locating the restaurant at first, as their signboard is not even up yet. Turns out it is just above THE MAYANG on Jalan Mayang, off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng- You need to access into the restaurant from the back of the building.
Their decor is uncomplicated and stylish, with marbled walls, white table lining and carpeted floors which acts as a good absorption to noise, so do enjoy a quiet dining experience here. The restaurant is not very big, with estimated capacity for 60+ pax.
What is well appreciated in Il Lido is the exceptional service from the owner and all the staff. Every now and then they came by to make sure we are settled comfortably, and whether the food was up to our liking. The servers were smartly dressed and work with silent efficiency.
We started off with the complementary chilled melon soup. It was refreshingly sweet. We like it.
Spinach & Endive salad with Golden fried Egg and Red Onion Compote. (RM 29?) I love the combination of this salad with minimal dressings which retains the crunchiness of the spinach. The golden fried egg was slightly overdone as the egg yolk has turned stiff but who's complaining. The sweet compote just makes this dish seem ever more endearing. It was a good way to start off our dinner.
Pan Fried Goose Liver with Saba Wine Must and Sweet Potato Galette (RM59), no prize for guessing right who ordered this. =D It was a simple yet beautiful combination. The foie gras came in two petite pieces but was well fried giving some crispyness to the outer layer while retaining the soft gooey texture inside.
I wanted to try authentic italian dish, so naturally i had their homemade pasta. It turns out to be a wrong decision. My Squid ink Tonnarelli with spicy crab and saffron foam (RM39) came in big portion, but i didnt like the pasta texture as it was very soft, and the overall dish taste slightly bland. I was then explained that homemade pasta tends to get soft much quicker.
Taglioni with Lobster and Spicy Calabria Salami. (RM59) Again the pasta was too soft, there wasn't much to comment on this dish except that it was quite forgettable.
Beef Tenderloin with Chanterelle Mushroom and Goose Liver Sauce (RM89) turns out O-K...
Ok, truth is we were kind of dissapointed. It wasnt the best meat cut. We ordered medium but turns out to be quite raw. The texture of the beef was chewy rather than tender, but the sauce turns out quite nice.
Creme Brulee Sampler came with four flavours: Vanilla, Coffee, Pistachio, and Strawberry (RM29) , pretty in presentation but they've put in too much brown sugar and because the plate itself was quite shallow, we're tasting very little custard content but rather a mouthful of sugar.
Not much of a drinker that night, but they have a nice selection of wine- i tried the italian house wine and was quite satisfied with it.
Our bill came up to RM390+ at the end of the night.
Ratings:
Food: 6/10
There were hits and misses from our selection that night (more misses than hits unfortunately) but im not giving up just yet. I'll be back to sample their speciality next time.
Service: 10/10
Can't find flaws, really
Ambience: 8/10
Good for quiet dining, and romantic dinners
Presentation of food: 7/10
Good combination of side dishes but need improvement on food portioning
Overall: 7.5/10
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Il Lido
Lot 183, Jalan Mayang
Off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng
KL
Tel: 03-2161 2291
