Set Lunch @ il Lido Italian Dining + Lounge Bar, Kuala Lumpur

The in-laws are fond of Italian food, so we headed to il Lido for lunch. Although my first dining experience here was just average, I decided to give the restaurant another chance. I'm glad I did because the food that afternoon was outstanding.

For lunch, you can order from the a la carte menu or go for their set lunch. The 3-course set lunch is priced at RM49.90++ , which includes an amuse bouche, appetizer/soup, main course, dessert, petit fours and coffee/tea. Really great value for money.

Our guests were impressed with the decor of the restaurant, very classy indeed.

Restaurant interior

We were served complimentary focaccia while waiting for our food to arrive. Compared to our last visit, the bread was not so oily.. in fact we enjoyed it so much, we had more than a couple of pieces each.

Focaccia with olive oil/balsamic vinegar

Amuse bouche

The set lunch menu changes daily here. To start, you can choose between a soup or appetizer. One of our guests had the asparagus soup which was good according to him; rich, creamy and wholesome.

The rest of us had the seafood salad. It was one of those salads with minimal greens and lots of everything else. Brimming with fresh seafood such as squid, mussels, clams and juicy prawns, this was easily one of the best salads I've eaten this year.

For the main course, you can choose from 3 dishes. The herb crusted salmon with lemon butter saffron sauce was well prepared and delicious, though it was possibly outshone by the other two mains that was served that afternoon.

One of our guests had the gnocchi in a goat's cheese sauce with air dried beef strips. Goat's cheese can be rather pungent for some, but if you don't mind the smell and strong taste, you will love this dish. The gnocchi had a wonderful texture; delicate, pillowy soft while the sauce was rich and silky.

The best mains of the day, in my opinion, was the pan fried duck breast served with pumpkin puree. The duck was served in a generous portion, and was absolutely delicious. The sweet pumpkin puree complimented the tender, flavoursome duck meat very well.

The dessert of the day was a white chocolate parfait served with blackberry jelly and fresh fruits. Parfait literally means "perfect" in French, and this was definitely the perfect end to an excellent lunch. The parfait tastes very similar to ice-cream; rich, creamy and sinful.

Petit fours served with coffee/tea

Lovely view of the Petronas Twin Towers from il Lido car park

Verdict: Everything we ate that afternoon was top notch and definitely left us impressed. If you have time, you should try to make it here for the set lunch as it is definitely good value for money.

Set Lunch is available Mon - Fri from 12.00 noon to 2.30pm.

Service: Can be improved. If I ask for cold water, please do not bring me a bottle of still water and hope that I don't notice.

Price: RM49.90++ per person for the set lunch.

Location: il Lido Italian Dining + Lounge Bar, Lot 183, Jalan Mayang (off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng). 50450 Kuala Lumpur. (opposite Menara Ambank / Australian High Commission)
Tel: 03-2161 2291

GPS Coordinates: 3.16047, 101.71099

Website: http://www.il-lido.com.my/

Join their Facebook page here.

Macarons & Cakes @ Delectable by Su, The Gardens, Kuala Lumpur

I wished for a macaron place to open in The Gardens Mall.

My prayers have been answered. I can now get gorgeous macarons from Delectable by Su.

After a failed attempt to get my hands on them, I was delighted to see them in the shop window when we visited yesterday. The macarons came in three flavours; salted chocolate, caramel latte and marmalade. We decided to go for the salted chocolate.

Caramel latte, salted chocolate and marmalade

The macaron was nicely packaged in a clear box with a Delectable bow. Top marks for presentation.

They were not kidding when they said it was a giant macaron. Look at the size of it! Fits in my palm. Priced at RM10 each, some may think it's expensive but trust me it is not, considering the size (3x your usual macarons) and good quality ingredients used.

A pretty shade of pink, the macaron here passed all my expectations of a good macaron. I love the texture of it, slightly chewy in the centre with a crunchy shell. The dark chocolate ganache filling was not too sweet either, however I couldn't detect any salt at all.

Light and airy, smooth domed top and ruffled circumference

What a beauty

I am absolutely delighted to be able to get my hands easily on macarons at Delectable by Su since I had to go all the way into KL city centre before if I wanted macarons. Can't wait to try the other two flavours. :)

Other than the macarons, I also adore the 7 Sins of Chocolate (RM12). Chocolate lovers should not miss this. A well balanced cake/ dessert in terms of sweetness and texture. Absolutely heavenly!

Truffle pearls + crunchy cocoa nibs + cocoa powder + Gianduja + mousse + cake + dark ganache = chocolate heaven.

Location: Delectable by Su, Lot S213, Second Floor, The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur. (Robinsons side)

Tel: 012- 508 1855

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