Baked Fresh Peaches with Mascarpone and Candied Walnut
“OMG… Favola was superb. You simply have to try it!”
“How come you haven’t gone yet? The breads were amazing…”
Those were the comments I got from people who found out I haven’t tried Favola. I finally did a week ago. Upon arriving, rif and I were ushered to a lovely corner with a view of the poolside.
Private rooms
WalkwayVenetian face masks, plush red chairs, a large painted mural and wooden beams gave the place a rustic yet whimsical feel. The black and white tiles on the floor made me feel like Alicein Wonderland, but without the Cheshire Cat.
Dessert buffet counter
Antipasti buffet counter
At Favola, you are presented with menus in the form of scrolls. While waiting for me to decide on my main course, my waitress came over with a platter of complimentary breads. I enjoyed every bite of the foccacia, ciabatta and breadsticks. They were all delicious with the three dips — creamy potato with truffles, olive oil with balsamic vinegar and creamy potato with beetroot. I knew there were plenty more things to come, but that didn’t stop me from polishing the bread platter clean.
“I’ll get you both have a glass of Prosecco each, ok?”
Mango Juice
Cheryl was such a lovely host. She made sure things were going smoothly and prepped us with some Prosecco (RM60 per glass).
Executive Chef, Chef Antoine Rodriguez also dropped by for a small chat. I first met him when we dined at Prime, and thought he was the most adorable chef I’ve met. He had the rosiest cheeks and the warmest smile. I’m pretty sure people who have met him would agree with me. *wink*
Caprese
Deep fried breaded mozzarella
Our antipasti platter consisted of caprese, deep fried breaded mozzarella, grilled Portobello mushroom, salmon carpaccio, feta cheese, marinated olives, rocket leaves salad and prawn cocktail. All were delicious with my favourites being the caprese, breaded mozzarella and Portobello mushroom.
I was tempted to ask for more, but rif reminded me about our many orders to come. If you want to indulge in as many antipasti as you like, try their antipasti buffet (RM45) or go for the full crudo bar buffet (antipasti + dessert) at only RM55.
BBQ Cod Fish (RM75) came with a choice of mash potato or polenta cake. We opted for the latter. The fish dressed in olive oil, basil, capers, pecorino, and sundried tomatoes tasted amazing. I thought the smokey flavour complemented the rich and fatty flavour of the cod very well.
Everyone was raving about the Conchigliani Marinara al Cortoccio (RM50) and I finally understood why. The conch shell pastas were baked in a parcel with clams, squid and fish. All nicely bound with a tangy tomato-based sauce and fresh herbs. We both enjoyed this. I might have enjoyed it a little bit more, because I ate all the fish and left him none. It wasn’t on purpose, I swear!
Since both our mains had a tomato-based gravy, we ordered the Bianco Pizza (RM40) to balance out the meal. According to food expert Jeffrey Steingarten, the perfect pizza crust comes with a charred, puffy and sauceless rim that should be crisp yet tender and light.
The pizza at Favola met all his requirements, but I wasn’t too fond of the charred bits. I guess this was matter of “taste is subjective.” That said, the topping of sautéed beef strips, wild mushrooms and white cheese sauce gave the pizza a delicious rich flavour.
Cheryl came over and joined us for desserts. “I’m really full, I don’t think I can eat anymore,” I said. Cheryl didn’t buy that excuse. So she ordered what she thought was appropriate – Cassata (RM30), Illy Coffee Inspired Tiramisu (RM25), Poached Plum Tomatoes (RM25) and Baked Fresh Peaches (RM30).
Cassata is an Italian dessert comprising sponge cake, ice cream, candied nuts and fruits. This was rich, dreamy and justly sweet. Poached plum tomatoes tasted decent to me, but according to Cheryl, the tomatoes were not properly poached that day.
Poached plum tomatoes
Illy Coffee Inspired TiramisuThe tiramisu was frothy with a strong coffee flavour. I loved the “crackling”, which came in the form of candy bits. We however, preferred the tiramisu at Prime. My favourite of the lot was the baked fresh peaches with mascarpone and candied walnut. The walnuts gave the tender peach an addictive crunch.
Lunch was a lovely affair; good food, great company and attentive service. The staff knew the menu almost inside out, so they gave pretty good recommendations. Thank you Cheryl, for inviting us! 
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Price: 4/10 (6/10 with the Starwood card)
Food: 7.5/10 (pork-free)
Verdict: The food was consistently good. I’m going to try the wagyu beef cheek lasagne next!
Level 8,
Le Meridien Hotel
Sentral
Kuala Lumpur
03 2263 7434
14 comments
Um. Did I read it correctly or my eyes playing tricks? – RM 54 per glass of prosecco??
J – Whoops! It's a typo. Thought I saw RM54. Have to check with Cheryl and see… =P
Cassata.. one of the best ice cream that I had this year!!!
Thank you luv. You're a doll.
You're almost right regarding the price. It's RM 60 for a glass of Prosecco for the finer range. I would recommend that you order a bottle of wine instead as it can take you further.
Cheryl – Awww…you're sweet!
Yeah, I guess a bottle of wine would be a better deal. 😉
leo – Me too! Me too! =D
so tat was baked peach. i tot it was tomato.. oh…. food that i like… *drooling*
Gorgeous photos and nice write-up 🙂 Bravo once again!
Deep fried cammerbert used to be my fave … but I'd give the deep fried mozzie a go too 🙂
Cheers from Abu Dhabi!
wah rm 60 a glass of prosecco?? ouchie..dont think i can ever drink in msia after seeing the aust prices, a bottle of moet is AUD45 at the bottler!
I've always been impressed with the restaurant interior. And the food prices are reasonable too! Need to make a mental note to visit again
AugustDiners – Yup, I was impressed. I can't wait to try the other dishes! 😉
Joe – Yup, ouch! You lucky fella…I guess that's why my parents didn't want me to study in Aussieland. They were worried I would be busy hanging out at vineyards instead of going to class! =P
Julian – Thanks Jules!
Baby – Go pay them a visit!
I’m not convinced about Favola. I read in everyone’s blog, everyone is raving about it. I stayed long term at the Hilton next door and have eaten there 4 – 5 times this year. It’s average at best. It’s all safe, predictable and nothing that makes you go wow, like the prices would suggest. I think being Halal makes a huge difference. It’s like painting without all the colours. I have an Italian colleague who’s also a long termer at the Hilton. He describes the food there in language best not used in polite conversation. You can do better in KL. Neroteca for one.
Attentive service? Ok, granted its better than the average in KL and you don’t need to wave both arms around madly to catch someone’s eye, but attentive is stretching it. Especially as most times I’ve been its half empty.
Joe, the lowest I’ve seen Moet is around AUD55… where’d u see 45?
Haven’t visited Favola in a while, but when I was there last year, food was quite good. I agree with you on the halal issue…Italian food usually tastes better when it’s non-halal.
Hmmm…I used to go to Neroteca, but not anymore. Standard has dropped, I feel.
Agree that Neroteca is not the best Italian I’ve ever had, but still one of the better I’ve had in KL. More rustic and traditional dishes than what Favola is trying to do. But I think in a sense Favola has to try fancier dishes as they are missing a key ingredient, which means more traditional dishes wont work – when the recipe only calls for a handful of ingredients and you are missing one… well.
Just my 2 cents, I visited Favola again Dec, 12 and boy, has the standard dropped! My guess is that the original chef isn’t there any more. For the kind of prices they r charging, it won’t find me there again.