Favola at Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur hasn’t received the recognition it deserves, despite being around for a good 5 years or more. It is one of the better Italian restaurants by hotel standards and one that I frequented for hearty seafood pasta and fresh bread rolls, which my late mother enjoyed.
Fresh bread
Salmon and Sea Bass Carpaccio
With Chef Domenico on board, Favola’s menu is revamped and the food, rustically Italia. His dishes are colourful, like the Salmon and Sea Bass Carpaccio (RM56) which comes with salmon roe, toasted pine nuts, parsley sauce and a crisp micro cress salad with extra virgin olive oil. I liked how refreshing this starter was, all held together by the olive oil and some Hawaiian sea salt to taste.
The salmon roe and toasted pine nuts gives it a nice texture and crunch
Air-dried Beef Bresaola
Another winning starter is the Air-dried Beef Bresaola (RM68) with a rich figs compote, cantaloupe melon and burrata cheese. I’ve eaten burrata cheese with melon, but never with figs and this combination is delicious. The figs really brought out the creaminess of the cheese, without overpowering the beef.
Pumpkin Cream Risotto with Tiger Prawns
Herbs to give the risotto colour and aroma
Risotto happens to be Chef Domenico’s forte and the Pumpkin Cream Risotto (RM80) with tiger prawns is wicked stuff. I half expected it to be a bit on the heavy side but this turned out to be perfectly balanced and well accentuated the freshness of the prawns.
Ravioli Del Plin
Pastas are mostly made in-house, like the Ravioli Del Plin (RM64) where these precious pockets of pasta come filled with roasted meats and blanketed in a sumptuous mushroom sauce. A pretty sight and one that’s hearty too.
Sardinian Mixed Seafood “Pingiadedda” and Fregula
If seafood is how you roll, you have to try the Sardinian Mixed Seafood “Pingiadedda” and Fregula (RM140). They claim a portion feeds two but once you try it yourself, I bet you wouldn’t want to share this with anyone. This robust tomato based stew with herbs and spices begs for more bread to mop up the goodness.
Pizza Campagnola
Pizzas are also a forte at Favola and Campagnola (RM52) comes with bresaola, Parmesan and rocket salad. The crust is thin and lightly chewy as a good pizza should be and I thought the pairing of rocket salad and beef worked nicely.
Braised Lamb Shank
I’ve always been a fan of Favola’s lamb shank but Domenico’s Braised Lamb Shank (RM78) comes with a twist. For one, it’s definitely not as heavy and the meat is beautifully tender, requiring no force to cut through. Definitely a must-order if you love a good lamb shank. ;)
Seadas
A traditional Sardinian sweet fritters that is filled with pecorino cheese and topped with honey
I found the dessert selection quite interesting, especially the Seadas (also called Sebadas) – a traditional Sardinian sweet fritters that is filled with pecorino cheese and topped with honey for that sweet-salty flavour. Here’s a fun fact: The name “seadas” comes from the Sardinian word “seu”, an animal fat used to make candles. So “Seadas” refers to the shininess of the fritters that comes from honey and sugar.
Panna cotta
Favola Tiramisu
Chef Domenico also served us a rich and incredibly delicious chocolate mousse, which stole the show from Favola’s tiramisu and panna cotta. This was my favourite among the desserts I tried that night.
Chocolate Mousse
The new menu at Favola is really quite good – I found the dishes less complicated and definitely more hearty. Sometimes, change is good and in Favola’s case, it changed for even better.
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Price: 5.5/10
Food: 8/10 (pork free)
Verdict: I highly recommend the Air-dried Beef Bresaola, Sardinian Mixed Seafood and Pumpkin Cream Risotto.
Favola
Level 8,
Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
2, Jalan Stesen Sentral,
50470 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2263 7888
Website