Singapore’s il Lido arrives in Kuala Lumpur

IL LIDO ITALIAN DINING & LOUNGE BAR,
Jalan Mayang
(Off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng), Kuala Lumpur
Tel: [phone]
Business hours: noon to 2.30pm (Mon to Fri),
6.30 to 10.30pm (Mon-Sat)
Bar: 5pm to 1am (Mon to Sat).

SINGAPORE’s fine dining scene has always been more than just a rumour and today, one of its popular Italian restaurants has crossed borders into Kuala Lumpur to offer a taste of il Lido.

Down south, il Lido is a name epicureans seek out for good traditional Italian food because there is trust in Beppe de Vito’s ability to meet the expectations of his diners.

De Vito: The restaurant borrowsthe name from Lido Island.

Having had a hand in creating some of the finest dining experiences in Singapore and Hong Kong over the past 15 years, de Vito has established himself as a prolific restaurateur.

The well-known restaurant set up in 2006 at Sentosa Golf Club, borrows its name from Lido island, a leisure and entertainment destination in Venice, Italy.

The island’s allure is very much de Vito’s vision for his restaurants.

“With il Lido in Kuala Lumpur, we have created an environment that our guests will be able to settle in effortlessly, dining and wining at their leisure,” he said.

Indeed, il Lido’s sophistication and exquisite cuisine have enticed gourmets in Kuala Lumpur who have made this place their preferred destination for Italian food.

The interior of the space is de Vito’s brainchild as he envisioned an ultra-luxe and modern Italian space.

Preferring a luxurious colour palette of chrome, gold, black and grey for the restaurant and bar, de Vito sought out the very best interior and product designers from Europe while all furnishings and lightings were imported from Italy.

True Italian dishes: The JumboSea Prawns and Spicy CreamyPork Sausage and ChampagneRisotto with Truffle (behind).

Located opposite the Australian High Commission, il Lido’s high walls and steep driveway are all one sees from the outside, as the restaurant is located within the building’s upper floors.

The ample and wide rooftop is a stark difference to the stylish dining room below but it appeals as a place to chill out for with the Petronas Twin Towers looming nearby.

Upon being warmly welcomed by the staff and sales and marketing manager Lyla Lin, our party was ushered to a cosy section with an impressive marble facade on both ends of the walls.

This venue is non-halal so my friend Marcus obliged an invitation to dine and help out with the sumptuous spread that was to come my way.

Neatly dressed waiters with classic training and impeccable style, promptly presented the menus, took our drink orders and stood by as we pondered over our choices for dinner.

With a little help from Lin, we decided on Crab Salad with Avocado and Bisque Jelly (RM45) and Parma Ham with Rock Melon and Balsamic Sauce (RM39) for our appetisers.

As my penchant is for soups, the Porcini Mushroom Cream with Truffle (RM32) was added on.

I learnt that most of the pastas here are homemade and Lin insisted on us trying the Squid Ink Tonnarelli with Spicy Crab and Tarragon Foam (RM55) and Linguine with Jumbo Sea Prawns and Spicy Creamy Pork Sausage (RM59).

The homemade tonnarelli, Lin said was pasta flour infused with squid ink, giving it its dark dusky colour, which was lovely with spicy crab flakes.

What a difference: The Sardinian Roasted Suckling Pig with PlumSauce (RM 85) was a surprising sight as it was nicely presented.

While the tonnarelli was interesting, the fine linguine dish got my attention as it offered a burst of flavours, which I discovered was from the nduja, a type of salami from Calabria, Italy.

“The piquancy of the pasta comes entirely from this salami, and because it’s made to a very soft, spreadable consistency, it’s unlike the other types of cured meats where they are typically served sliced in pieces.

“It is a combination of pork and pork fat, as well as red pepper.

“We have a total of 12 types of pastas, from the familiar favourites like penne, linguine, spaghetti, to the lesser known but staple choices such as rigatoni, tortelli, pappardelle and agnolotti,” she explained.

For a taste of risotto, Chef Samuele Alvisi prepared Champagne Risotto with Truffle (RM55), rich in its sauces and totally enveloped the senses with fragrant truffles lightly wafting in the air.

Alvisi has more than 12 years experience working across Italy, United Kingdom, UAE, China and Singapore and he uses premium ingredients sourced directly from Italy to plate out a repertoire of delightful Italian dishes for his diners.

Lin also recommended the Red Snapper Fillet with Eggplant Caviar and Parsley Pesto (RM75) and Sardinian Roasted Suckling Pig with Plum Sauce (RM85) which have scored high with diners.

The latter arrived, daintily presented and a rather surprising sight compared to the local style of serving suckling pig.

“The traditional suckling pig is the king of Sardinian cuisine.

“We take two full days to prepare the suckling pig and this includes the marinating process, roasting and slow cooking it and finally panning the skin to get the crispy skin,” she explained as she served us the porky delight which was something to talk about.

Needless to say, there was hardly room for more but Lin made sure, we did not exit the restaurant without first tasting il Lido’s Creme Brulee Symphony with Vanilla, Coffee, Pistachio and Strawberry (RM29) and Vanilla Pannacotta with Fresh Berries Basket (RM29).

The restaurant also has an extensive walk-in wine cellar with 300 labels featuring the best in Old World and New World wines, with a strong emphasis on Old World classics like Italy’s Barolo, Brunello and Amarone, and France’s Bordeaux and Burgundy.

The first il Lido flagship out of Singapore is already making heads turn, after all, there are not many Italian dining venues that do it like they do it in Italy.

This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.