Revisiting il Lido

I paid my second visit to Il Lido last week, to try their set lunch which I love. The lunch, priced at RM50, includes full-sized appetisers, main and dessert courses - as well as Coffee and Petit Fours. They also offer a considerable amount of variety to choose from. You can check out my first review of il Lido here.

All diners are served complementary Amuse Bouche before beginning their culinary experience. We were served Seared Tuna with Caviar. The juicy tuna was medium-rare, and the sharp saltiness of the caviar gave the dish a nice twist.

A huge mistake I made was filling up on the free Focaccia Bread they were offering. The bread, good enough to eat on its own, would be easy for anyone to fill up on. Hidden in the bread are sweet onions, and when eaten with balsamic and olive oil - they provide for a perfect combination.

One of the appetisers we had was the Beef Carpaccio. The beef was drizzled with sweet balsamic and topped with pecorino cheese and rocket leaves, providing the ideal balance between sweet, salty and fresh.

Another appetiser we chose was the Minestrone Soup. The soup contained an abundance of vegetables such as onions, carrot and celery. The broth, which was infused with pesto, softened the vegetables and the dish served as perfect comfort food for us.

One of our main dishes included Pan-Seared Seabass on Eggplant Caviar. The portion of fish was huge, and the crisp skin of the fish as well as the flaky-but-firm flesh was mouthwatering. The smooth eggplant caviar was comfort food at its finest.

The other main course we had was Fettucine with Smoked Salmon. The pasta was perfectly al-dente, and the simple, mallow-flavoured sauce did not overpower the chunky pieces of smoked salmon - which they were really generous with. Both main courses were full-sized portions.

For dessert, we were served Panna Cota with a Berry Coulis. The smooth, silky, vanilla-flavoured panna cotta and the berry coulis were a simple, but satisfying marriage. The portions were very big, and we struggled to finish it in the end.

The set also includes a coffee of your choice. We had both a Cappuccino and Latte. The coffee was full of flavour and had a strong body. Incredibly aromatic. To indulge, we were also given petit fours, which were the same as what I was served when I previously visited - Almond Biscuits, Milk and Dark Chocolates.

In conclusion, il Lido has definitely impressed me yet again with their mouthwatering pieces of art, their wonderful service, their amazing value-for-money set lunch which was filled with so much variety to chose from. For good food at a great price, il Lido is certainly a place you have to check out.

Presentation: 9/10

Ambiance: 9/10

Service: 8/10

Overall Taste: 9/10

General Impression: 10/10 - In love with this freaking place

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Betel Leaf

Nestled along Jalan Lebuh Ampang is Betel Leaf. The restaurant, situated above the streets, is a cleaner and more up-market establishment in comparison to the other restaurants around. Betel Leaf serves both North and South Indian cuisine.

My mother had a Ghee Dosai for herself, worth RM6. Not the cheapest dosai out there, and this one was certainly not worth RM6. The dosai and chutneys were indifferent to those available at your corner stall. I had white rice.

We ordered Gobi Manchurian worth RM9. The dish had a deep hint of pepper, more than any other spice - the monotonous flavour of the dish made it boring. There was also no crisp to the deep-fried cauliflower. Thumbs down.

The Butter Chicken Masala worth RM12 was much better than our vegetable dish. Though it looked unusually red for butter chicken, the pieces of poultry were tender and there was a good texture to the curry, which contained a myriad of spices.

The Raita that we ordered was simple, but too simple for my liking. It was simply yoghurt, with sliced carrots, onions and green chillies inside - nothing more unfortunately. No additional taste to it whatsoever.

For dessert, I ordered the Kulfi. When the kulfi arrived, it was rock hard - I kid you not. We waited for 20 minutes until we could finally break through.

My mum ordered a Coffee worth RM2.50. The coffee was full of flavour and sweetened just right, though I would have loved more foam on the top.

Betel Leaf does not serve the most expensive Indian food in town (as a matter of fact, it is quite reasonable to think of it), though the food there is not that great for the price we pay - as it's not AS cheap as your Sri Paandi. In comparison with other restaurants in the area, this certainly is one of the cleanest.

Presentation: 6/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Service: 5/10

Overall Taste: 4/10

General Impression: 5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Seri Angkasa Revolving Restaurant @ the KL Tower

I love nothing more than dining with a good view, and one day my mother surprised me - taking me to the Seri Angkasa Revolving Restaurant atop the KL Tower. The KL Tower is hard to miss, located at the heart of KL, on Jalan Puncak, right off Jalan P Ramlee.

My mum and dad have given me negative views of the restaurant, after having visited it a few times themselves - so my expectations were not really high. At the end of the day, I came for the view more than anything else.

The restaurant mainly serves a buffet, which you have to pay for downstairs before entering. There is no set cuisine as the buffet line, priced RM135 per person for dinner, consists of Japanese, Malaysian and Western dishes.

The Carrot Soup was surprisingly good. The creamy, tangy soup was accompanied with pesto and some croutons which heightened the soup's flavour and provided some crunch. So far so good…so I thought.

Some dishes from the Cold Cuts Section included (clockwise from the top) Fresh Oysters which were large and meaty, Potato Salad that tasted mediocre, Salmon Sashimi which looked old due to the brownish tinge, and some Marinated Grilled Chicken which was tough and dry.

The Japanese Section consisted of (clockwise from the top) Jellyfish Wrapped with Rice, Inari, Tamago, and what seemed like Jelly shards Wrapped with Rice. Each sushi piece had too much of rice. Guessing that they were trying to cut costs.

A selection from the Western Section comprised of (clockwise from the top) Pan-Fried Fish which tasted soft and soggy, Beef Stew which was tough and unappetising, Roast Chicken with Brown Sauce, hard and dry, and lastly Potato Croquettes; the only good thing on my plate.

The Malaysian Section consisted of (clockwise from the top) Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce, Rojak, and some Asian Beef Salad. The satay was tough and far from authentic. The rojak was stale though the sauce tasted satisfying. The the salad was way too sour.

More from the Malaysian corner: (clockwise from the top) Sweet and Sour Fish which had more batter than fish, Beef Rendang which was surprisingly good, Stir-Fried Cuttlefish which was soft though too bland for me, Plain Biryani and Lemang Rice, both of which were not bad, though I've tasted better.

The Dessert Spread looked rather satisfying, though looks can be deceiving. Most of the desserts, with the exception of theBread and Butter Pudding, tasted bad and of low quality.

On the whole, the Seri Angkasa Restaurant didn't manage to live up, even to the low expectations that I had. The food was good, don't get me wrong, but for RM135? Seriously? You must be bloody joking!

If you're in for a view, don't even consider Seri Angkasa. Tanzini at the G Hotel and Twenty+one at BSC are great alternatives. The RM135 meal also includes your choice of orange or mango juice, and coffee or tea after your meal.

Presentation: 5/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Service: 4/10

Overall Taste: 4/10

General Impression: 2/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Delicious Favourites

My family never used to patronise Delicious outlets due to their low standard of service and poor quality food - until recently, when we have discovered hidden gems in their menu. These gems (as well as smiles on the waiters' faces) have brought us back again and again.

The Delicious Group have many restaurants restaurants such in the new block of One Utama Mid Valley, the G-Floor of Bangsar Village II, in Marc Residences on Jalan Pinang and Dua Residency along Jalan Tun Razak. All these restaurants can be easily recognised by their iconic birdcage lamps and blue cushions. They have the same menu, though the quality of certain dishes may vary depending on the establishment.

One of our favourites would have to be the Green Curry Chicken worth RM 20. This dish isn't spicy, but contains enough of aroma and flavour to keep you satisfied. The bowl of curry also contains mushrooms, green peas and eggplant - and served with a refreshingly sweet Pomelo Salad and Rice with Kaffir Lime Leaves.

The Thai Styled Steamed Sea-Bass worth RM 22 seems to be done a lot better in the Mid Valley outlet than the Bangsar Village one. The fish was firm, but flaky - and without any hint of fishiness to it. The tangy, flavourful sauce complemented the fish wonderfully - and the simple combination of rice and fish made for a great dish.

My sister loves the Classic Beef Lasagne worth RM 20. This dish is comfort food at its finest, though I have to admit that the portions were unbelievably small. Despite the small portion, the beef was plentiful and the sauce was present in the right amounts. The Salad with Dressing was a great accompaniment to this dish.

On the whole, Delicious seems to be the ideal place to go to if you and your family can't decide on a place to eat. The portions on most dishes are large and the quality and service at the establishments have certainly improved. A great place to see and be seen, chill out, or discuss business - Delicious is not to be missed.

Presentation: 8/10

Ambiance: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 8.5/10

General Impression: 8/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic