Still one of KL's finest Italian restaurants, Villa Danieli has crafted a creative MIGF menu for RM266++ without wine. It's among the pricier festival menus, but the gorgeous surroundings, gregarious service and generous servings make it worthwhile.
Tickle your palate with the starters of honey-cured salmon with basil air, sliced raw beef with chamomile foam, and deep-fried oyster with tomato salsa. The interplay of flavours was a delight, making this a fun way to kick off dinner.
The fava bean soup with parmesan cheese was a letdown though. The soup wasn't creamy enough and tasted more like canned pea soup.
We had mixed feelings about the pan-seared Japanese scallops with beetroot ice cream and hazelnut fennel salad. The scallops were meaty but perhaps overcooked, since they lacked the juiciness that we love in scallops. The beetroot ice cream was marvelous though; who would have thought that warm scallops would go well with cold ice cream?
Thumbs up for the pan-fried snow fish with carpione dressing and gorgonzola mousse. Pure comfort food. Fish isn't usually the most exciting ingredient in Italian restaurants, but a recipe like this is a sure-fire way to make customers sigh with satisfaction.
No complaints about the poached veal tenderloin, honey cigar, feta and sweet pepper. Expertly executed, this hearty, succulent chunk of meat reminded us why we can never become permanent vegetarians.
Ditto for the oven-baked lamb loin with white asparagus and almond jelly. Though we could quibble that the menu should have included at least one pasta instead of two different meats.
The whiskey and hazelnut chocolate hot pot was thick, decadent and aromatic. We're not really fans of desserts, but we virtually licked the bowl clean.
The wonderfully chilly, subtly sweet iced honey mascarpone and raspberry parfait sent us out floating into the night. Special thanks to the restaurant staff for accomodating us with smiles even though we were so late for dinner and every other customer was leaving.
Torralta Prosecco; Ruffino Orvieto Classico DOCG, Umbria; Bolla Valpolicella Classico DOC, Veneto, Corvina.
Villa Danieli,
Sheraton Imperial Hotel.
