Villa Danieli @ Hotel Imperial Kuala Lumpur

 

Located next to the poolside at the fifth floor of Hotel Imperial is a hidden little Italian cottage that combines exceptional Italian fare with a relaxed and elegant atmosphere.

 

 

According to Doris, the director of communication, Italian food is deemed to be wholesome and hearty as opposed to the general perception of Italian food equates fine dining. This is why Villa Danieli is all about warm and comfortable ambiance, with large murals on top, medieval torches hanging from the walls emitting dim light, large glass bottles filled with olives oils and a welcoming entrance, just like a typical Italian cottage. The patio seating is also great, complete with a magnificent view of KL Tower.

 

Villa Danieli offers a traditional Italian menu featuring old-world favorites and family recipes as well as a wide selection of wood oven baked pizzas. The menu caused much deliberation so for easy reason; we went for their three courses set dinner at RM 125 nett that night.

 

Primi

 

Yellow lentil soup with grilled garlic bread. A classic soup as such is a real ‘warmer-upper’ in a rainy day.

 

 

Spledini of sea scallop and tuna with marinated onions, lemon and baby spinach. The lightly seared sea scallops are especially juicy, plump and insanely sweet!

 

Roasted egg plant “parmigiana” with tomato and strawberry coulis is presented in such a way that it looked like it had come from Italy itself.

 

Secondi

 

 

Herbs sea bass “cartoccio” with spinach and mussel sauce. It was baked in parchment paper and presented to us in its original state. A lift on the paper reveals what the chef has whipped up for us. I thought they did a nice job on this one, the spinach and mussel sauce pairs perfectly with the sea bass.

 

 

Grilled beef fillet with purple potato and béarnaise sauce. Béarnaise sauce made of clarified butter, egg yolks, tarragon, shallots added some sweetness to the tender moist beef.

 

Rigatoni amatriciana with beef bacon, braised onions, tomato sauce and pecorino cheese. It is a delicious blend of tomatoes, white wine, and beef bacon with some hearty home made pasta.

 

Apple strudel with vanilla lavender sauce. The colour and presentation again was amazing. It was delicious too, with crispy layers of phyllo dough filled with freshly sliced apples combined with vanilla lavender sauce.

 

Almond parfait with chocolate sauce. After polishing off our mains, the almond parfait came shortly. The parfait’s texture was like nothing else – thick and creamy yet light and ultra smooth.

 

Salami bitter chocolate with berries compote. Salami what? Yes, you heard it right – chocolate salami, name as such because it has the same cylindrical shape as a salami. The accompanying berries compote gave a lighter kind of tang to the rich bitter chocolate salami.

 

Some wine and conversation before plunging ahead to your main meal? Go for the wine buffet at RM 45++ for free flow red and white.

 

Overall Villa Danieli is one of those authentic Italian restaurants that set itself apart from the rest. The food is always great, the wine selection is nice and the staff are very helpful and knowledgeable when it comes to recommending wine to pair with your food choices. It does come in a slightly hefty price tag but fret not because the set dinner at RM 125 nett is an excellent value for money.

Invitation from FoodStreet

Set Dinner (Promotion Valid till 31 December 2008)
Available daily from 6.30pm – 10.30pm.
RM125++ per person
Inclusive of free parking

Wine Buffet
Flowing freely on Monday and Tuesday evenings.
RM45++ per personVilla Danieli
Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Wilayah Persekutuan
Tel : 0327179922