Italian treat for the whole family

The eggplant parmigiana is hearty and yummy.

The penne with fava beans and smoked salmon is a real treat.KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 When Il Lido opened last year, we were totally enamoured with its Tagliolini with Lobster and Spiced Calabria Salami which has a knob of lobster meat atop the pasta, and the Nduja (Calabria) salami from southern Italy worked finely into it.We were also bowled over by the Sardinian Roasted Suckling Pig with Plum Sauce, done confit style, with most of the fat pressed out, and the skin wonderfully crispy.Its been nearly a year, and Il Lido would now like to encourage families to dine there. It offers a Family Set menu at RM148, and in the best Italian tradition, it is hearty in every sense of the word. The food is for sharing, given its rather generous portions.

Grilled prime beef sirloin will go down well with the adults.Deepfried Calamari rings and Crispy Codfish with mashed potato, tomato and basil are obviously for kids. The first is in the antipasti selection that also includes Eggplant Parmigiana, Parma Ham, Buffalo Mozzarrella and Vine-ripened Tomato with Crab and Tuna Tartare.The Eggplant Parmigiana worked for me: I loved the tomato sauce and melted cheese oozing out of the baked eggplant as I took bites of it. The Tomato with Crab and Tuna Tartare probably does it for those members of the family who like it healthy.Parma Ham with curls of sweet melon is always a great starter. I much prefer this to the blander and rather watery Buffalo Mozzarella drizzled with olive oil and served with a rucola salad.The Garganelle Pasta with Fava Bean Cream and Smoked Mozzarella was gorgeous hand-rolled penne, al dente and smothered with a delicious creamy bean sauce. The Pot! ato Gnoc chi with Crab and White Wine, however, was too soft and stodgy.Other main courses in this menu include Crispy Codfish with Mashed Potato, tomato and basil, and the Grilled Prime Beef Sirloin with Rucola, Parmigiano cheese and Balsamic Sauce.Its a menu that does not take too many chances in case the younger members of the family prefer their food plain. But I still enjoy a good beef, which frankly doesnt need much embellishment. The prime beef, as is, would satisfy anyone.

Roasted quail with foie gras is a stand-out.

The parma ham with melon is a lovely starter.Desserts for this menu include Panna Cotta, Molten Lava Chocolate Cake and Tiramisu. The Panna Cotta here is divine: its a silky smooth, wobbly dessert that curls round your palate with each bite. A golden sugar net and berries make it look good.Earlier we had been served three items from the a la carte menu: the Seafood Casserole with Lobster Broth, Homemade Spaghetti with Cod, Artichoke and Mint, and Stuffed Quail with Goose Liver and Roasted Carrot Puree.

A divine dessert... panna cotta!I could just have the Seafood Casserole whose base is a flavourful lobster bisque that has clams, fish, scallops and prawns in it, with some foccacia bread which we had been served, and feel completely satisfied.The Stuffed Quail was all tender meat bursting with the richness of goose liver in a lovely sauce. We thought it was pumpkin mash we were eating but it was roasted carrot puree.The Homemade Spaghetti was a little soggy, which was a pity because I thought the combination of cod, artichoke and mint worked very well with it.If you are a family of six, you could just order three family sets to share. You could add a la carte items to these if you like.I! l Lido a lso serves a five-course degustation menu at RM198, that has the Roast Suckling Pig with plum sauce in it, as well as well as the Panfried Gooselive with Saba Wine Must. There is also a three-course lunch set at RM49.90.Il Lido is located at Lot 183 Jalan Mayang, off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-2161 2291.