Spot of Leymond Cha: Experience Italy at Favola, Le Meridien

Thanks to the heads-up we got from CP and CE (I call them the 'buffet hunters'.. haha) we heard about this lovely dining experience at Le Meridien hotel. We managed to make time to give it a try; my mum kindly agreed to watch the kids for us while we took some time off to enjoy lunch (in celebration of hubby's birthday).

The selection was not extensive, but the food was really delicious. Aside from the cold starters and the dessert, everything else was served to our table. We placed our orders from the menu, and they arrived freshly made and piping hot!

White Bean and Mushroom Ragout with Pan Seared Scallops

The scallops were incredibly delicious; plump, fresh and sweet. They went really well with the mushrooms and even though I thought the white beans would make the dish too 'heavy', it somehow gave a nice balance to the scallops. The dish came drizzled with a really tasty sauce on the side; I could not tell what it was- something containing balsamic vinegar maybe?

The next dish that I absolutely loved was the clams. The broth... oh... the broth- thinking about it just makes my mouth water. Yum. It was so delicious I was literally drinking it- oil and all! I dipped pieces of bread into the broth, and enjoyed every last bite. I would have ordered another helping, but hubby probably could not help me with it so I decided against that and saved space for something else.

Clams and Crab Cooked Vongole style with Garlic and Italian Parsley

Chicken and Spinach Crespelle with Smoked Tomato Coulis

The crespelle was really nice too. It looked like a single lasagna sheet, rolled up and stuffed with chicken and spinach. Simple and delicious.

Next up was pasta; we chose only to try the non-vegetarian ones, and this one came with smoked chicken pepperoni, giving the pasta a nice, distinct flavour.

The next dish was not great, despite the yummy-licious name. The fillings did not stand out- a shame considering it was supposed to be prawn and lobster. The edges of the ravioli were a little too thick for my liking as well.

As for dessert, there were only a few choices. The tiramisu wasn't memorable; the same went for the tiramisu-flavoured gelato. The other gelati flavours available were straciatella and rum & raisin, which were delicious, fortunately. The fresh fruit compote was light and refreshing, and the bread and fruits pudding was quite nice as well.