Photographs from Le Méridien
In the last decade or so, Dhaka has undergone a gastronomic revolution: thanks to the ever-growing number of international chain restaurants and hotels. Le Méridien promises to carry this trend forward with the introduction of their fine dining restaurant Favola, translating to ‘fables’ in English. We take a look to see if they deliver on their promises; whether or not it truly is the answer to the prayers of gourmet food enthusiasts of Dhaka.
While in most restaurants the customers loop through an endless maze of items, the refreshingly well, thought-out menu of Favola offers a short and uncomplicated selection of starters, main courses and desserts, along with brief descriptions. Any foodie will find their way through in no time. Added advantage is the exquisite interior and the uber-chic interior of the restaurant – even the chandeliers seem to have stories of their own. To add more, the panoramic vista on the other side of the window through which one can see aeroplanes taking off will give foodies the urge to jump start on his or her much-desired epicurean flight.
To cut a long story short, let’s talk about the food that left an impression.
The Inslata di Pollo (Chicken Salad) came as a starter. The white meat of the perfectly roasted chicken breast peeked through the golden brown skin, gleaming from the glistening touch of tomato and olive oil dressing in all its succulent glory. The tender slices gently rested on the leafy, green bed of fresh and crunchy romaine and iceberg lettuce; as the plump and sweet cherry tomatoes lay around. Occasional bites from the golden brown slice of garlic bread added to the texture. The salad dressing of herbs and olive oil emanated the true essence of Italy, binding the salad together with a subtle hint of lemon.
Another appetiser that deserves to be mentioned was the Zuppa di Pollo (Cream of Chicken Soup). A rich, creamy soup containing bite size pieces of chicken. Making soup is an art of delicately balancing the ingredients and this was absolutely spot-on. The delectable chicken bites melted in the mouth and blended in seamless harmony with the creamy texture of the soup. The intoxicating smell of the herbs coming from the steaming hot soup prepares you for the main course.
From a plethora of sumptuous delicacies, opting for pizza seemed to be the best idea. To be honest what can go wrong with an authentic pizza? Nothing really. The pizza was exactly what you’d expect an authentic Italian pizza to be; handmade, fire-oven baked; it had a crunchy and chewy thin crust with charred edges. To top it off, the pizza was smothered with classic tomato sauce and assorted cheese. The mildly sweet and sour sauce had a playful affair with the crunchy and chewy crust below and salty cheese sitting on top with its meaty goodness of salami and sour olives and avocado.
For dessert, the Tiramisu couldn’t be missed. Finding authentic tiramisu in Dhaka could prove to be quite the task for a foodie, and that’s where Favola comes in. Getting the mascarpone cheese to be of the right consistency is crucial in the making of Tiramisu, and the pastry chef at Favola has won the heart with his masterpiece of a dessert. It was love at first bite! The tangy,sweet flavour of cheese wasn’t overpowered by the bitter coffee soaked ladyfingers. Although the presentation had a modern touch, the taste stayed true to its roots.
Favola is the one place every foodie should be making a point of visiting as soon as they can. If this review hasn’t already sold it to you, give it a shot as it’s a risk worth taking!
Le Méridien
Dhaka
79/A Commercial Area, Nikunja 2, Khilkhet, Dhaka
lemeridien.com/dhaka