Michelin Dinner Series at Mezze, Medan Damansara

Mezze is on a roll this year – the beloved Bukit Damansara restaurant hosted two Michelin Dinner Series events for 2014, collaborating with chefs from Michelin-starred establishments in Europe to cement its status as one of KL’s essential eateries.

First came chef Alexy Fuchs from Le Gavroche in Strasbourg, France, back in August. This month, chef Marco Cavallucci from La Frasca in Cervia, Italy, had his turn to work with Mezze’s resident head chef Yves Pierre Renou for three memorable nights.

Many thanks to Mezze’s Ling for having us at the Nov. 10-12 wine dinners, which kicked off in a tangy fashion to perk our appetites with sips of watermelon gazpacho, alongside dainty cannoli with puttanesca sauce – bite-sized snacks that manage to maintain Sicilian culinary traditions while instilling a contemporary interpretation of familiar flavours.

Scallop with deep-fried sardine & aubergine puree combine for gastronomic alchemy, fusing the ocean’s bounty with the harvest of the land. Paired with MGM Mondo del Vino’s Mannara Pinot Grigio.

Quiche of prawn, brimming with crustacean brininess, layered with Momotaro tomatoes & aubergine, elegantly garnished with fried basil leaf & encircled by morsels of ratatouille. Paired with Ricossa Gavi 2012, one of our favourite matches for the night.

Lemon sorbet with limoncello for a liquor lover’s palate cleanser – can’t get more brilliant than this.

Two carnivorous main courses ensure that guests leave with both their taste buds & tummies satiated – tender pigeon with savoury, firm-to-the-bite red wine risotto & rosemary.

And truffled boneless lamb loin rosettes with clean, precise flavours over a bed of potato gratin. The former waspaired with Ricossa Barbera d’Asti 2013, the latter with Soprasasso Amarone della Valpolicella.

Cassata, another Sicilian speciality presented with a refreshed twist here, accompanied by with ricotta-stuffed cannoli & fruits.

Petit fours bring the evening to an enlivening end; after five years & several revamps & refurbishments, it looks like Mezze is firmly entrenched to remain one of the city’s most relevant dining destinations for a long time to come.