Anne Elizabeth The Deli Restaurant @ Taman Segar Cheras

Meat Up at Anne Elizabeth!

Tucked away in the bustling area of Cheras is Anne Elizabeth The Deli Restaurant. A truly hidden foodie gem, I wasn’t even sure how this restaurant never got on to my radar for the last five years since its opening. Perhaps Cheras was never my usual food haunt but then again, I would have gone to the end of the earth for food that is worthy of travel.

Anne Elizabeth, owned by a dynamic duo husband and wife team, Jacob Fong and Sandra Lee had the foresight to take a chance with introducing ‘Select and Order from The Deli’ concept to diners five years ago in the location where they lived. Jacob hails from Brunei and has been a chef for more than 20 years specializing in European cuisine. When asked to elaborate, he specifically named British, Italian, Spanish and French as some of his main signatures.

Parking can be a problem in that area as it is located on one of the rows near Cheras Leisure Mall. However, this has never deterred the restaurant’s loyal fans from dining at Anne Elizabeth as it is always crowded throughout the day and especially on weekends.

The two-storey restaurant is located on a corner lot, catering up to 80 pax of diners per floor. One simply cannot miss the bold black and white signage of Anne Elizabeth. The owners decided to use their favorite religious names of Anne and Elizabeth simply because it felt more personal while echoing a lovely name together.

The restaurant décor is rather simple as the owners wanted the food to speak for themselves. A minimalist décor that echoes European minimalist with a deli counter and a bar, Anne Elizabeth has an easy-going vibe that makes dining casual and comfortable.

Sandra admitted that she enjoys running the front dining space while Jacob handles the kitchen and the deli. Both shared that their concept truly allows them to always have a personalized service with every customer and made sure that their staffs are trained well on this concept too. Business is brisk and constantly heavy during the day and so the owners have lots of staff trained to provide solid and fast service to customers.

When someone is passionate about something, it shows. Jacob and Sandra certainly showed their passion for Anne Elizabeth. Both are humble in what they do and yet one can see how much effort they put in to the restaurant. Jacob sources his sausages from 6 suppliers who are now literally his good friends. According to him, the bond between him and his suppliers are very important as trust is what ensures quality products every time. He is always open to having new sausage flavours for his diners and has some personal classic favorites that he keeps on the shelves throughout. The OCD nature in me counted at least 18 types of sausages in the counter on that day alone.

Talking about the swine, Jacob uses Sakura local pork and imported Spanish Iberico Black Pig for their consistent quality and premium meat. He believes that secondary cuts are sometimes as good as main cuts if prepared right and is always on a lookout to try cuts of meat that is not known to our local market.

From our local shores of Sakura, foodies can choose from cuts of Sakura pork bellies to pork jowl. The Iberico clan offers more varieties such as pork belly, pork rib, Abanico and more. There is also pork T-bone, pork shoulder, ham and pancetta.

For beef and lamb, he sources them from Australian and New Zealand. I was literally super stoked to see Brazilian cut of Pichana in his delicatessen counter as this cut is almost never found in our market. Besides Australian Wagyu Pichana, he also carries Australian Black Angus Hanger Steak, Angus Flap Steak, Australian Wagyu Sankaku, classic ribeye and striploin. Dopper lamb is also available on occasions besides the classic lamb.

Fear not if you don’t eat pork, beef or lamb, there’s still chicken, duck and some seafood to cater to your palate. From Chicken Gratin Cranberry & Bacon Cream, Smoked Duck Breast to Norwegian Salmon Steak, Norwegian Salmon Head and Seabass, the list sounds equally tempting. Some of the meat and seafood may change in terms of variety and flavours depending on availability.

Meat and seafood are not the only the main highlights of Anne Elizabeth. The other sidekicks are just as delicious as the mains, vying for drool worthy space in the realms of your tummy space. The chalkboard menu listed a solid variety of salads, pastas, soups and side dishes to go with the delicatessen ingredients. The only menu you’ll get at the table is the beverage and dessert menu. Diners are to check out the counters and order there while drink orders can be taken from the table by the staff. There’s beer on the menu but no wine. Wine corkage is decent with RM25 per bottle.

Our scrumptious journey started with two soups of Creamy Mushroom and Bacon Soup (RM11.90) and Roasted Pumpkin and Tomato Soup (RM10.90). I have eaten bowls after bowls of soup in many places and have to say that the soups at Anne Elizabeth now sets the benchmark for my soups in the future.

If I must sum it up, both soups are thick, hearty and deliciously rich in flavours. They say bacon makes everything better and I concurred. The thick and earthy mushroom flavour is really jazzed up by the generous bits of bacon garnished on the soup. Not only did the flavours prevail, the bits of mushrooms and bacon bits added a lovely textural component to the soup. Same goes for the pumpkin soup which paired an unusual combination of pumpkin and tomato. The fruity tomato balanced up the pumpkin sweetness, making this soup more savory then the usual sweetness from the root vegetable.

My fellow diners enjoyed the Passion Fruit & Parmesan Salad (RM11.90) immensely based on their repeated words of ‘you have to try this lovely fruity salad’. The presentation is pretty with the half cuts of passion fruit served in its own shell. Crisp greens, cherry tomatoes, onion rings, raisins and generous shavings of parmesan cheese seemed to work well with the passion fruit and dressing.

Using US Russet Potatoes, there’s choices of mashed, crispy or baked potatoes. We opted for the Jacket Potato (RM10.90) with sour cream, bacon and parmesan cheese. Classic and prepared so well that even this potato stood out deliciously.

If there is one side dish that can rival the meats, it would have to be the Portobello, Bacon & Cheese (RM14.90 per piece). Broiled till gooey and melty on the meaty portobello mushroom, the aroma was so good. The portobello raft held the pool of cheese well, that is until one cuts into the mushroom and the cheese oozes out in lusciousness. A must-order for cheese lovers!

Black Pig Meatball in Blanket (RM9.60 per piece) was recommended as one of their popular items. Glad to report that the meatball did live up to its recommendation. Beautifully juicy and moist, the meatball is wrapped with a strip of bacon, grilled and sat on a pool of dark caramelized roasted gravy.

The main meats started to arrive and the Australian Wagyu Pichana (RM66.00 – 200gm) never look better at sight. Diners are assured at least a marbling of MB 6 to MB7. Ours was cooked to medium and it was sumptuous in every bite. The wagyu cuts easily and tasted sublime with its marbling.

Served with grain mustard, dark caramelized roasted gravy and pepper cream, the pichana honestly didn’t need the sauces because the taste of the wagyu was so delicious on its own. A rare cut that is not easily available in our country, this is one tasty cut of beef you don’t want to miss, especially if you are a beef lover!

Moving on to swine haven, the Iberico Spare Rib (RM68.20 per slab of 600gm) was a platter that would command your attention at sight. The meat is tender and moist. We loved that the meat stayed moist throughout our meal and has that beautiful peeled-off-the-bone texture. Nicely marinated with a good dose of spices, the ribs have a lovely smoky and herb aroma. The side of apple sauce really complimented the ribs very well.

Jacob is proud to be one of the pioneers in our market to discover and promote this special Abanico cut of Iberico black pig. Abanico is basically the marbled slab that wraps the ribs from the outside. Not every pig will have this cut as per Jacob. He added that out of every 10 pigs, only 8 pigs will have this slab. Deemed the wagyu of pork, this slab is very much in demand and highly prized for its flavourful and tender marbling.

We had, not one but two pieces of Iberico Abanico (RM39.80 per piece). Each piece is about 250gm. Grilled to 70% doneness, Jacob assured us that this is very safe for consumption since it is Iberico. The texture of the Abanico is amazing, utterly tender, juicy and has a beautiful bouncy bite. Due to the marbling, the flavour component is also deliciously tasty. Served with the three-standard mustard, dark caramelized roasted gravy and pepper cream, this cut of Iberico is further accentuated in terms of flavours. Absolutely worth a try if you have not had this before…

Jowl is the cut from the pig’s cheek. The slim cut of meat has a lean layer of meat sandwiched by a layer of fat on each side, making it similar to the much-beloved bacon. This cut of meat is used a lot by other Asian cuisines such as Thai and Korean while we have only started to enjoy them for the last few years.

The Sakura Secreto Jowl (RM23.20 per piece – 180gm) is cooked without much seasoning. Simply because the jowl is already so tasty that it only requires at most a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Served thinly sliced, the jowl is tender with a nice crisp edge. The pepper cream and mustard go so well with this cut. This is another signature that one simply must-order at Anne Elizabeth.

We asked Sandra for her recommendation on the sausages simply because 18 varieties are a lot to choose from and there are some that doesn’t sound so familiar. The owners know best and her selection of Spicy Russian Sausage (RM7.90 per piece), Bacon Bratwurst (RM10.90 per piece), Honey Pork Sausage (RM7.90 per piece) and Pork Cajun Spiral (RM17.60 per cumberland) was pretty spot on.

To be frank, all four sausages are delicious within their own distinctive flavours. The Spicy Russian has a solid kick of heat and spices that we Malaysians love while the Honey Pork Sausage has a smoky subtle sweetness. The Pork Cajun wasn’t as spicy as the Russian but has a medium balance of Cajun spices. Bacon Bratwurst is faultless and has enough fatty bits to make this sausage a juicy and tasty one.

Sausage flavours do change every 2 weeks depending on availability but there are always new flavours that comes on board. We heard that Mexican Chili and Pork & Herb is on the next list of new flavours. I also spied a Berlin Sausage that I am game to try on my next visit… that is if its still on the list!

By now, our carnivorous appetite has been fully satiated, and our weekend seemed a whole lot brighter, we said why not to an order of Banana Crème Brulee (RM10.80). Anne Elizabeth only has two dessert on their list but who needs more when this one is perfect in many ways. Wobbly and luscious custard, barely set, protected by a layer of crunchy caramelized layer and crowned by caramelized banana slices. Despite not being a banana fan, I find myself returning to the brulee and banana for that unctuous rich caramelized note with the custard.

My long ravings have either bored you to death or make you so hungry that you’ll want to head straight over to Anne Elizabeth. I certainly hope it’s the later. Prices are decent and service is attentive and efficient. Reservations encourage, especially if you have a big party seating or take out is also available. A delicious hidden gem for meat lovers that is worth battling a parking spot in Cheras!

ANNE ELIZABETH THE DELI RESTAURANT

1, Jalan Manis 4,

Taman Segar,

56100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-9130 0319

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AnneElizabethTheDeliRestaurant/

Business Hours:

Saturday to Thursday      12noon to 11pm (last call 10.30pm)

Closed on Fridays