Las Vacas @ Glo Damansara

Beefing it Up at Glo Damansara!

Las Vacas has been serving up beefy goodness since 2007 when its first butchery shop opened. After a decade later and four outlets later with the latest one at Glo Damansara, Las Vacas is still a beefy hotspot for awesome steaks and more.

The new outlet at Glo Damansara is wonderfully spacious and nicely designed. While one can opt for comfort in the main dining area, there is also an al fresco area to enjoy your meal. Barely a year old, this outlet already had quite a few private events with Chef Muhammad Amirull Azahar leading the kitchen and culinary team.

Las Vacas owners – Freddy Azman and FD Idzham FD Iskandar takes their meat seriously and ensures that quality is their main priority at Las Vacas.

Las Vacas is renowned for diners selecting their choice of the best beef cuts and marbling before getting the kitchen team to whip it up to their liking. There is always a solid range of premium quality beef ranging from grain fed to grass fed and to the premium wagyu up to marbling of 9. All beef are wet aged for 3 weeks to produce beefy robust flavours. Food ingredients used are halal certified. Fear not if beef is not your thing as they also serve chicken, lamb, salmon as well as pasta, burgers and sandwiches.

We were here for their Ramadan specials as well as their regular menu. For the month of buka puasa, Las Vacas Glo Damansara will be serving choice of 3 dishes specially concocted for diners. We tried the Aromatic Spice Pilaf Baked and Grill Chicken & Gravy (RM38.90), a generous portion fit for two eaters. Fluffy spiced up rice studded with nuts and raisin, baked with a grill spiced chicken goes really well with tasty tomato salsa, fried potatoes and two gravies, we enjoyed the dish a lot.

There are two other options of Arabic Puri Bread with Lamb Shank (RM77.90) and Vacas Ribeye Steak with Garlic Creamy Mash Potato and Raspberry Sauce (RM77.90) for the buka puasa menu as well.

The signature and most ordered dish in the regular menu is Las Vacas Famous Beef Wrap (RM21.20). Looks are deceiving in this case as the dish looked plain when it arrived. Beef rolls wrapped with julienned vegetables and drenched in cheesy beefy sauce was described in the menu. One taste of this roll and it was superb in flavours. The beef roll was tender with some crunchy from vegetables. The sauce was amazingly flavourful. Rich and creamy with beefy essence, that sauce would have also gone well with steaks. A must-order if you’re at Las Vacas!

For cheese lovers, there’s the Oozy Mozzarella Sticks (RM18). Golden batons of crumbed cheese that oozes with hot melting cheese is served with tomato anchovy salsa. Decent and great as snacks or for kids.

The Classic Caesar (RM18) is worthy of an order. Solid creamy garlicky and cheesy flavours on crisp lettuce with long crunchy croutons, generous shavings of parmesan cheese and a soft poached egg.

Our first beef arrived and the Grain Fed Ribeye (RM100 – 280gm) didn’t disappoint. Beautifully thick and juicy, the ribeye smells wonderful. Well charred and cooked to medium for my liking, the ribeye had a good bite with a tasty note. Served with smears of spice oil and rich brown sauce with toast and side salad, the steak is very satisfying for that price. There is also a small portion if you’re not a big eater.

The Wagyu Ribeye MB7 (RM65 per 100gm) is even better in flavour than the ribeye. Sliced a bit thin as the ribeye was bigger in size, this one is a hearty 200gm portion. Due to the thinness of the cut, the beef was almost well done. Nevertheless, it was still very juicy and the flavours are simply amazingly moreish. If you are one to prefer flavour over texture, this one is worth splurging for as the flavours are superb and the beef is amazingly tender.

Lamb Chops (RM55) are another meaty option and executed beautifully with good smoky char aroma. Three pieces of well-trimmed lamb chops that is succulent and well-seasoned cooked to medium doneness for perfect texture. I like how meaty the lamb chops and thus making it a hearty and filling portion.

We also decided to try the Salmon Fillet (RM51.95). Minor setbacks for this one as the salmon was too well-cooked for my liking but the crispy skin on the salmon is commendable. Another plus point on the dish was the yummy and creamy soft spinach that goes so well with the fish. Let the staff know if you prefer your salmon medium like me else it will be cooked well done.

When the Lamb Burger (RM29.70 – 250gm) arrived, I stared at it in awe. The thick lamb patty looked so luscious and tempting. Las Vacas offer several weights on their burger patties and we opted for a thick one since we love our burgers with thick meaty patties. Served with golden spiced fries, the lamb burger is delicious. Juicy, tender and tasty, sinking your teeth into the toasted sesame seed bun with the patty and all its trimming is very satisfying.

There’s also set lunch available during week days with several options of choice of your dish with an Iced Lemon Tea. We tried their vegetarian version of Pomodoro with Broccolini Pasta. The past is cooked al dente and delicious. We didn’t miss any proteins as the pasta is already well flavoured and cooked well.

Lots of choices of quality meat, Las Vacas at Glo Damansara is a great place to get your steak fix. Good quality meat don’t really need much sauces, just enough salt and pepper works wonder on the beefy goodness. Coupled with the lovely ambiance, it’s a place to unwind with good steaks!

LAS VACAS

Lot G19 & G19A, Glomac Damansara,

Jalan Damansara,

60000 Kuala Lumpur,

Tel: +60 3-7732 3677

Facebook: www.facebook.com/vacasglo

Instagram: www.instagram.com/vacasglo

Business Hours:

Daily 10.00am to 10.00pm

The Beato Steakhouse @ Solaris Dutamas & Bangsar

For The Love of Dry Aged Steak!

I love it when people get serious with food and goes all out to make sure that the food they serve is fondly remembered after its dining experience! Its restaurants like The Beato Steakhouse that takes the F&B business and our dining experiences to a new level. Beato, the Italian word for happy, is what owners Mr. Danny Choi and Mr. JK hope to have diners experience when they dine at The Beato Steakhouse. Both hailing from Korea, the owners first discovered their passion for a good piece of steak while studying in Boston, US in their early college years. They decided to open up The Beato Steakhouse in Malaysia as they loved the demographics here in the city.

The Beato Steakhouse has two locations in the prime area of Solaris Dutamas and Bangsar. I visited the outlet in Solaris Dutamas one evening with a few foodies in tow. The ambience is inviting the moment one steps in. The restaurant has a soft warm glow throughout the ambience. Decorated in an urban industrial décor with raw bricks, cement, wood works and black steel, it’s modern and comfortable at sight. There are regular dining seats or booths for more privacy. There are lots of things to see at the restaurant. At the back of the restaurant, one can barely catch a glimpse of a glass covered kitchen as it stood behind a large panel of shelving storage together with a chiller that keeps the pieces of aged steak cuts plus a wine chiller.

Owner Mr. Danny was present to show us his pride and joy, a custom chiller made with built-in-control humidifier that is the perfect room to age all his beef. All beef cuts are aged at least 25 days and above before they are trim, cut and vacuum packed for orders. Aged beef are highly prized for their full flavours and tender meat. The aging process forms a dry crust outside the cut of the meat and the juices are sealed inside to intensify the flavours and also tenderize the meat. Once the aged beef is ready, it is trimmed off from the crust. Aged beef is pricier than regular meat because the aging process also shrinks the meat quite a bit and the outside crust has to be discarded. Each day, diners can select from the various choices of cuts and weight for their meal as it is all written down on a chalkboard for viewing.

Every steak dinner at The Beato starts with complimentary Warm Bread with Butter & Olive Tapenade from the restaurant. The crusty rolls are delicious with a crusty outside, soft and fluffy inside. When served with the salted butter and olive tapenade, I could literally just keep enjoying these buns!

It’s the largest Bruschetta (RM15) I have seen and it is simply divine!! A large thick cut of bread is nicely toasted, spread with thick layer of cream cheese and honey and topped with juicy cherry tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar. It was without a doubt that this is the BEST bruschetta I have ever savored. The juicy sweet and sour tomatoes with its rich tangy balsamic vinegar dressing balanced superbly well with the rich sweet cream cheese while the bread soaked up all the goodness. I promised myself that I will be ordering one for my own self the next round and I am not sharing…

If you are not a beef eater, fear not as The Beato has other dishes like their Half a Roast Chicken (RM39). The chicken is nicely seasoned with hints of garlicky marinade and roasted beautifully. It remained tender and juicy. It is served with some grilled vegetable on the side.

Lamb Rack (RM59) is another dish also worth ordering at The Beato. One gets a good size of French trimmed lamb rack crusted with a golden nut and mustard breadcrumb crust. It is then nicely roast till medium pink. Served with classic mint sauce and some grilled vegetables, the lamb is scrumptious and well flavoured. JK, which is the chef for the restaurant, has really mastered the art of grill and roast to perfection as all the meat and seafood we had was cooked so well.

Besides meat, there is also a few seafood dishes like this special of the day Baked Salmon with Smoked Salmon Salad.

The thick slice of salmon is nicely broiled with a charred outside but has soft and pink flesh inside. It is served on a bed of greens with sliced onion, grilled zucchini, confit garlic, caper and drizzled with balsamic vinegar dressing. It’s got all the right balance of nutrients and protein needed for a good single meal and won’t leave you heavy after enjoying this dish.

Moving on to the star of The Beato are the aged steaks! Ribeye Grain Fed (RM39 per 100g) was the first to arrive. The 228g of Ribeye is chargrilled to medium rare and is served with slow roasted garlic and a slice of lemon. It is how it should be, letting diners enjoy the purest way to savor a piece of quality aged beef.

As we cut into the ribeye, one can see how nicely crust the beef has and yet the inside remained divinely luscious and moist. Bathed in its own jus, the ribeye was also beautifully tender. A light sprinkling of salt flakes boosted further the beef flavours while the soft garlic oozed with sweetness when savored with the meat. Go ahead, squeeze the lemon over the ribeye and you’ll find the flavours even more vibrant…

Our Porterhouse (RM38 per 100g) was a whopping one weighing over 800g. It was thickly cut which is how it is served in the States too. It is served again with the confit garlic, lemon slice and with the addition of mustard, grain mustard and horseradish on the side. This mega meat cut has always been a favorite of mine with a side of Striploin and Tenderloin. The bone-on steak can only mean better and extra flavours.

Once again, the meat is succulent and bursting with a rich beefy note. While the tenderloin is tender, the striploin has richer flavours with a good bite on the texture. I find myself enjoying the porterhouse with the grated horseradish as it enhanced the flavours of the aged steak to another dimension of flavours. After savoring aged beef, I know it’s going to be difficult to go back to regular steaks.

Just like the serious steakhouses in the States, side dishes are ordered separately. The Beato has a nice list of grilled vegetables and side dishes. We had the Grilled Zucchini (RM9) and Grilled Asparagus (RM14) from the Grilled section and these were lightly seasoned and not over grilled. I like how these are very delicate in flavours so it lets the aged steak shine better in their own jus.

Mashed Potato (RM14) and Sauté Mushroom (RM15) are also side orders and these were pretty good. The Mashed Potato is whipped till the starch is released so it makes the mashed extra creamy and gooey while the Sauteed Mushrooms is nicely seasoned and earthy in flavours.

Make sure to order their Sweet Potato Fries (RM14). These are simply a gorgeous treat. Sweet with a nice crunch, the sweet potato fries was literally the best side dish with all the mains. I got quite addicted to this side dish happily!

I was quite happy that The Beato also has a nice list of dessert for a sweet ending. We had the Lemon Curd with Dried Mixed Fruit (RM19) which was a pretty platter of dehydrated fruit served with a luscious tangy lemon curd and some cream. Each fruit has its own intense flavours making the dessert different in every bite.

Chocolate Lava (RM11) and Chocolate Mousse (RM18) are targeted to all chocolate lovers and maybe even some not really chocolate lovers. One is hot and oozing with sinful lava of dark rich chocolate served with whipped cream while the other is a fluffy creamy airy cloud of chocolate served with fresh tangy berries. Don’t bother deciding which one is better, just order both if you are the chocolate monster just like me…

The Beato Steakhouse strives to serve quality aged steaks! Everything they do, one can see it’s for the passion of letting their diners experience what a great steak is all about. At Beato, one can choose your steak by cuts and weights so it’s another nice touch for diners. These are really premium quality steaks so one does need to pay more but it is well-worth it once you tasted the steaks!

THE BEATO STEAKHOUSE

D2-g3-9 Solaris Dutamas

Jalan Dutamas 1

50480 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 603 6206 2405

24-1, Jalan Telawi 3,

Bangsar Baru,

59100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 603 2202 2405

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thebeatokl