The Butcher’s Table @ Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

 

Meat-ing Expectation

 

Talk about a blast from the past… somethings should always make a comeback! In this case, it did… The Butcher’s Table is the newer offspring of Mr. Ho Kim Loon, who was more renowned with his first offspring of Mr. Ho’s Fine Foods. Back in late 1990s, foodies know where to go for exceptional roast pork and premium sausages and that is at Mr. Ho.

 

After a hiatus from the food scene, the Ho family decided to make their comeback with The Butcher’s Table first outlet in SS2 few years ago. Roping in his kids now, they have recently opened a new outlet in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur in late February this year but had to close due to the recent pandemic situation.

 

The Butcher’s Table is now open, and diners are in for a meaty treat. Talk about meat-ing expectation… the restaurant is located on level 7 and offer diners several section of dining areas along with a private room as well. We like the simplicity and modern ambiance where smart casual vibes allow diners to enjoy a hearty meal from this delicatessen.

 

The menu is filled with lots of choices of meat and poultry with a few seafood thrown in for good measure. Most of Mr. Ho’s signatures are present along with a few newbies. Add-on a very affordable wine list, diners are set for an unforgettable dining experience of beefy and swine-ful dishes!

 

Perhaps the Crispy Roast Pork (RM17.50 | RM25.00 with one side) would be the perfect choice of appetizer to kick off here. After all, Mr. Ho’s legendary Siew Yuk is what most of us remembered him for. And disappoint us it did not after a decade… the crispy roast pork is still fabulously yummy.

Soong Kee Beef Ball Noodle @ Setapak

Hearty Beefy Noodles and More…

An eatery that has withstood the test of time, more than 6-decades to be precise, in the heart of our metropolitan city where it all started has Soong Kee Beef Noodle extending their branches to the latest location in Setapak. Started in 1945 by Mr. Soong Kee himself after World War 2, business may not have started out great but it has now become a bowl of legend from constant support of beef noodle lovers from everywhere.

Renowned for their beef noodles, Soong Kee pride themselves on serving a variety of noodles with their robust dark rich beef sauce along with a piping hot bowl of beef broth with beef slices, tripe and beef balls. We paid a recent visit one weekend for lunch at the Setapak outlet. Despite the area being packed with many eateries, Soong Kee still manages to stand out as a popular option for the many locals living in that area.

The Setapak branch is spacious and designed with a classic minimalist theme of bright and clean dining comforts. Walls dressed with history of how it all started along with their brand logo, Soong Kee is an eatery where one knows that good food is enough to warrant constant visits.

The menu, besides their signatures, now offers additional street food favorites that cater to non-beef eaters like wanton noodles, curry mee, dumplings, steamed chicken and more.

Drinks to quench the thirst:

Honey Lemon (RM4.00), Loh Hon Guo (RM2.00), Ribena Lychee (RM4.00), Kopi-O (RM2.50) & Barley Lemon (RM2.50)

Diners get options of Soong Kee’s Beef Balls Noodles (RM8.90) served dry or soup as well as option of their original Hakka noodles or thin meehoon. We tried the four combinations and found ourselves enjoying the dry version with thin meehoon as our top favorite followed by the Hakka dry version.

The sauce is what elevated the noodles to new grounds of flavours. Dark minced beef and pork, slow braised to yield that tender and rich beefy goodness. Coupled with their signature house made bouncy beef balls, this is what draws diners from near and far for a hearty bowl of beefy goodness.

The Original Xiao Long Kan Hotpot 小龙坎老火锅 @ Fahrenheit 88

Authentic Chengdu Chinese Fondue Opens Till 2AM

The original Xiao Long Kan 小龙坎老火锅 hotpot is finally opened! The newest kid in Fahrenheit 88 opened recently a few days ago on a soft opening to the public. Xiao Long Kan is located outside of the shopping mall next to the 7-eleven convenient store. Housed in a 4-storey building, the restaurant is opened till 2am daily.

Established in 2014 in Chengdu, China, Xiao Long Kan is popular for their authentic selection of premium meats, fresh vegetables, handmade meatballs, innards and offal together with their tasty broths prepared using a traditional recipe that’s hundreds of years old. The restaurant is constantly so busy that there is always a queue in the many outlets for the hotpot experience.

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.

Lucky Bo @ Jalan Bangkung

A Tomahawk Meat Up!

While there are plenty of steak places in our city, there’s only a few that takes steak to a whole new level of deliciousness. And so they say that everyone can cook a steak but we all know that it takes a serious steak connoisseur to zone in on how the perfect steak should be with every single detail being scrutinized from the beef to the cooking and serving.

The folks are Lucky Bo are one of them. Two owners, “Leng Chais” Ed and Peter, was dreaming of owning their own hot pot restaurant. One thing led to another, Lucky Bo was born. Named after Ed’s dog, Lucky Bo serves local comfort food during lunch and goes Wagyu in the evening for steak lovers.

Lucky me, I had the honours of visiting Lucky Bo one evening to see why this place is the best value wagyu steak in town. Located along the quiet neighborhood of Jalan Bangkung area, Lucky Bo has been opened for more than 3 years. Foodies know how to hunt down this place for local comfort food during lunch and best value wagyu steaks in the evenings.

Elegant interior with warm low lights ease diners for a place to relax for the evening with awesome steaks and good wines. The menu is kept rather neat and tight, featuring enough on what they do best at Lucky Bo. While some may have thought it’s rather odd to see hot pot together with some local dishes and a list of steaks, pasta, and other Western dishes in the same menu, I find it rather interesting. After all, we are Malaysians and we have always been accustomed to our melting pot of cultures and cuisines.

Lucky Bo’s steaks are listed on a signboard to showcase their list of premium beef cuts and weights available that day. Ed and Peter prized themselves on their signature Australian Margaret River Wagyu cooked in Spanish Josper charcoal oven. Diners are treated to premium cuts from Striploin, Ribeye, Brisket to the whopper of beef - The Tomahawk. Now all you need is a good choice of wine or beer to go with your steak.

Before we get to the showstopper, we gladly tucked into Chef Ong’s Wasabi Prawns (RM28). These little golden prawn bombs are delightfully crispy with a bouncy prawn paste texture. Natural crustacean sweetness prevails and the wasabi sauce added a subtle note of zingy sensation.

Our next appetizer of Black Pepper Smoked Duck with Garlic Crisps (RM34) is light and enjoyable. The duck breast has a subtle smoky and savory note, elevated further with a drizzle of creamy sauce and garlicky its. Decent dish for those who especially enjoys duck.

The Grilled Spanish Octopus (RM45) was my favorite dish of the three appetizers. Octopus, when cooked right, is amazingly delicious. These were perfection in my books as the octopus was gorgeously tender, smoky and a soft hit of paprika note. Served on a bed of crisp greens, radish, cherry tomatoes and red pepper sauce, the dish was simply irresistible in flavours and textures.

Moving to mains, we tucked into large pieces of Chef’s Beef Ribs with Emperor Sauce (RM75). Generously coated with the rich sauce, the meat was tender with a nice bite. The sauce resembles a spiced up garlicky bbq sauce with a harmony of sweet, savory, sourness and a little spice heat. The portion alone is substantial so one may want to share this unless you have an appetite of a caveman that hasn’t eaten a few meals.

We had to restrained ourselves from immediately diving into the Kyushu Wagyu Rib Loin (200g RM268 & 300g RM378) at sight. Drool-worthy at first glance, this Japanese premium wagyu screamed flavour. In fact, the meat tasted buttery and much umami notes of pleasure. So tender from all the marbling, this piece of wagyu is lusciousness in every bite. Price is on the premium side but once you’ve had a taste of this wagyu, you actually might find this worth indulging for…

We came to our showstopper of the evening. Making its grand entrance is the mammoth Wagyu Tomahawk. A Tomahawk is a bone-in ribeye. This primal cut never fails to impress at the serving table because of its gargantuan size. Ours that evening was graded MB5 and weighed 1.6kg (RM728), enough to be shared by at least five meat eaters.

Fear not if you don’t have a party of five, the restaurant has smaller tomahawks for small parties but this cut is basically a sharing one. Well,, unless you could be starving and have a fetish for taking on your meat intake for a week in just one meal…

Cooked in charcoal Josper oven, the tomahawk is a masterpiece at sight with its rich hue of colour, golden roasted potatoes, colourful steamed veggies and a pot of au jus. If I was sitting in the kitchen of my home, I would have chuck out all my manners and attack this tomahawk by gnawing my way through the rib bone. At last, I wasn’t and so I waited patiently for this beautiful meat to be sliced up at our tableside…

It is recommended to enjoy the tomahawk at medium rare doneness and so we oblige to this recommendation. Our tomahawk was cooked to a gorgeous pink doneness. One can even see how juicy this mega hunk of wagyu is. The meat is sublime with moreish notes of pleasure. Not only does the wagyu taste that good, there is still a good bite of texture that I enjoyed very much when it comes to my meat.

Savor this with the au jus or a little mustard or even horseradish for extra scrumptious note!

Lucky Bo’s Tomahawks starts from MB3 to MB5, price from RM468 onwards depending on grade and weight.

Ed graciously told us how it all started with Lucky Bo’s Wagyu and Char Kway Teow. A friend had brought in a steak to ask him to cook one day. With the meat, there was a piece of fat attached. Now knowing hardcore foodies, nothing should go to waste. And so the fat was rendered down as requested. Instead of the usual fried rice, Ed loves Char Kway Teow. And so he asked for his Char Kway Teow to be fried in the rendered beef fat… the rest is, as we all say, history…

Lucky Bo’s Wagyu Beef Fat Char Kway Teow comes with your order of a tomahawk. This precious plate of CKT is said to be so darn yummy that many are now said to order the tomahawk just to savor this CKT. This version is only available with the tomahawk’s fatty bits and comes with just one serving. No more, no less.

Full of ‘wok hei’, this was a darn good plate of CKT! Every strand of the rice noodle is a joy to eat. Plenty of beansprouts and chives along with a lovely note of soya sauce gave this CKT its winning score. And now I fully understand why many have raved for this plate of CKT. Perhaps it is also the moment that I was fully ignited to the same club of this CKT as the rest of the foodies…

Sides of Japanese Fried Rice (RM8) and Lucky Onion Fries (RM8) are always a treat.

By now, our tummies were fully satiated with much wagyu pleasures. Then we were told of Lucky Bo’s dessert menu. Cakes by the fame FatBoyBakes, known as Cheng Yi to many, was not something one can no too. And so… we said yes to a Pandan Gula Melaka Cake and a Macadamia Cheesecake. Both delightfully good in their own flavours with much sweet richness to end our meaty meal.

We also couldn’t resist Forty Licks Ice Cream among us. With flavours like Bailey’s & Coffee, Coconut Salted Gula Melaka and Guinness, ice creams have gone beyond the norm. For those who have yet to try spiked up ice creams, be warn as you might just end up doing what its name says… forty licks of yum!

LUCKY BO

65, Jalan Bangkung,

Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar

59100 Kuala Lumpur,

Tel: 03-2092 1222

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LuckyBoKL

Instagram: www.instagram.com/luckybokl

Business Hours:

Daily 11am to 11pm

Wagyu Promotion @ Babe Japas Fun Dining

Jeff Ramsey Beefs it Up!

We are luckier than we know it. For gastronomical experience like no other, we don’t really need to look very far. For gourmands seeking an extraordinary culinary feasting, look no further than in the heart of the PJ business area where Babe Japas Fun Dining resides at Work @ Clearwater.

‘Japas’, coined by culinary maestro Jeff Ramsey on his amalgamation of Japanese cuisine cum Spanish tapas, heralds a new cuisine on our culinary shores. In fact, the Michelin-starred chef makes his Japas a unique ‘fun dining’ one where nothing is as it seems. Babe started in 2015 and continue to be a culinary playground for Ramsey as well as a sumptuous dining space for adventurous foodies.

The American-Japanese chef may have started out in Tako Grill in Maryland, USA but has decided to make our nation his home currently. Having worked for many acclaimed chefs, Ramsey even goes to the extent of growing his own herbs on the rooftop of the restaurant building. His thoughtful efforts not only extends to diners but to his employees as well where he makes sure that his culinary team is able to cope with all the meticulous preparation his menu requires. He changes his menu every few months and keeps his menu deliciously updated with new creations as well as monthly promotions.

Babe is gorgeous at sight. To dine at Babe, one needs to be guide to the elevator to ride all the way up to the restaurant. Reservation is also required and one can do this online at their website with a deposit. Upon arrival, one will be greeted by a luminous backdrop bar as well as a ceiling filled with glass bubbles.

The ambiance is stunning with a clean and contemporary sleek design. The long main dining area is flanked with glass and mirror walls with a beautiful modern light chandelier. The play of browns and blue has a calming and soothing effect too. Sparkling cushions jazzed up the ambiance, reminding us what Babe is all about. Since we were there early, the natural lights from the glass walls fill the room with much sophistication.

Even the cutlery is contemporary and glam in gold!

One can also opt to dine alfresco and catch a view of the cityscape with KL Tower and Twin Tower in sight. If you’re up for it, you can even try to relax on the lounge chairs on the water to wait for the evening’s sunset.

We were here for Ramsey’s Wagyu promotion for July. According to Ramsey, there’s beef and then there’s wagyu. They don’t call wagyu the Rolls Royce of beef for no reason. Ramsey wanted diners to try the variants of wagyu so that they can compare the nuanced tastes side by side. While many have heard of this, most restaurants do not carry the different types of wagyu all together since it is a very premium ingredient.

The avant-garde chef made extra effort to source out the most exquisite cuts of the highest grading of wagyu and prepared it with restraint to let the flavours and textures of the wagyu be the limelight of the palate. For the whole month of July, diners can indulge on Japanese Kobe, Kagoshima and Matsusaka as well as Australian Wagyu prepared raw or a delicate cooking treatment to be accompanied by minimal ingredients and complimented by sauces.

For the full wagyu indulgence, go for the 4-course or 6-course Wagyu that comes with 3 beefy snacks. There’s also an ala carte Wagyu menu too for those who wish to mix it up with other of Ramsey’s japas.

Snacks up and the first was a mouthful of moreish of Chicken Skin Crisp with Wagyu Liver Parfait, Red Wine Caramelized Onions and Pickled Mustard Seed. Now if only every snack looked and tasted this good. There were three pieces of this but that’s because there were three of us.

Chicken skin, utterly golden and crispy, provides a moreish platform for velvety smooth wagyu liver parfait. The salty and rich note is balanced further by smoky and sweet caramelized onions and the tang of the mustard seeds. A true revelation of textures and flavours with this single snack.

The second snack we had was the Wagyu Beef Tendon in Ponzu with Chili Radish and Spring Onion. Taking the toughest part of the wagyu and turning it into bouncy and tender bites of small pieces of simmered wagyu beef tendon echoed Ramsey’s focus on nose to tail eating. These were flanked by chili radish and spring onions and rounded up with citrusy ponzu sauce to whet our appetite for mains to come.

There is a third snack which we didn’t try which was an interesting one of Bulgogi Cotton Candy. Now that really had me wondering how this one would actually taste like…

When the Raw Matsuzaka A5 Strip with Caviar, Uni, Fresh Grated Wasabi, Soy Gel, Gold Leaf was placed in front of me, there was never a doubt that I would not enjoy this gorgeous looking creation. The Matsuzaka A5 was gloriously marbled and crowned with such lux jewels of caviar, sea urchin and edible gold leaf. Assured that this premium wagyu is safe to be consumed raw, we were told to roll up the wagyu together with all the accompaniments and shiso leaf.

Encourage to enjoy this roll whole to experience the full flavours of everything with the wagyu, it was indeed a sinful bite of unctuous and creamy beefy goodness. The caviar added popping briny notes, the subtle rich uni, the delicate hint of fresh wasabi and light soy flavour all complimented the Matsuzaka gorgeously. The thrill of enjoying raw and highest quality of A5 ranking Matsuzaka elevated the senses even more… my ultimate favorite of the wagyu dishes I tried that day!

Well, if raw is not your preferred choice, then the River Stone Cooked Kobe A5, Sauces would be just as tempting. From Hyogo Prefecture, Kobe beef reigns the culinary scene. This one is cut into cubes and served with a hot river stone nestled snuggly in a basket and accompanied by sauces. One gets to play and cook the Kobe beef to your liking with this dish…

Such quality grade only requires a few seconds of searing on the hot stone in my books. Then enjoy these with sauces and salt with wasabi. I personally enjoyed my Kobe with salt and fresh wasabi as it really enhanced the lush and creamy notes of the wagyu. The marbling rendered such flavours unlike any other meat I have had.

Our third wagyu dish of the evening took form in Sukiyaki of Kagoshima A5 Cube Roll, Truffled Onsen Egg. More lux and this round, it featured the very best of wagyu there is. The elite of the wagyu clan, Kagoshima A5 are sliced and artfully draped on a cast iron pan with Shungiku chrysanthemum leaves and Eryngii mushrooms. Served with a sous vide onsen egg yolk dabbed with black truffle and a pot of sukiyaki broth, the dish also allowed diners to cook and enjoy the wagyu to your heart’s content.

As the sukiyaki broth was poured onto the wagyu, the anticipation of savoring this dish heightens the sense of excitement…

Once the broth comes to a gentle simmer, pour the onsen egg yolk over the wagyu and lightly coated each slice to ensure even distribution of scrumptiousness. The sweet and sublime sukiyaki broth elevated the luscious melt-in-the-mouth Kagoshima wagyu to perfection. Perhaps it was also the onsen egg that took the wagyu to new heights with its velvety coat of lusciousness. Either way, I am certainly satiated with the Kagoshima wagyu.

Truly an unforgettable experience of savoring the best of wagyu, it would now be hard to come back down to earth and enjoy regular beef like the norm… this is one splurge worth every penny one can afford!

Wagyu Promotion Course Menu

Available from 4 July to 30 July, 2017

4 Course includes 3 snacks      RM610++ per person

6 Course includes 3 snacks      RM930++ per person

Wagyu Ala Carte Menu

Available from 4 July to 30 July, 2017

Raw Matsuzaka A5 Strip with Caviar, Uni, Fresh Grated Wasabi, Soy Gel, Gold Leaf (RM140++ per piece)

River Stone Cooked Kobe A5, Sauces (RM160++)

Semi Seared Australian MB9+ Wagyu Nigiri Sushi with Arima Sansho (RM160++ 4 pcs)

Charcoal Grilled Kagoshima A5 Ribeye with Yuzu Kosho and Narazuke (RM160++)

A5 Tartare “Yukkwe” Pear, Brioche Rounds, Sesame Aioli, Sesame Oil Powder (RM160++)

Sukiyaki of Kagoshima A5 Cube Roll, Truffled Onsen Egg (RM160++)

Choice of Wagyu Steak Charcoal Grilled Medium Rare Per 100g

(Kobe RM400++, Matsuzaka RM360++, Kagoshima RM275++, Australian RM225++)

Besides the Wagyu promotion, we also savored several signature Japas from Ramsey’s ala carte menu.

Ramsey injects molecular science into his dish of Mozzarella Explosion and Amela Tomato. We were told to carefully lift the mozzarella ball to enjoy the whole ball itself. Do as told, the explosion of milky mozzarella cream was utterly pleasurable and delicious. What takes effort and meticulous preparation, to only be savor within a few seconds of thrills, seemed all worth it. Amela tomato, known to be the world’s sweetest tomato from Shizouka Prefecture, is the perfect sidekick to the savory mozzarella ball. It tasted of sweet fruity notes and was perfect after that savory explosion. A light drizzle of EVOO added much smoothness to the overall dish.

Grilled French Royal Oyster with Tama Miso, a tribute to the aphrodisiac mollusk with creamy egg miso sauce. Just ever so lightly grilled, the plump oyster was lightly briny and beautifully creamy.

The next dish of Shimaaji and White Konbu was like a piece of beautiful contemporary art. Japan’s seasonal striped horsemackerel served sashimi style had a sweet delicate note. It was cleverly enhanced with a snowy sesame oil powder and other small touches. While it may look relatively simple, I am sure Ramsey had put in quite a bit of delicious magic into the makings of this dish as it tasted rather superb!

BabenDazs, another signature of Ramsey’s, is his fun and cheeky take on his foie gras, V.S.O.P. and mirin ice cream sandwich. Instead of sweet, this one is cold, savory and decadent in musky flavours. He makes hundreds of these at times and now we know why. Tiny sandwiches that packed a punch of flavours!

Ramsey strikes comfort with his luxurious Black Truffle King Crab Chawanmushi. Taking classics and updating it with black truffle and king crab certainly ramped up extra brownie points from me. We enjoyed the soft wobbly egg custard elevated with sweet crustacean and heady aromatic black truffle. Something I can certainly enjoy daily if not for the price tag…

Perhaps the most familiar dish we could relate to Japanese cuisine was the Hokkaido Don. Sushi rice generously blanketed with lots of sweet king crab meat, globules of briny salmon roe, creamy sea urchin and finished with dashi jelly.

This one really lets the premium ingredients shine as they are meant to be.

Plenty of beverages to accompany the food. We settled on some of their specialty soft drinks of Torch Gingerale and Roselle Tonic. One’s deliciously gingery with a pop while the other is floral with a rosy note.

It’s a revelation of a gastronomic journey like no other. Babe has certainly proved its worth with Ramsey helming the culinary team. This is one gastro adventure that one should not miss. Food and ambiance is worthy for your loved ones, special occasions or not.

One thing’s for sure, dining at Babe won’t be like your norm, so gear for an unforgettable delicious adventure, the Ramsey’s way.

For reservations, call +603 2095 8599 or email hello@babe.com.my

BABE JAPAS FUN DINING

Work @ Clearwater

11th Floor, Changkat Semantan,

Damansara Heights

50490 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +60 3-2095 8599

Website: www.babe.com.my

Facebook: www.facebook.com/babejapas/

Instagram: #babegastro

Business Hours:

Tues to Sun 6pm to 11pm

Closed on Mondays