Classics Made Even Better!
A
restaurant that has been serving up over three decades of steaks and other
gastropub food can only attest that the restaurant must be doing something
right! Many fans would definitely agree that Castell Gastrobar, located in Section 16 at Petaling Jaya, has been
serving up many wonderful and satisfying dining experiences throughout the
years.
After
a recent major facelift, Castell
Gastrobar is now back in the ownership of its original owner’s family. Chef
John Lee, nephew of the original owner is back helming the kitchen of Castell. The gastrobar has been famous
for their steaks and hearty pub grub back then and Chef John is now reviving
those good old days with his signature steaks and classic pub food with his own
twist. For those who may not be aware, Chef John also has another restaurant
called Riblees in Sri Hartamas that
is a personal favorite joint of mine.
Castell’s décor is kept to minimalist design,
playing on their theme of wood with cream, black and red. Its casual comfort
and makes it easygoing for their diners to hangout for great bites and some
beer. From chalkboard menu to super cool posters (that is bound to catch your
attention) and a tv screen for sports fan, Castell
is bound to be your favorite neighborhood gastrobar if it hasn’t already.
We
decided on giggle juices to relax that evening and so we took on the AK47 and Mojito cocktails. Looks innocent but was told the AK47 was super
potent from my dining partner from her aftermath the next day!
Some
dishes are just oldies but goldies. In this case, the old school prawn
cocktails makes a comeback in the menu with Castell’s Prawn Cocktail (RM21). Served the old fashioned recipe, it’s
a pretty presentation of poached sweet prawns with shredded lettuce and
thousand island sauce. Simple and enjoyable because it brings back memories of
my yesteryears savoring this dish in a few Western restaurants back then.
Chef
John’s Dragon Wings (RM20) are quite
the legendary dish at Castell’s. That evening, I spied most tables have an
order of this dish. After a taste, I can see why. These super addictive spiced
up wings are marinated with Naga Jolokia
chilies and other spices before being charbroiled and served with limes. The heat
slowly creeps up on my taste bud and before I know it, the kick of heat started
to get my adrenalin going for more of this juicy smoky wings. Must order!!
Two
large mushrooms gratinated with lots of cheese sauce and beef bacon summed up
the Baked Portabello Mushrooms
(RM22). These are so meaty and juicy. It was literally an explosion of juices
in the mouth with each bite of the portabello mushrooms. Makes a great sharing
started or even a light meal on its own.
If
you need your greens, then Chef John recommended his Spinach Salad (RM23). Not just any ordinary salad, this one is
jazzed up with beef bacon, caramelized walnuts, radish, cucumber, baby spinach,
feta cheese and a tangy balsamic vinaigrette. Ok, if I have to eat my greens, I
wouldn’t mind this one…
I
must raved at the Castell’s King Prawn
Bisque (RM28). A luscious and creamy full flavoured thick prawn bisque is
made even more lux with a whole freshwater Sang Har prawn. The bisque is just
so tasty and sublime. The intensity of oceanic essence is a gorgeous welcome on
the taste bud and the golden toasty garlic toast is perfect to give the bisque
a textural touch.
Since Castell is famous for their steaks, its makes sense to try one of their signature steaks of Castell Stilton Special (RM88). Looks petit at sight but once you dived in, the 8 oz Australian pasture fed Angus tenderloin stuffed with pungent Stilton cheese and wrapped with beef bacon is a filling force to be reckoned with. The tenderloin yield like butter to the knife. It only has basic salt and pepper seasoning to let the Angus beef shine in its own beefy flavours. I adored the powerful blue cheese with the steak and thought it was such a bold combination. The light broiled on the cheese made it even better. Served with steak fries and salad, this classic still has what it takes to pleased steak and cheese lovers like it has over the years.
Pssst…
I heard the OP Rib Steak (RM158) is
another steak to order as it showcased a staggering 20 oz Australian pasture
fed Angus beef on rib bones.
If
beef if not your thing, then the Slow Roasted
Oregano Lamb (RM40) might work for you. Boneless slices of Australian lamb
shoulder is also tender with a subtle hint of oregano. The lamb went well with
the roasted potato, steamed vegetables and gravy.
It’s
a man thing with burgers! Men love their burgers big and thick and so Big John’s Beef Burger (RM26) caters to
the mega hunks of burgers with its whopping thick patty of Australian prime
minced sandwiched with all the usual suspects of the burger condiments. Fried
egg and beef bacon together with a whole jalapeno takes the burger to the next
level of flavours. Served with side of steak fries and pickles. Feeling manly?
Grab one of these…
It’s
my first time tasting Mutton Bolognaise
(RM28) and I was sufficiently pleased with this. Mutton tend to have a stronger
flavour and this was cleverly well masked with the bolognaise sauce. Robust in
flavours, the pasta also has a slice of garlic toast, served just the way it
used to be. These days I hardly find pasta dishes served with the toast.
Castell
Gastrobar is a gem.
Reviving the yesteryears dishes is definitely a plus point in today’s F&B
scene. The older generation of foodies will certainly appreciate Castell’s menu
while younger generation of foodies should experience how food used to be in
the earlier food scene. There’s plenty more in the menu such as Crab & Corn Cakes, Scotch Eggs, Ribs,
Castell’s Grilled Spring Chicken, Grilled Kurau Steaks and more to tempt me
back to this joint!
CASTELL
GASTROBAR
19, Lorong Universiti C,
Seksyen 16,
46350 Petaling Jaya
Tel: +60 3-7931 0373
Business Hours:
Tue – Sun 12noon to 11pm
Closed on Mondays
