Root beer braised beef ribs (left) and ribeye. — Photos: GLENN GUAN/The Star
CRAVINGS of meat lovers are bound to be satisfied by the aptly named “Steak Me Out” promotion that’s fashioned to deliver the offerings of a traditional steakhouse.
The promotion runs until August at The Living Room in Westin Kuala Lumpur.
Zebdelone says the focus of a steakhouse is on the meat and sauces.Executive chef Zebdelone Chal, 44, who is of Punjabi and Kadazan descent, said he was previously the specialty sous chef at a steakhouse of a luxury hotel in Palm Jumeirah, Dubai in the UAE, seven years ago.
“The focus of a steakhouse is on two things – meat and sauces.
“For this promotion, we use Black Angus grain-fed beef from the US with a marbling score of three to four.
“The most care goes into the making of sauces.
“For the stock, we use beef bones that have been browned, roasted and then put into a stock pot with thyme, rosemary, garlic and a mirepoix of vegetables.
“By this stage, the stock would have gone through its third reduction.
“The best is to use neck bone and chicken wing tips as the collagen contained will give the sauce its silky texture,” said Zebdelone.
For starters, the menu offers Prawn Cocktail featuring large Pacific-farmed prawns, avruga caviar and beef cheek croquettes.
Prawn Cocktail with beef cheek croquettes.
Firm and sweet, the locally sourced shrimp is lightly boiled in vegetable stock.
It is accompanied by a mild sauce of mayonnaise, Tabasco, tomato ketchup, and lemon juice.
Although the prawns are supposed to be the star of this dish, a meat addition steals the show. The croquettes, breaded meatballs, are made from braised beef cheek.
Another starter, the Tomato and Burrata Salad has an unusual dressing made from crushed Costa Rica coffee beans, roasted chilli flakes and olive oil, giving the dish a smoky, earthy flavour.
Tomato and Burrata Salad.
The addition of a mini beef and onion tartlet provides the meat component.
Fragrant caramelised onions and strong notes of the feta cheese topping augur well with this dish’s bold character.
While diners might automatically choose the familiar Onion Soup with its golden puff pastry crust, the kitchen is vouching for the Pumpkin Cappuccino.
Featuring butternut pumpkin basted in barbecue sauce and slow roasted for five hours, stingless bee (kelulut) honey is added to achieve optimum flavour.
Undoubtedly, the menu’s main draw would be the various cuts such as the 1.2kg tomahawk as well as the juicy cuts of tenderloin, T-bone and sirloin.
Rare or well done, the cuts are juicy to the last bite.
Particularly memorable is the root beer-braised beef ribs. With its smoky flavour, the dish is served with a French onion sauce which complements the meat with its earthy notes.
Diners can choose from a variety of sides such as mashed potatoes, thick truffle fries or the macaroni and cheese which is made with cheddar, Parmesan and Emmental.
For sauces, there is a choice of a creamy mushroom, herby chimichurri, and Gorgonzola.
The New York cheese cake with vanilla ice cream.
The rich dessert selection is no less impressive. There is the New York cheese cake accompanied with a serving of vanilla ice-cream.
We also love the delightful Mississippi mud pie with its rich, chocolatey nuances.
THE LIVING ROOM, UG Floor, The Westin Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. (Tel:03 2773 8015) Business hours: 6am to 10pm, daily.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
