Yesterday my brother and I went out for a lunch date. It has been a long while since the two of us went out together.
Our original plan was to eat at The Starling but when my brother mentioned Me'Nate, a steak house at The Curve, I immediately agreed to a change of venue. I mean, how can I say no to steak, right?
When we stepped inside I have to admit that I did not like the restaurant layout. It felt cluttered and cramped. Service could be improved in terms of greeting and guiding guests to their table. We were pretty much on our own trying to figure out where to seat.
Staff could also be more attentive as we had to call out to attract their attention for the menu. On the positive side, they were polite and friendly.
The menu has quite a variety of mainly western dishes and also some local flavors. There is something for everyone in your party. As for the steak section, you have to make your way to the chiller to select your preferred cuts.
Well, I did not intend to order Wagyu but was encouraged by my brother (it was his treat, an early birthday celebration for me) and we both ended up having a Wagyu sirloin each.
When we got back to our table, our coffee was already served. As you can see, coffee art is not their thing. But the coffee was surprisingly good. And we noted it was a bigger cup compared to the ones elsewhere.
After a while, our much anticipated steaks arrived. We requested for the steaks to be cooked to medium rare.
So far all steaks that we have at restaurants are very thin slices. The reason they are sliced thinly is so that they look substantial, a thicker slice (of equal weight) will look smaller. With a thin slice of steak, there is always the risk of overcooking.
But this was perfectly cooked to medium rare but it was rare at the center of the steak (not that I am complaining). Like I said, it is very tricky with a thin steak, you could end up with the meat under or overcooked.
The steak was served with a ramekin of coleslaw, steak sauce (garlic), mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables (asparagus. cherry tomatoes, carrots) and a small salad. They also squirted some mustard (the yellow stuff) on the coleslaw and salad which surprisingly made it all taste so good.
We were happy with our steaks though I agree with my brother that we could do with a better sear on the steaks.
Originally, lunch was supposed to be my treat but since this is my birthday month and we don't know when we would get another opportunity to eat together (on account of our dad's health), my brother was so sweet to make this his treat. So what is a birthday treat without desserts, right?
The Creme Brulee was decent, what I would expect of a Creme Brulee but my brother (who has higher standards) was of the opinion that he has had better. He prefers the one at Simply Ribs.
As for the beautiful Strawberry Panna Cota, it was a disaster not so successful.
So I scrapped off what I could and to be fair, the panna cotta underneath was nice but the sauce spoiled the experience.
Outside the restaurant I saw these promotions. I don't know if they are extending the Merdeka menu special.
They also have a Friday buffet from 12:00pm to 2:00pm.
Well, that was a very good lunch and though I ate some carbs and sweets, it was very minimal (my brother had the lion's share of the desserts). Many thanks to my brother for the very luxurious treat!
Oh dear!!! I had mango panna cotta here that day, so very nice. And I had creme brulee too! Yours does not look like it had been torched enough.
ReplyDeleteYes, I hate places where the staff is like that - like we are transparent! They don't seem to realise that we are the ones bringing them our money. A few places here - you go in, take your seat, they give you the menu, you order, they serve, you eat, you pay, you leave. Not a word spoken! The atmosphere is so cold...like in a mortuary!!!
I think the wait staff need proper training. The way they behaved is like at the nasi campur shop. For a set up like this steak house, they are very lacking in finesse.
DeleteYeah, I agree with you both too that it could do with a better sear. I think there's a lack of black pepper too to create that nice crust. Thin steaks are tricky to cook alright but if the chef is expert at it, we should get it cooked to our preferred doneness. Since steaks are expensive, the usual cut is usually between 1/2 - under 1 inch (if we get an inch-thick steak, we're in for a treat). For some reason, I always feel that the chefs at dinner service is always better than the lunch shift. I could be wrong of course but if the place opens for all 3 meals, that surely means the same chefs can't be there the whole day! P/S: Happy early birthday celebration to you...and happy belated birthday to your dad too (every day is a gift).
ReplyDeleteThank you for your birthday wishes for me and my dad. Yes, every day dad is around is a gift to be treasured. There will be another birthday celebration when my actual birthday comes hee..hee...
DeleteWell, I have yet to go to a steak house that can wow me. I remember you went to a very nice place recently and I mentioned that to my brother. I have to go to your blog and search.
Alamak! When I googled Cork & Cleaver it looks like they have closed!
DeleteYeah, when I revisited Kenny Hills Bakers with family in June, I noticed they were shut. When we were leaving, I walked over to see a note pasted on their doors. I think it went into receivership as there was a lelong notice (a list of all the items up for auction). The owners probably couldn't pay their creditors. For a restaurant to succeed, you can't only produce good food, you need deep pockets and good management, if not, you'll find yourself in financial trouble. >.< P/S: Maybe you might want to try Kenny Hills (there's one in TTDI) or Mercat Barcelona (in Mont Kiara) instead? ;)
DeleteHappy birthday in advance to you! You and your brother deserve to give yourselves a very good reward for taking care of your parents so well. 👍
ReplyDeleteThank you and you are so kind to say so :)
DeleteHappy Birthday in advance to you PH. I thought Wagyu would have better marbling, but seem like yours (and your brother's) steak didn't. RM24.90 for buffet definitely a good deal (no matter what dishes they offer) as cost of eating out nowadays can simply exceed this price.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I think the fat melted off because we saw some marbling when we selected the steaks. You are right about the buffet. Especially those with big appetite, sure make profit on the lunch. LOL!
DeleteThis is a timely post about Me'Nate which I was curious too. They are opening one at TTDI soon with big renovations that got the residents wondering and bickering at the community Facebook. Now I realised there's a new trend where same owners would open different outlets using different names with a signature branding like By Me'Nate, By Bvlgari, By Dior, By Phong Hong!!
ReplyDeleteBy Phong Hong! wahahahaha!! Well, thanks for the heads up. When they open I can go and eat the steaks there.
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