It was datenite and my partner suggested The Rustic Grill because he knows that I love beef (this was a day before my most dissapointing tomahawk experience).
We were there by 6.00pm and had the whole place to ourselves. I reckon most diners would come by a bit later.
The view outside (the side lane) is not inspiring. You will see parked motorcycles and passersby.
The tapas and buffet counter is still there and now they have introduced their Value Dinner Set which excludes free flow tapas and buffet (for those who just want mains and no extras).
I forgot to take a photo of the menu for the individual value dinner sets.
My partner (as he always does) ordered the same dish he had on the previous visit - the Seared Salmon Fillet from the main menu (with tapas and buffet).
I ordered the following for him from the tapas menu :
Smoked Duck Pasta.
Sauteed Green Beans.
Sauteed Mushrooms.
Chicken Piccata.
And he helped himself to the buffet with a bowl of soup (broccoli soup, sorry no photo) and a plate of salad and chicken wings.
Obviously he had forgotten (or had faith) in the chicken wings (that we both tried previously) and apparently they were still no good hah...hah...
And this is my BBQ Beef Back Rib. I chose from the set menu, forgoing the tapas and buffet. The price from the Dinner Set menu is RM78.00 while the one from the regular menu is RM104.00, a difference of RM26.00. The set menu comes with a salad or soup and ice cream.
I was very happy with the BBQ beef as the portion was generous with the meat very tender. It was served with a side of BBQ sauce.
I chose salad instead of soup.
Now I want to recall a story for a long time ago. It was Chinese New Year and we had our family (my late uncle and cousins and a friend of his) dinner at a hotel in Kuala Terengganu.
Some members of our party chose ala carte while the rest went for the buffet. This was when I observed bad behavior.
Those who ordered ala carte were enabled by those who had the buffet to eat food from the buffet. What they do is pile a plate from the buffet to be shared at the table.
I was not happy with what I saw because this is clearly a breach of conduct. Diners who opt for ala carte should not be eating from the buffet. Well, I am not the buffet police and I kept quite because it is very hard to voice this sort of thing to your family.
The hotel staff turned a blind eye because they knew my late uncle (and also they did not want to spoil the atmosphere) who was a regular guest.
With that said, I did not partake in the tapas. This can be a dicey situation if you have naughty customers who will sneak in the extras to members of their party who are not paying the full price.
Now back to our dinner. We (again) shared an Ice Lemon Tea.
I forgot to take a photo of the two slices of pizza that my partner ate from the buffet.
At the end of our meal, we were served ice cream.
My partner's Mint and Raspberry.
My Cookies and Cream. This ice cream was not good as the texture was gritty with ice crystals which suggested to me that it was either old stock or poorly stored. But I did not complain. It was overall a very good meal!
Dear friend, this quote is so powerful! You have so many lovely photos! I don't believe I have ever tried beef ribs...pork ribs, most definitely! And I love them! And of course the smaller spare ribs, whcih I also love!
ReplyDeleteThe ambiance looks elegant and comfortable. Salmon filet I would absolutely love, I am sure! Smoked duck pasta is totally new to me, first I have ever heard of this! The picture looks good, though. I know I would love the green beans and mushrooms!
Although I have never had chicken piccata, the dish looks attractive. The chicken wing plate, even better!
I have always preferred having salad as opposed to soup. The iced lemon tea looks really refreshing and the ice cream looks divine! I would prefer the mint and raspberry! :)
Thank you so much for sharing, I was so happy to see your post!
It was a very relaxing and enjoyable dinner for me and my partner. Good food, good company hee..hee... Chicken piccata is delicious when I tried it on our first visit. This time I abstained from having too much food. I was on good behavior mode. LOL!
DeleteGood morning! This quote hits the chords and it is so very true. Not everyone who smiles are good souls deep down, some are fake smile like they say in Chinese 笑里藏刀. Can check with your lahling the meaning. And not all who don't smile are wicked as some maybe born with RBF aka resting bitch face so they maybe frowning but they are kind hearted deep down, just my two cents worth. Will BRB during lunch to read your meals post if not the delicious looking food and photos will induce hunger in me muahahaha
ReplyDeleteGood morning! True true, we cannot judged from the outer appearance. My post is an appetizer. LOL!
DeleteAh, I like ice cream with ice crystals. I think it means there are water droplets in the ice cream that turned into ice crystals whether the water droplets are in the ice cream by design or because the ice cream is not properly stored, I hope it is by design.
ReplyDeleteOh really? Then this gritty ice cream is for you hah..hah...
DeleteAbout your story about breach of conduct, I am also very sticky about these. If my spouse orders a free flow drink, I will do the same because if I don't order a drink, people would expect I would drink from my spouse's free flow drinks.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, but as long as we stick to principles, we should not be afraid of what people think.
DeleteThose tonkatsu eateries solved this breach of conduct by stating beforehand that if all people in the group didn't order a set that has free flow soup, rice and cabbage then the sets ordered are not entitled to any free flows items.
ReplyDeleteI guess they got burned many times where a group just order one set of free flow and ala carte and then keep asking for soup and rice refills to share.
That's a good policy to ensure no abuse of the terms of service. I do wish that people are ethical and follow the rules.
DeleteI am torn between your tender beef vs the salmon your partner ate.
ReplyDeleteBecause both dishes also I like.
I guess I would go for beef because tender tasty beef is more difficult to find than tasty salmon.
Personally, I would choose beef over fish.
DeleteOk, done with my lunch food and beverage intake, completed by around 12.30pm. It was boneless roasted duck kway teow/hor fun with many pork lards and green veggies with sauce/gravy that comes with a tinge of sweetness and saltiness and without chili. Guess I will have my dinner around 5.30pm/6pm. Lunch was enjoyable, satisfying and affordable at S$5. The roasted duck meats were tender and the roasted skin with a little fats. Next will be doing a little houseworks to sweat it off and to digest my food. Then it will be WFH. Already had 2 caffeines this morning before my lunch time. I had quality sleep last night so no need too much assistance from the caffeines. Had two just to enjoy my coffee time ☕️
ReplyDeletehah..hah.. I also ate duck but did not enjoy it because I am tired of duck! LOL! But I am glad you enjoyed your meal and your caffeine fix hee..hee...
DeleteSmoke duck pasta is like my roasted duck kway teow which I just had, just that one is western while the other is Chinese hee hee. Like your partner, I am someone who play safe by ordering the same delicious food from the same stall but I ate at different/a variety of stalls or restaurants each time. But of course there were times when I tried other food if their menu is extensive and I am feeling adventurous. That ice cream look appealing on a warm day, I will go for the raspberry and the chocolate ones, hee hee. Been a long time since I ate buffets, guess nowadays I cannot handle that, old liao! Hahaha. But salmon is on.
ReplyDeleteYes, yours is Chinese version hah..hah... They basically cook the pasta with sauce and added smoked duck. I had it on previous visit and it was very tasty. I myself sometimes also order the same old thing that I like rather than try something new and run the risk of disappointment.
DeleteAnd that refreshing ice lemon tea is tempting me on a hot/warm day, but usually when I dine out, I chose kalamansi or lime juice for the cold drink.
ReplyDeleteIf they had calamansi or lime juice, I would have ordered it. Their beverage choices are limited.
Deletei think i will choose the bbq beef back rib too....coz it looks good from the char.
ReplyDeleteYes, good choice because it was tender and delicious. No regrets!
DeleteFirst of all, your partner has a really good appetite as well (and someone who can certainly challenge you when it comes to eating big portions). Wow, he ate 4 tapas + soup + salad + chicken + pizza (I think he wins hands down)...lol! I'm not sure if I asked you this before but this is available only on weekdays, right? Your beef ribs do look good but I seldom order them coz I prefer steaks to ribs (especially if it's beef). So, the price difference of RM26 is the price for the unlimited tapas/buffet then.
ReplyDeleteOn your side story, I'm also very particular about people ordering a-la-carte and then share/partake in the buffet. That's simply unacceptable behaviour. Ya, there's this sushi restaurant we eat in and when I order the free flow green tea for one (and my son doesn't want a drin)k, he would never take a sip of my green tea (even if it's just to clear his throat at the end of the meal) as he feels it's just not right to do so. I've no qualms about ordering for one and I'm not afraid of what people think as long as we know we'll abide by the principle. I've seen other tables ordering the green tea for one (it comes in a refillable jug) but 2 or 3 people is sharing it (so unethical).
Oh yes, the man can eat! The dinner with tapas/buffet is available everyday, weekends included. Now they have also introduced brunch daily.
DeleteAh, indeed you and your family are ethical and I do wish that others do too. Some people just want to take advantage and that is akin to stealing.