There’s a new steak player in town and it’s called Maillard Grill, located in Republik Damansara Heights. Derived from the noun “Maillard reaction”, Maillard Grill is known for its butter aged steaks; a new alternative to aging steaks and supposedly a more cost-effective method for both the restaurant and customers since you won’t need to discard too much of the beef.
To start, we shared a Caesar Salad (RM32) made using eggs, pecorino romano, anchovies and duck lardon. I like how they kept it as classic as possible, with a bit of theatre with the shaved cheese done in front of you. Tastewise – refreshing, light and savoury from the cheese.
I wanted the Watermelon Steak (RM28) because I spotted one being grilled as I entered Maillard Grill. This was smoky-sweet with a bit of acidity from the tomatoes and pesto; I enjoyed this very much. If you’re planning to go full Monty on your meats, a lighter start like this would be wise.
The team at Maillard Grill highly recommended the Barley Risotto (RM32), a seemingly healthier version of risotto with pumpkin, oven-dried tomatoes and pesto. This wasn’t as “healthy” as they made it sound as the barley came generously coated in leek fondue – it’s a nice balance of savoury and sweet (from the pumpkin). Jien enjoyed this more than I did.
We opted for a 300gm butter-aged striploin (butter-aged for 30 days), prepared using a Mibrasa grill reputed for producing amazing char and temp control for that “perfect cook”. Our steak turned out beautifully. It was also my first time trying butter-aged beef – I usually opt for dry-aged for a fuller flavour profile.
As expected, the striploin (RM60/100gm) was juicy and adequately tender. In terms of beefiness, it’s more mellow compared to a dry-aged cut so if you’re not big on too much bovine flavour, this is an option for you. I still prefer my meats dry-aged since butter-aging yields a similar beef profile to wet-aging.
The triple-cooked fries (RM22) is raved about here but Jien and I found this to be just alright. It is a tad too crunchy for my liking and the centre isn’t as soft or fluffy since a lot of moisture has been taken out during the frying process. The creamed baby spinach (RM19) was a better option for me.
What I enjoyed more than the butter-aged striploin is Maillard Grill’s Beef Wellington, priced at RM260 per portion. This comes with grilled vegetables and truffle au jus on the side. Sher Wagyu tenderloin is used for the Beef Wellington, and Maillard Grill slathers (yes, slather) a heap of truffle duxelles around the beef plus spinach, before encasing it in pastry.
It was delicious. Not your classic Beef Wellington but I reckon it’s about time someone jazzed it up a bit. The truffle au jus was unnecessary since there’s plenty of flavour in the Wellington itself. Adding the jus makes the dish too salty in my opinion.
The banana log (RM30) looks a lot of a banana split, but a bougee version at it. Maillard Grill served this with dried banana skin on top and oddly, a pleasant combo. Overall, pretty good steaks and an extensive option of sides and starters. Best to book ahead to avoid disappointment.
Bangsar Babe on Facebook Bangsar Babe on Instagram
Ambiance: 7/10
Price: 6.5/10
Food: 7/10 (pork-free)
Verdict: Try the Beef Wellington. If you’re looking for a tender, juicy steak minus that strong beefiness, then you’ll like the butter-aged steaks at Maillard Grill.
Maillard Grill
G05, Ground Floor,
Republik, Bukit Damansara,
50490 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-7622 8770
Business hours: 6pm till 11.30pm
(closed Monday)
Website