Flint Restaurant & Bar @ Ampang

After reading ravishing reviews from both eatdrinkkl and theyumlist, it was inevitable that I'd come to visit Flint Restaurant & Bar @ Ampang, a sister restaurant of Stoked in Ara Damansara and part of the Vintry Group, sooner rather than later.

So, it became the venue of choice for a get-together with friends (that haven't met up for 3 months) when they requested specifically for a carnivorous meal...so feast like carnivores we shall! ;)

Arriving a little after 7pm on a Saturday evening, we found ourselves to be the first ones there which was great for both obstruction and people-free photography! ^_*  At first glance, the place isn't too big but it comes with an upstairs area that has an alfresco dining area (both upstairs and downstairs), so it's well-equipped to cater to a larger crowd, if need be.  I loved the exposed brick walls and earthy brown tones that exuded warmth and coziness.  The decor (and moose heads) reminds me of a hunting lodge.

Soon after we made our orders, we were served these complimentary bread.  They arrived piping hot at our table, so I assume they must have been fresh off the oven.  We were given two baskets of bread for our party-of-5-adults-and-3 kids.  One of the bread was a little on the burnt side which they promptly replaced (and I appreciated the extra attention to detail).

The crusty bread, with a good chew, was utterly crisp and hot that the spiced butter melted instantly when smeared on the bread.  This simple but good bread and butter got our meal off to a great start.

That night, it was all about the M-E-A-T!  No time for light bites, starters or soup...hehe!  Our first carnivorous order was the Australian Grain-Fed Angus Beef Rib-Eye (300g) @ RM118.

Cooked to a perfect medium rare, this succulent hunk of meat, with great marbling and remarkable flavour, was both tender and lusciously juicy.  Certainly my favourite steak of the night.

Our other steak was the Australian Grass-Fed Angus Beef Tenderloin (200g) @ RM90 (you can opt for a larger cut of 300g for RM133) which was also expertly executed to our request of medium rare.

Although this was pricier than the ribeye, I actually preferred the former (for its marbling) as the tenderloin (with remarkable caramelisation), though still very tender, was much leaner.  Those who prefer a leaner cut will certainly enjoy this.  For me, I need a bit of fat for added flavour.

If you thought that I was the one who cut the steaks into half...well, I didn't although I'd usually do that to show you how the steak was cooked.  So, I was pretty surprised to find it served this way, already cut up for us (which isn't the norm).  Perhaps it's their way of showing us that the steak was perfectly executed to our requested level of doneness.

Rounding up our grilled meats was the Australian Chilled Lamb Loin @ RM63 featuring two lamb loin chops grilled on the bone...and anything cooked on the bone is always extra tasty.  Those who are not fans of lamb (like me) would find it a bit gamey for my taste buds but my dining party (those who are lamb lovers) did not.

Even so, I had to give them due credit for the superior caramelisation achieved (we asked for medium).  The fabulous charring made it more divine.

All their grilled meats develop this incredible charring and have a greater flavour profile because they're cooked in an imported cast iron Bertha indoor charcoal oven to seal in moisture and flavour.  They also have a Drumbecue, a charcoal barbecue drum smoker, to grill their seafood and vegetables.

After ordering three fire-grilled meats, we weren't done yet and went with the Charcoal Oven Smoked Roasted Beef @ RM60 as our next choice.  This one utterly floored us with its taste.  It must have been braised in a superior stock that imparted sensational flavours to the meat before being smoked and roasted in the oven to succulent perfection.

The beef was so tender and flavourful, with a pleasurable char and just the right amount of luscious fatty bits, it was a hands-down winner with all my friends.  Don't miss this, a must-order! ^o^

For our final order from the grill, we went with the Free-Range Chicken (for half a bird) @ RM58 served with fresh greens and pesto sauce.  You know it's good when you can smell the amazing aroma permeating from the fragrant chicken as soon as the dish arrived.

It had this stunningly beautiful and even browning on the skin that made it thoroughly crisp and flavourful.  If there's a remote chance that you're not a red meat lover, this white meat will rock your world! ^.^

All the meats were served with fresh and crisp greens and a creamy herbed sauce on the side (except the chicken).  But the steaks, finished with a sprinkling of sea salt, were perfect the way they were, they didn't need anything else.  Just eat them as they are or with a touch of some freshly cracked pepper (they offered us two types of flavoured pepper).  They must have been a 'precious' commodity (perhaps even expensive) for they'll crack some onto the plate but yet won't leave them on the table at your disposal...kekeke! ;P

They have 5 sides that you could order to complement your carnivorous meal and let me just say these side dishes deserve merit too.  Our choices were Hand-Cut Sweet Potato Wedges @ RM14.....

....and Spiced Charred Cauliflower with Yogurt Mint Sauce @ RM14 and a sprinkling of fresh pomegranate seeds.  The others were Herb-Roasted Chat Potatoes, Sauteed Mixed Vegetables and Mesclun Salad, all at RM14 each as well.

Families with kids will also be pleased to know that Flint's menu is child-friendly too.  Their kids' menu offers 3 choices.

We chose the Macaroni with Creamy Mushroom Sauce @ RM15.  I had a taste of this and it was competently done, so much so that some adults wouldn't mind having it either.

We also ordered two portions of the Fish & Chips with Herb Aioli also @ RM15 each served with some roasted potato wedges.  A sure-fire winner with children.

Each kid's meal is accompanied by a cup of juice (I was told it was Ribena).  The third and final choice is the Chicken Meatballs with Tomato Sauce (RM15).

For drinks, they have lots of wine, beer, cocktails, mocktails, freshly squeezed juices and coffees that you can choose from.

I had a mocktail of Passion Fruit Mojito @ RM19 made with passion fruit syrup, soda water, lime and mint leaves.  Complimentary water is served though they have bottled still and sparkling water too (RM15).

My friends went for fruit juices with choices ranging from apple, carrot, lemon, orange, watermelon, cucumber or a mix of two fruits/vegetables.  Just know that you need to pay more for juices without ice at RM13 and RM10.50 with ice (which is totally acceptable since they come in the same glass size and filled to the brim).

And along the lines of the restaurant's child-friendly inclination, there's a kids' play area upstairs where mommies and daddies can hope to enjoy a quiet meal without having to fuss over their children (note the use of the word hope).

The play area might be a good idea to keep kids occupied but then we're talking about adrenaline-pumped children who get wildly excited when playing.  And what happens when kids get wildly excited....they make loud laughing noises (to put it mildly), scream is a better word! >_<  That's them (squeezed inside) and almost bringing down the tent!  So, parents beware...you may not want to let your kids know that there's a play area upstairs.  You may think it'll bring you peace of mind but it'll probably just buy you 10 minutes of bliss! :D Luckily, we sent them up long after our meal and with the ruckus they created, it was a signal for us to scoot (and I'm sure some of the diners were relieved that we did).  That's why it's hard for families with young children to dine at more "atas" places because of this.  If there's only one child present, everything's fine but when there's a few of them (aka a play group), all hell breaks lose! :O  Maybe it's not such a great idea, after all, to include a play area...kekeke! :D

My Personal Opinion

What can I say?  Food was flawless, service was impeccable and I loved every bit of it.  This place is heaven-sent for meat worshippers be it beef, lamb or chicken (with some seafood options).  They were all stunningly prepared and highly succulent although if I had to pick one, it'd be beef.....definitely.

It certainly won't be a mis-steak to choose this place the next time you're craving for just a hunk, a hunk of 'burning meat'! ;D  It's all about M-E-A-T and G-R-E-E-D here.  A place worthy of repeated visits, for sure ^.^

Flint Restaurant & Bar
24 Persiaran Ampang
55000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-4252 8262