Cork & Cleaver @ Bukit Tunku

My last Chinese New Year (CNY) dine-out with (extended) family members (can you believe it) was in 2020 just before the pandemic struck...while the last eat-in (with them) was two CNYs ago.  These days, getting together seems to be a practice long forgotten for some...with people preferring to socialise within their own circle (as in with their own families) for fear of getting (or passing on) Covid.  That's the sad reality of it resulting in family relationships and friendships becoming fractured/distanced due to the social distancing that we practised vehemently during the pandemic.

I guess I was like that too.....but I think it's time to return to some form of normalcy, to try to put Covid behind us and not let it rule us while still adhering to safety protocols as best we can.  So, I was delighted to finally accept an invitation from friends for a get-together meal (I've not had a meet-up with my friends for 3 years)...and (thankfully) we just picked up from where we left off! ;)

For my gathering with friends, I knew instinctively what I (and my friends too) wanted to eat, something I've not had in quite a while.....bloody good steaks! ^.^  That's how we ended up at Cork & Cleaver @ Bukit Tunku for lunch on a recent weekend.

The restaurant is housed within The Stories of Taman Tunku, an enclave surrounded by lush greenery filled with plenty of dining options...and plenty of instagrammable spots too for photo-taking enthusiasists.  The downside to this enclave is that parking is an issue as it's both scarce and expensive though valet parking is available but you'll have to pay the parking fees as well as tip the car jockeys.

We chose to sit at the popular alfresco dining area to enjoy the beautiful green views and natural breeze since the afternoon weather wasn't too hot that day.

Cork & Cleaver is both a butchery and grill where you can order directly from their menu or (alternatively) choose your meat and have them cook it for you.  We did both.  You're also welcome to buy their meats home to cook yourself.

There are plenty of meat options to choose from such as chicken (boxing, schnitzel, cordon bleu, kiev, spring chicken to all sorts of marinated chicken), lamb (noisette, leg steak, lamb rack to lamb loin), Angus beef (ribeye, striploin to tenderloin), burgers (chicken & beef), sausages (I saw at least 3 types) to even Wellingtons (beef & mushroom) and meat pies (chicken, mushroom, chunky steak, beef mince & lamb).

Once you make the choice of meat you want, it will be weighed and charged accordingly.  I chose an Angus Ribeye @ RM117.66 (318g @ RM37/100g) and an Angus Striploin @ RM79.36 (248g @ RM32/100g), photo above shows our striploin being weighed. ^_~  The one thing I didn't notice displayed at the meat counter that day was the availability of Wagyu beef (though they have some Wagyu dishes on their menu).

First, we got an appetiser to share, the Pan Seared Scallops @ RM69 served with a roasted red pepper sauce, toasted pine nuts and a few sprigs of arugula.  At first sight, I was rather disappointed to see such small scallops but they turned out fresh and tasty, so all is forgiven.  They were lightly charred and were succulent and sweet tasting.  I suppose you can't ask for too much seeing how pricey scallops are these days and there were 7 scallops in total for the price charged.

The roasted red pepper sauce was particularly good too (my friends loved it).  Each mouthful of a buttery scallop with the moreish red sauce and added crunch from the toasted pine nuts together with some freshness from the arugula was a delicious (small) bite to be savoured.

Next, the sides.....and they had 8 choices.  Hand Cut Fries (RM18), Sweet Potato Fries (RM18), Grilled Corn on the Cob (RM18), Creamy Parmesan Truffle Mash (RM20), Garlic Butter Mushrooms (RM20), Mixed Pan Seared Vegetables (RM20), Mac & Cheese (RM22) and finally, Garlic Sauteed Asparagus (RM38) being the most expensive.  We went with the Garlic Butter Mushrooms @ RM20, everyone's favourite.

The fresh button mushrooms were perfectly cooked...garlicky, buttery, tasty and, most importantly, well seared...no soggy or wet mushrooms here!  This may seem like a deceptively easy dish to execute but, let me tell you, I've eaten my fair share of soggy mushrooms! >_<

We chose the Garlic Sauteed Asparagus initially only to be informed that they didn't have that, so I opted for the simple Mixed Pan Seared Vegetables @ RM20 instead as some greens must be present in any meal. Simple.....but so satisfying.

The medley of vegetables consisted of red, yellow and green bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli and yellow zucchini.  Again, they were pan seared to perfection with every piece of vegetable cooked to the right texture, not too soft nor too hard to the bite.  They were also well seasoned and you can see that they were very generous with the freshly cracked black pepper...just the way I like it! ;)

For our mains, the Angus Ribeye MB5 (which cost RM142.66 in total) was one of two meats we selected. There's a fee of RM25 for cooking each piece of meat and we get to pick a sauce to go with our meat.  You can choose from Blue Cheese, Bernaise, Au Jus, Anchovy Jus, Chimichurri and Wasabi Cream.  I opted for Au Jus...I've always loved a jus made from the meat drippings but this one was not as endearing as it was a bit lighter, with a more watery consistency, than some I've had.

As for the shining star...the steak itself, it was so tender and full of flavour.  I absolutely loved it!  Although it was cooked a little over the medium rare that we asked for, nevertheless it was so beautifully tender that it was hardly noticeable.  The steak achieved an excellent sear on both sides with a good lashing of freshly cracked black pepper to provide a nice crust.  Don't be alarmed by the generous seasoning of black pepper coz a good quality black pepper will taste fragrant instead of overly peppery.

As the steak cuts here were a little thinner than usual, cutting into a piece of medium rare meat to reveal a reddish centre wasn't possible but I commend the chef for his skillful execution of a thinner piece of steak to still yield such tenderness (the pieces in the middle were a little rarer though).  This was an excellent tasting piece of meat.

Our second piece of meat was the Angus Striploin MB5 (costing RM105.36 in total).  Again, a cooking fee of RM25 was charged but, at least for that, you get a sauce and a side salad of fresh greens.  This time, we chose Bernaise which is quite similar to hollandaise except in the flavourings used.  It was another successfully executed sauce...thick, creamy and a flavour bomb (which a friend loved).

As for the meat, this one was cooked closer to medium rare.  This was yet another bloody good steak (and yes, this one was slightly more bloody...lol).  Tender and flavourful with a nicely charred crust, just like the ribeye.  One of my friends preferred this striploin over the ribeye (my eager beaver friend already took the end piece and dipped it into the sauce before I had the chance to take a photo!).  The succulent steak was perfect the way it was...it needed no sauce as far as I'm concerned.

If you value tenderness over flavour, the striploin is probably a better bet but if it's flavour you want, go for the ribeye!  I can't choose...don't ask me to choose.....I love both! ^o^

Our final main was something from the menu, Beef Bourguignon @ RM69 featuring slow cooked Angus beef chunks in a red wine sauce with chat potatoes, carrots and button mushrooms (we got shimeji mushrooms instead).  I thought the pickled baby onions (I think they're called pearl onions) were particularly good.

The braised beef chunks, potatoes and carrots were absolutely fork tender and the red wine sauce was rich and tasty (I would have liked it more if it was thicker though) with the tart pickled pearl onions cutting through the richness.  Obviously, this dish will resonate with those who enjoy red wine (like my friends) as you can definitely taste the wine in the sauce.

The meltingly tender braised beef dish was served with some lightly toasted ciabatta bread which was the perfect vehicle to dip and soak up all that delectable sauce.

My friend ordered the Wagyu Bolognese @ RM59 for her kids to share.  This dish consists of slow cooked Wagyu chunks in a fragrant tomato sauce topped with parmesan shavings and crispy pangrattato (breadcrumbs).  I didn't taste this but it looks like yet another palatable dish.

My Personal Opinion

First of all, this was a gem of a find for meat lovers.  The good quality steaks and excellent cooking impressed us.  All the dishes we ordered tantalised our palates from start to finish but the steak was the real scene-stealer here.  They were as tender and flavourful as you'd expect from a restaurant of this calibre. Deliciousness is when terrific preparation and quality ingredients meet.  I thought the prices of their steaks were reasonable too based on the excellent taste result we had though I felt that the cooking fee is a little on the high side (I would have liked to see the price at around RM15 - RM18).

The meal was so good on every level.  But I was happy to just meat-up.....and to Eat. Drink. Laugh. Bond...again with friends after so long a time apart as a result of the pandemic.  Good friends and great food is the best combo ever (thanks guys, for the treat...muacks)!

Just thinking about it at the time of writing this is sending my saliva glands into overtime! ;P  I was so tempted to get something from their meat counter to take home (to cook at a later date) if not for the fact that we were adjourning elsewhere.

We didn't have any of the cork part (as in wine) but we certainly had the cleaver part (as in meat).  This place is a keeper for sure.  I can definitely see myself returning for good steaks and more. ^.^

Cork & Cleaver

Unit A2 The Stories of Taman Tunku

Off Jalan Langgak Tunku

Bukit Tungku

50480 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 012-367 4947