Post by Chiefeater VK

The Maillard reaction is the chemical reaction that gives that gives browned food its distinctive flavor. (Wikipedia). Maillard Grill uses that name to capture the reaction of browned meats that they serve.

The Bad

There are several challenges to eating here.
Challenge no 1
Parking at Republik is limited and with the number of eateries and watering holes here, parking around the whole area is challenging.

Challenge no 2
There are only 5 tables at Maillard Grill and getting a table is not easy.

Challenge no 3
Pronouncing their name. The phonetics for it is (/maɪˈjɑːr/ my-YAR; French: [majaʁ])

Challenge no 4
Eating here is not a cheap affair but if you venture in, you will be rewarded with a well seasoned and incredibly well grilled piece of meat.

Found a parking some 500 metres away so that was OK.
We scored a booth table without reservation because a large group that took 3 tables for the night had cancelled.
Learned how to pronounce the name that night.
My friend bought dinner. I am so blessed.

The Food

They started us with a Sourdough Toast with a duck pâté doused in the oil of Buah Kulim. Buah Kulim has a truffle like aroma and the toast was a good starter of what was to come.

Our next dish was a Lobster Bisque (RM39++). Creamy and thick with a full taste of the sea, the bisque was a good follow on to the dry toast.

Then came the Aubergine Croquette (RM26++) which had cream cheese and chives in it. It came with a side of tomato compote made from heirloom Cameron tomatoes. Heirloom produce are varieties from the pre-industrialised days of the food industry complex and usually offer stronger flavours. That was certainly the case of this tomato compote which was sweet making it a good contrast of tastes to the savoury croquette.

The Grilled Asparagus (RM36++) generously covered with a béarnaise sauce and basil oil with a topping of burnt butter crumbles was a simple yet enjoyable dish. The firmness of the asparagus, the creamy sauce and the crunchy crumbles coming together as one.

The Steak

Finally, it was time for the star of the night, the Omi Wagyu A4. 300gm (RM200++ per 100gm) of carefully crafted meat. The same level of respect had to be accorded to cooking it and Maillard Grill delivered on that. Grilled over a carefully controlled charcoal fire (the charcoal comes from Taiping which is reputed to have the best charcoal in Malaysia) mixed with some wood from rambutan trees, the meat looked lovely when it arrived at our table.

BC, said it looked like and even had the texture of a tuna. The picture below would attest to that. Once we bit into it, that was where visual delight transcended into edible ecstasy. The beef was tender and succulent and I was just savouring the taste of the meat traipsing over my tongue. It was a fitting crescendo to the day's digestations.

Kim and Kelvin, our hosts for the night at Maillard Grill, were attentive and informative about where the food came from and how it was prepared.

The ++ is for the 10% service charge and 6% SST

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