Even before the Covid pandemic hit, I was not a frequent traveller to Kuala Lumpur. Now I was quite excited to be back to this city where 1/3 of my extended clan live.

But I didn’t thought my first meal back in KL after almost 5 years hiatus would be a New York-style steakhouse. Chambers Grill at Hilton Kuala Lumpur is a Halal-certified steakhouse that would only fit the level of the guests I was having that evening.

The location of the Hilton is perfect – right next the Central Stesen where the KLIA Express ends. You just need to walk up the escalators to get to their lobby. So this place is always bustling with activities.

The Appetisers

We started the evening with a couple of appetisers shared for the whole table. There’s the warm bread with seaweed butter that has caught up in terms of popularity across Asia, but amuse bouche has not really been picked up by this steakhouse opened in 2013.

Classic Caesar Salad

Romaine Lettuce, Grilled Chicken, Poached Egg, Shaved Parmesan, Croutons

There’s all kinds of Caesar Salad variations out there. However I am a traditionalist. I like my Caesar with the anchovies and no olives, which they had none of both. The Hilton version has a poached egg (!?!) and grilled chicken. And the croutons were a couple of slices of lightly grilled bread. I cannot hide my disappointment when this was served. But not everyone can stomach a raw egg yolk and you need to up the price of Caesar with added chicken or shrimp. But no Worcestershire sauce? That’s a fail for their Caesar.

Grilled Bay Scallop

Aromatic Vegetables, Herbal Emulsion

I loved the way they described the dish, grilled bay scallops with aromatic vegetables and herbal emulsion. The aromatic vegetables were chopped up mushrooms and garlic, and the herbal emulsion was a tomato-based mash placed on the plate to hold the scallops so that they would move around when served. However, you can never find fault with fresh, grilled scallops anywhere.

Blue Swimmer Crab Cakes

Pickled Cucumber, Mesclun Salad, Tartar Sauce

And in true American steakhouse fashion, there’s always crab cakes. Most of the time they were not mainly made with crab. But here, they were a wholesome patty of blue swimmer crab. If Singapore gets most of its food sourced from Malaysia including the blue swimmer crab, I guess one would not save on this ingredient that’s quite plentiful in Malaysia. Yummy crab cakes for sure.

The Mains

All cuts are specially treated in a custom designed Himalayan Salt Tile Dry-Ageing Cabinet to produce the best grilled steaks that’s sure to meet the expectations of every carnivore aficionado. Came with these sauces – Natural Jus, Sarawak Peppercorn Sauce, Red Wine Jus, Mushroom Sauce, Béarnaise Sauce, Smoky Butter – they gave the table everything as we have a big party.

Wagyu Tomahawk MBS6

Grain Fed, Queensland, Australia, 1kg

The steak was done perfectly at medium rare, seasoned only with black pepper and salt. Himalayan rock salt, red wine salt, smoky Viking salt and black pepper come as possible enhancers. Mustards further add complexity, which I recommend to go with plain horseradish mustard. It’s up to you to experiment the right combination of the steak and condiments. Too bad I could not bring the bone home to my dog, she would have enjoyed it.

PS: Here’s what I found out that was really delicious was the garlic confit that came on the tray. Take a few cloves and crushed them into a mash and eat it with your steak. Yummilicious.

Grilled King Prawns

350g, Sarawak, Mesclun Salad, Tomato Salsa

I was introduced to the Surf and Turf concept at a tender age of 5 and always order it when available. When not, I would order a grilled prawns or Morton Bay bugs to share. The sweet and umami of seafood really pairs well with the smoky, rough and tough feeling when you chew meat. And very seldom these grills and steakhouses get their tiger prawns or jumbo king prawns wrong.

Besides the wide variety of mains, there’s a nice selection of sides like broccoli florets, portobello mushrooms, spinach and steak fries, there’s something for everyone on the table. Sorry it was a formal dinner, I could only take picture of what was presented in front of me at the start.

Desserts

Always order desserts – a mentor of mine taught me years ago when hosting business dinners. They always make a perfect ending to the evening, and extend the dinner by another 30 min for that important closing.

Yuzu Lemon Cheese Cake, Fresh Berries

It was made in the Japanese style and not the New York style cheesecake. The mascarpone had been whipped into a light, fluffy mousse with yuzu jam.

Vanilla Bean Crème Brulée

And who could resist a crème brûlée, especially when this one was done with fresh Madagascar vanilla pods.

Afterthoughts

Although my heart was craving for local KL fare, this was a good meal and an excellent choice to wine and dine your important guests. While expensive by Malaysian standard, you are still paying only a fraction of what you would in Singapore or New York for the same amount and quality of food. Still recommended only if you are trying to impress or craving for steaks.

Chambers Grill at Hilton KL
Lobby Level, 3, Jalan Stesen Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur,
Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel : +60 3-2264 2264

Visited in Jun 2022