Cover Maillard Grill's tomahawk (Photo: Maillard Grill)
Maillard Grill's tomahawk (Photo: Maillard Grill)
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We speak to the restaurant’s executive chef, Meg Lee, to find out more about the unconventional method
Maillard Grill, named after the reaction resulting in the browning of meat, is known for its flawless steaks cooked in a Spanish full-cast-iron Mibrasa oven. However, its new executive chef, Meg Lee, has an innovative way of ageing the restaurant’s premium cuts of beef—seaweed.
“It began with the idea of using a local ingredient, known for its umami-rich properties, to age steaks,” Lee says. “By wrapping cuts of meat in Sabah Coral Grass, a controlled fermentation process begins, infusing the meat with the distinct flavours of the ocean.” After three weeks, this imparts briny and earthy notes into the meat while allowing it to be cooked with a perfect crust.
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Above T-bone aged with Sabah Coral Grass
Above Executive chef Meg Lee
T-bone aged with Sabah Coral Grass
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With nearly 20 years of experience in the kitchen, Lee has enjoyed cooking since she was young. However, during a trip to East Malaysia, her eyes were opened to the abundance of less common ingredients from Sabah and Sarawak.
Above The restaurant's Spanish full-cast-iron Mibrasa oven
The restaurant's Spanish full-cast-iron Mibrasa oven
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“Malaysia has so much good produce, but not all of it is widely known,” she explains. Hence, the idea for using Sabah Coral Grass to age steaks was born. “I was inspired by the natural brininess of the ingredient, which could contribute umami flavours to steak,” she continues. “It is so hard to describe, and one has to experience it firsthand.”
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Above Beef Wellington, another signature dish at the restaurant
Above The seaweed imparts a briny, rich flavour
Beef Wellington, another signature dish at the restaurant
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Besides its seaweed-aged steaks, the restaurant also prides itself on its range of butcher cuts and beef from different regions, from the USA and Argentina to Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.
The meats pair well with Maillard Grill’s triple-cooked fries, an ode to Heston Blumenthal’s original recipe, spruced up with pecorino romano and aioli.
Above The restaurant's intimate interior
The restaurant's intimate interior
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“I hope that Maillard Grill will be known as a go-to for solid, genuine, and 100 per cent charcoal-grilled steaks,” Lee smiles.
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Images: Maillard Grill
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About
Katelyn is the dining and travel editor of Malaysia and Indonesia. Based in Kuala Lumpur, she offers readers an inside look at the movers and shakers in Asia’s growing food and beverage industry.
