KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 — Western food is a contentious term that means different things to different people. I tried to select a range of different food commonly referred to as “Western” in the Malaysian context from a bunch of different price points.
There is a mixture of everything from the humble roadside stall to the best fine dining experience. The only common thread is that these establishments are either halal certified or Malay operated.
Meat Point is a high-end steakhouse where you select the cut you want from their coolers. The prices of their steaks vary; the cuts here start from RM65 all the way to over RM200 for wagyu beef.
There are various types of meat, from lamb to beef (both grain- and grass-fed) and you can request the doneness to your liking. Each steak is served with two sides and a sauce. I highly recommend the chimichurri sauce with beef. I ordered a beautiful grass-fed rib eye and was impressed by the flavourful rub they used on the steak. The food is delicious and the ambience pleasant. Meat Point is the perfect place to bring your family or date for a quiet evening out.
They’re also halal certified.
The Mac Malaysia is a stall located in USJ14 that almost always has a long queue. I’ve often wondered how good these guys are after seeing the number of people religiously queuing up for some mac and cheese.
Their fully-loaded signature dish is RM16, which is not cheap but justified seeing that they don’t skimp on the ingredients — Mission tortilla chips, Kraft cheese and Anchor cream, among others. While I hesitate to call them premium brands, they certainly aren’t bottom shelf products. The mac and cheese is also blowtorched which adds a nice char to the finish.
SJ Western Food is one of those random stalls you try because you see a lot of people ordering the same dish and it seems to have a loyal customer base. The lamb chop (RM26) is good, although the way it’s cooked may not be for everyone. If you like your lamb chop doused with Worcestershire sauce, A1 steak sauce and black pepper, this is probably not for you. Here the lamb is lightly grilled with minimal seasoning to let the meat speak for itself.
Maidah Cuisine does mainly Arab and local cuisine but there’s also a grill selection that a friend working in the area recommended.
I tried the chicken chop (RM15) and was pleasantly surprised. They mostly cater to the weekday office crowd and have Sundays off.
Boomtown USJ Burger uses a homemade lamb burger patty that makes its burgers taste a lot better than the usual Ramly Burger variety.
I had the Monster Burger (RM16) that comes topped with a sunny side up egg. It’s meaty and juicy, two adjectives I like in a burger.
This stall has become my go-to whenever I need a lamb burger fix.
GETTING THERE
Meat Point
62, Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur
LRT/MRT: Bandar Utama
From the station: 400 metres
Operating hours: noon–10.30pm (Monday-Thursday); noon–11 pm (Saturday and Sunday). On Fridays, it’s only open from 6–11pm.
The Mac Malaysia
Jalan Mulia off Persiaran Kewajipan, USJ 14, Subang Jaya, Selangor
LRT/MRT: Wawasan
From the station: 350 metres
Operating hours: 5pm till late
SJ Western Food
Malay Hawker Centre, Jalan SS 19/6, Subang Jaya, Selangor
LRT/MRT: SS 18
From the station: 600 metres
Operating hours: 6pm till late
Maidah Cuisine
30, Jalan Putra Mahkota 7/7a, Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, Selangor
LRT/MRT: Putra Heights
From the station: 200 metres
Operating hours: 11am–10.30pm (Monday-Thursday & Saturday); 3-10.30pm (Friday). Closed on Sundays.
Boomtown USJ Burger
Boomtown, Jalan USJ 11/2j, USJ 11, Subang Jaya, Selangor
LRT/MRT: Wawasan
From the station: 600 metres
Operating hours: noon–2am
