Beef it up with prime rib and more at Arthur's Bar & Grill

Somehow Arthur’s Bar & Grill at the Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, has been the place to go whenever someone I know needs to be nursed out of a broken heart. I have taken two people there, and after a couple of glasses of wine during Happy Hour, and parking a couple more on the table for later, the mood lightens up.

The irresistible Australian Black Angus Prime Rib served on a Yorkshire Pudding at Arthur’s Bar

Of course we eat too at Arthur’s Bar & Grill. The superb Mee Mamak is always my choice, and the Black Angus Prime Rib from the Carving Trolley, served on a Yorkshire Pudding almost in the shape of a plate, with all those lovely vegetables and potatoes, béarnaise sauce and natural jus.

The best in KL — Seafood Mee Mamak at Arthur’s

On a recent trip there, I couldn’t help but recommend the Mee Mamak to Cheng Yi (Fatboybakes) while he had the Prime Rib on his mind. So we had both.

But first the tapas of Spicy Snow Crab, Fried Octopus with Thai chilli dip and Nachos with guacamole and tomato salsa got us off to a hearty start. The sweet and spicy Snow Crab in crispy wantan skin shells made delicious bites.

Fried Octopus with Thai Chilli Dip

The fried octopus, crispy and spicy, was addictive. We picked at the huge platter of sticky, cheesy nachos and managed to make a dent in it.

The thick and creamy New England Seafood Chowder stood out, filled with prawns, fish and mussels and crispy croutons. All these made us reach for a glass of wine, in our case a well chilled NZ Sauvignon Blanc.

A good Mee Mamak is hard to find in KL, and the Seafood Mee Mamak (RM62) at Arthur’s reminds me of what I have eaten in Ipoh in my early days. But Arthur’s has thin yellow noodles fried with prawns, clams, scallops, deepfried tofu, tomato and chilli paste. The noodles are almost al dente, and fried till nearly dry, to spicy perfection. Just a squeeze of lime and it is totally scrumptious.

The Australian Black Angus Prime Rib, 120 days grain fed, was wonderful to its last bite. We relished the pink, juicy meat, creamy fat and the tasty crust. It didn’t need any embellishment. I even enjoyed the fries.

If you have friends or family on a high protein diet, the prime rib (RM125 nett) is perfect. I have also brought a fitness buff here and he was fit to burst (with joy) on the prime rib. There is also the 300g Wagyu Rib Eye (RM260 nett), Lamb Rack Chops (RM120), and Mixed Grill of beef fillet medallions, lamb chop and seafood skewer (RM118). The portions are large and are really meant for sharing.

Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

The Lamb Shepherd’s Pie is a signature dish at Arthur’s Bar, and we had a taste of this. We couldn’t really put in dessert right? But this giant Tahitian Vanilla Crème Brulee came, topped with raspberries, and all caution flew to the winds.

The huge Tahitian Vanilla Creme Brulee enough for three

The huge Tahitian Vanilla Creme Brulee is enough for three at Arthur’s Bar

We couldn’t make it to Arthur’s Bar on a Friday night when a different band plays each week. Just a day later and we could have caught Karen Nunis & Friends performing. She’s a singer/songwriter and visual artist who’s spent years in Japan, Singapore and the US, where she sang in various jazz and blues collaborative efforts and exhibited her artworks.