KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — My gym buddy has been on a steak diet lately. His freezer is well stocked with his favourite cuts of beef. His sous vide machine and handheld torch get a good daily workout. Protein for days.
So I was surprised when he suggested we head to a deli cum restaurant for lunch. Surely he doesn’t need more meat?
Ah, but I fully understood once we arrived at Anne Elizabeth, a deli cum restaurant in Taman Segar, Cheras. Beyond the usual premium cuts of Black Angus and Wagyu, from ribeye to striploin, the true draw of the place was its wide offering of porky delights.
The chiller display showcased a veritable smörgåsbord of pork products in every conceivable incarnation.
Tender pork jowls cooked simply with only a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Italian pancetta and ham. Portobello mushrooms baked with homemade bacon and cheese
The free range pork collar I ordered didn’t need much more than the dark roasted gravy, reduced until it’s sweet like a caramelised glaze, and the moreish apple sauce. A smudge of grain mustard for a bit of a kick.
What does free range entail anyway? Apparently most free range pigs are grain fed, alongside a healthy supplementary diet of fruits and vegetables. No antibiotics or hormones.
Putting such ruminations aside, I guess if we are eating meat from healthier animals, that improved nutritional profile transfers to us too, no? Tasted fantastic, at any rate.
Anne Elizabeth is owned by a husband and wife team, Jacob Fong and Sandra Lee. The former a chef handling the kitchen, the latter managing front-of-house. If the quality of the menu is stellar, it is matched by top-notch service.
Bear in mind that this isn’t a fine dining establishment; Anne Elizabeth is refreshingly down-to-earth and an easy, casual restaurant. Patrons are happy to drop by in shorts and flip flops.
Even the presentation is unpretentious, aside from the seemingly requisite if random sprig of parsley on every plate. A throwback to dining in the Glamorous Eighties, perhaps.
We shared a platter of Black Pig Meatballs in Blanket to begin with. Despite its beautifully crusty exterior, the meatballs remained juicy. The "blanket” of a strip of streaky bacon certainly helped, its fats moistening the minced Spanish Iberico pork.
My gym buddy had the local Sakura pork belly. This is a regular order of his, the rich fat tempered by both honey and Sarawak pepper. Should be enough for most appetites. But sometimes more is more.
There is something for every taste bud, to bring home and cook when the cravings strike.
The restaurant is typically packed, especially on weekends. So we were fortunate to get a table for two without a reservation. Definitely more of a family establishment though there were a couple of solo diners too.
When the meat is this good, sometimes you can’t help but return for more, company or no company.
1, Jalan Manis 4, Taman Segar, Cheras, KL
Open daily (except Fri closed) 12pm-10:30pm
Phone: 016-376 6180
IG: @anneelizabeththedelirestaurant
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
*Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
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