Dry aged so that the steak melts in your mouth... mmm... find out why Prime leads the way for steak restaurants

You have to let it linger... The trademark of a great meal is how it lingers in your head long after dinner napkins are scrunched and tables are cleared. Days after the memorable lunch at Prime, I am still thinking about those steaks, charred and caramelised on the outside, tender and red on the inside like a maiden’s kiss. You can cut the meat with a fork. There is something primal when faced with a good slab of beef whether hugged by glistening fat or riddled with veins like Grecian marble or; completely alone and proud on the plate for filet mignon lovers.

In recent years more and more people have become aware of steaks. Not just the kind steakhouses dollop on your plate swimming in gravy but the kind where quality of the meat transcends any need for liquid reinforcements. I confess I like my steak bloody. Rare on the inside, sunburnt on the outside although I hardly dare to order it that way in fear of suspect meat. I also like my steak 'as it is' with no gravies just the inside quietly sizzling in its own juices. Perhaps with a side of mash and greens. I like the intimate taste of meat squeaking between my teeth without gravy getting in between us. Which brings me to the point that in Malaysia, there are two camps of steak eaters. Those who like their meat like me (au natural), and those who like it with gravy. This is not a bad thing. Our food culture thrives on gravy to add spices and depth to our rice and noodles. But folks if you came to Prime, try having it the cowboy way because the cuts and quality of beef here is fantastic...

"The rib eye is a mighty mouthful of fat, tender meat"

Other delightful things...Lets have a detour before we get back to the steaks. There are other delightful things on the menu here. We started with smoked salmon tossed with raw onions and capers. The salmon here is house-smoked with apple wood, giving it a subtler cleaner taste. This is artfully served with garlic aioli. Intriguing. Basically the salmon here is rubbed with rock salt and sugar and then cold smoked for about 12 minutes. Then it is oiled with dill and olive oil. This gives it a texture between sashimi and smoked. “We like to give it a perception of it being smoked”, explains Chef Antoine.

We also had delectable crabcakes and three kinds of warm bread. One is baked with olives and sundried tomatoes, another with corn and pinenuts and yet another with cheese and chilli. Three slabs of butter accompany it. Unsalted, barbeque and seaweed infused. Trying not to get distracted by all the starters; we pecked sparingly (actually this is lie, we finished everything they set down before us) and waited gleefully for the steaks.

There is a wide choice of steaks on offer from cut, pasture and age. It is a little daunting looking at the menu on what to choose. Let’s start with the filet mignon from Argentina. Taken from the infamous Cabana Las Lilas, the entire website is wholly in Spanish but it has enticing photos of cabenaros on horses rustling up big bovine beauties. The cows here are grass-fed and is 98% Angus bred.

There is good texture in the filet mignon, the meat is tender and red and fills your mouth with a dainty meat flavour. There is hardly any fat in the filet mignon making it a healthier option and here it’s prepared without frills. I must say for someone who is not a fan of filet mignon this is well worth the order. It must be the thought of those cabaneros riding in the dust, I seem to detect a touch of wildness in the otherwise mild steak. However, preferring my steak, firmer, full bodied and fattier, the dilemma I had that day was to choose between the prime rib and the 200 days grain-fed black Angus.

Beef Ageing 101...The prime rib itself is 80 days grain fed meat, roasted until the fat on it glistens. It has also been marinated hence running through it is an extra layer of flavour massaged into the meat. It is very important to age your meat because it’s during this process that the meat tenderizes, fibres are broken down and this is also where the flavour of the meat ripens. If you eat meat straight after slaughter, the muscles are still strong and hence you will have a gamier taste and a tougher time chewing. Ageing meat therefore is essential.

Although purists argue that dry ageing is the best way, it is a skill few have mastered. Hence most meats you get are wet-aged when cuts are vacuum sealed after slaughter and remain until they are butchered. An average wet-aged duration is about 23 days before it gets shipped to the supermarkets. So you can imagine even 80 days means that the prime rib before us is far superior than anything you can buy save perhaps specialised butchers.

After that long digress, lets get back to the steaks. The prime rib is undeniably flavourful. The meat, merrier with the marinade still retains its delectable taste. Although not a sauce person, Prime makes delicious morel cream sauce, a béarnaise and peppercorn gravy. This is all served in mini copper saucier pots. However what I reckon is monumental is the simple unassuming caramelised balsamic-shallot jus. Shallots are reduced in balsamic vinegar until it emulsifies and sweeten. I have to say it goes great with the prime rib. For sides as well we had delicate truffle mashed potatoes and wild green asparagus.

A ribbing we’d never forget...Which brings me to the best part of the review. Waxing lyrical about the 200 days rib eye. After much chewing and deliberation, the whole team decided that the rib eye for robust flavour and tenderness is the undisputed winner. It’s indeed a rare treat to eat meat this good and unafraid that its medium rare. Many argue that rib eye steaks are the juiciest coming from the steer’s rib section. The rib section usually boasts tender and fattier meat, hence the flavour. So you have the full flavour and yet at the same time you have the tenderness. And then you age it nudging it along to its full potential. Prime’s 200 day rib eye lives up to its expectations. A mighty mouthful of fat, tender meat that envelopes your senses. It’s an ‘ahhhh’ moment when you first put it in your mouth. They serve it simple here, no marinade just charred on the grill. There is nothing to take you away from the taste.

Right about now we were up to our ears in beef, but we soldier on as it would be a shame to waste any morsel of this meal. Desserts are good enough, but we could barely lift a fork to sample the cheesecake and hot chocolate cake they brought after. Instead we sat back still rolling the flavours of the meat at the back of our mouths and calculated when we can next come here for a slap up steak meal.


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