I am sure there are meat lovers out there; and especially if you love pork delicacies much, this review is for you! Danny and I were invited to join the porky feast at Ante Kitchen & Bar last month. Guess what, Ante was awarded as Best Place for Meat by Timeout KL before. So, you will never go wrong by dining at Ante if you are craving for meats!
Situated at Publika, Ante can be easily seen from the roadside.
We love its casual ambience a lot. For whom works nearby, you probably can plan a dinner with your friends or colleagues, and even with your loved one after working to avoid the heavy jam. The warm lightning let us feel romantic and relaxing.
FYI, Ante is equipped with full bar too. Wine, beer, mojitos etc are served here.
Without further ado, let’s check out the dishes~ Starting our dinner with Tasting Platter. It is ideally served for 2 to 3 pax; including Jamón Ibérico ham, Spanish cured ham, duck breast cubes, Olivie oil infused rock melon and Sourdough bread and French butter. Diner may add-on any of the components listed. Price is listed on the menu.
Coming up next are 2 signature starters – Miso Pork Belly and House Smoked Bacon. According to Ante, Miso Pork Belly is slow-cooked for 12 hours, bread crumbs are topped on the pork belly, to give a crispy top; at the same time, juicy sensation in one bite. On the other hand, House Smoked Bacon is air-dried by the in-house team before smoking. It is dry, which I personally do not like it.
Want some vegie? Let’s check out Ante’s salad. We were served with Crispy Trotter and Garden Duck. Crispy Trotter salad is made of crispy fried pork trotter skin, mixed lollo lettuce, young papaya and mango julienne, pecans, pomegranate and French vinaigrette as dressing. Meanwhile, Garden Duck salad is made of duck breast slices, baby romaine, grilled watermelon, cherry tomatoes, pecans and orange brandy dressings. Both salads are appetizing.
Now, ready for the signature chargrilled pork steaks! First, the Pork Striploin Diane, tender lean meat with strip of charred fat, cooked Dianne style on a bed on green pea mash with roasted Russet potatoes and served with the mushroom brandy sauce.
Subsequently, it is also pork striploin, but with served in black pepper sauce – Pork Striploin Black Pepper Sauce. Tender lean meat with a strip of charred fat, served with caramelised onions, fries, frisée and oak lettuce.
Both pork striploin cuts are tender; yet, are dry which you must dip much sauce to make the meat more juicy. By comparison, I would prefer the black pepper sauce than the mushroom which give a stronger spice on tastebuds. However, if you love creamy white sauce, the mushroom sauce is perfect for you.
Another signature pork steak is Pork Shoulder. Well marbled cut of dark meat on the bone, Served with garlic rosemary sauce, mashed potatoes, frisée and oak lettuce. It is much tender compared to the pork striploin steak.
The last steak, Pork Ribeye. To be honest, most were surprised when the crew told us it is pork instead of beef. We thought ribeye is only beef. Cap of marbled dark meat with tender eye of loin and buttery charred fat, on the bone. Served with truffle butter sauce, roasted Russet potatoes, frisée and oak leaf lettuce.
FYI, it may take about 15 to 20 minutes to serve. Besides, all steaks are well done, temperature is check before serving.
Other than steaks, you may try the specialty pasta too. The classic one – Carbonara and Garlic Olio. Not forgetting the signature Char-siu Curry Cream spaghetti.
Ending up with 3 desserts – Crème Brûlée; smooth vannila custard, torched with golden caramel. And Varlhona Chocolate Delice; which is made of 60% dark chocolate, cocoa soil, Earl Grey tea cream, served with fresh strawberries and blueberries, drizzled with almond flakes. The third dessert was Apple Crumble; baked green apple, topped with vanilla ice-cream and salty caramel syrup.
