Ril’s Steakhouse and the fabled Gemas Gold steak

gemas gold

I was dragged to this place at Jalan Tun HS Lee at the promise of some really good meat one night. Yeah, I know how that came out. Heh. It’s located in a quite secluded area of KL – Ril’s Steakhouse is at one of those 100 year-old buildings in town, complete with a chic art gallery called thewarehouse cafe.art (complete with chic font) at the bottom.

rils steakhouse gallery

It’s actually one unit and there are a couple of paintings there but only two other groups of diners – a bunch that looks like a lawyer and another that looks like a tourist family from some country which has oil as its prime export (and loads of it).

rils steakhouse

On to the food, I was told by the waiter (and my dining companion, who has been here previously) that they serve either Australian Angus Steaks or a type of Malaysian-reared breed called Gemas Gold.

thewarehouse cafe art

They also serve a good platter of warm bread with a variety of spreads that I really liked before your meal. However, there were only one small bun for each diner, and no one going around for refills which I thought was a bit off for a place like this.

thai bloody mary
Thai Bloody Mary (RM 28)
Vodka, tomato, chilli, fish sauce, coriander

I think this is the best part of the meal – the cocktails. It’s like an East-meets-West cocktail with gnarly ingredients thrown in just for the heck of it. It’s like something I would do as my projects! I loved it. The bird’s eye chilli (cili padi) is enough to make your eyes water and clear your sinus right up! They have others in a similar vein too.

truffled egg
KC’s Truffled Egg & Asparagus Soldiers (RM 28)
Soft boiled egg caramelized with a sweet chilli glaze and served with crunchy breaded asparagus solders and a spicy salt dip.

This is an amazing appetizer that was recommended by the waiter and it comes highly recommended from me too. It was much better than the steak I had – the breaded asparagus is supposed to be dipped first into the salt you see on the cracked shell at the side and then into the egg. Lovely stuff, and immaculate plating.

Classic Fish Pie (RM 48)

classic fish pie

This is described as a mouthwatering selection of fresh fish and seafood, cooked with creamy leeks and onions in a dill and mustard white sauce, baked with a buttery, crispy golden mashed potato topping. My dining companion had this for the mains. It was serviceable but I wasn’t too impressed by it. There was nothing in it that stood out.

Australian Augus Rib-eye (RM 128)

rils steak

I went for this 300 gram steak because my dining companion does not eat beef. I thought that was rather ironic, bringing me here, but she knows I love the stuff. I ordered it extra-rare, basically a blue steak and it turned out wonderfully. This place knows how to cook their steaks, that’s for sure – just slightly cooked on the outside, with a wonderful cold center. However, it wasn’t as fresh as I was hoping for.

I should have gone with the local Gemas Gold Rib-Eye 700 gram monster for just RM 10 more and tried to finish that. Heh.

roasted garlic bulbs

They also have sides ranging from chunky skin-on steak fries (RM 14) to whole roasted garlic heads (RM 10), the latter of which I ordered. I liked it, it was done perfectly. It doesn’t do your breath much good but it tastes wonderful.

rils steakhouse kl

I was really unimpressed by the Australian Angus steak that I ordered and steaks are supposed to be the forte of the place. It wasn’t fresh enough to be cooked extra rare. I’ll like to go again just to try the Malaysian-bread Gemas Gold though – it’s local, with lower food miles and bound to be better. It comes in a huge 700 gram rib-eye at just RM 132 and I saw the tourist family eating it.

extra rare bluesteak

I’ll need to be especially hungry to tackle it on my own though – but it was beautifully presented and I’ll love to taste this Gemas Gold that I haven’t heard of before.

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11 thoughts on “Ril’s Steakhouse and the fabled Gemas Gold steak”

    • Hello Caleb!

      Yeah, an extra rare steak is safe to eat, it’s like sashimi – some places also serves raw slices of beef and other non-seafood meat. Not a lot over here though, but in other countries.

      I like my steak to be rare minimum, to me if it’s overcooked it’s tough and dry and not what I’m looking for in a steak.

      Cheers mate! 🙂

      Reply
  1. I’m a big fan of steak (medium rare please) but I didn’t know we had “made in Malaysia” steaks. Do write up a review if you ever go back to try that. Really curious about it myself.

    Reply
    • Hey there Vincent!

      Yeah, I didn’t know about the Gemas Gold Malaysian steaks too until I came to Ril’s. I think it’s great – lower food miles and all that.

      I’ll go back and try it just for that – I do like the place, it’s just that the service could do with some improvement, especially since there were only 3 groups of diners (including us) then.

      Cheers mate! 🙂

      Reply
    • Hello Clem!

      Yup, but I don’t know if this place does dry aging or wet aging and by “not fresh” I meant it doesn’t taste like a properly dried steak or freshly cut (which some places serve, had awesome ones in Australia).

      I would love to go back and try the local Gemas Gold though – it’s the first time I’ve heard of it and it translates to lower food miles if anything. It sounds intriguing.

      Cheers! 🙂

      Reply
    • Yeah, food doesn’t look too bad but I didn’t quite like the steak.

      Indeed, it’s a bit like shepherd’s pie – topped with mashed potatoes but the steak is their specialty.

      I’ll love to go back and try the Malaysian bred Gemas Gold – figured it’ll be something new to try.

      Cheers buddy! 😀

      Reply
    • Yeah, didn’t think my Black Angus was great either!

      I do like the cocktails and the appetizer though and I’m keen to go back and try the Gemas Gold steak just for novelty’s sake.

      …but I won’t be ordering the Black Angus again. Heh. 🙂

      Reply
  2. I had my terrible experience in Ril’s Steakhouse. I visited on 30th April 2013, ordered a RM138 Austrlian Agus Rib Eye (300g), medium rare.

    The steak came and 2/3 of the steak was medium well, 1/3 was rare (how can it be?), so I rejected the steak and ask them to cook again.

    Second steak came back looks good, and I cut in front of the manager, seem great, medium rare, however after I tasted it, it was cooked outside but chill inside.

    I gave feedback (not complaint) to the manager James, at first he didn’t bother apologies, until I told him that I cook my own steak at home and the steak should be in room temperature before grilling. So I asked him directly whether his steak was frozen, only he admitted that they do not have enough time to defrost…and he apologies….

    Their service was okay, but charge with the 5Star price, their service and food quality certainly some room for improvement…ambient was great btw..

    The place is not easy to find, and you have to park on the pedestrian walk way..DBKL may toll your car away.

    Reply

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