ARTHUR’S BAR & GRILL – Shangri-la Hotel Kuala Lumpur – The Burger, Prime Rib and MIGF menu

Smoke, noise, rowdy crowd and having to shout to be heard. Why would anyone call that “a nice evening over drinks and food” is totally lost on me.
Venues at Changkat Bukit Bintang and places like Beer Factory and the likes are not my choice when it comes to “a place to unwind after work”. I get stressed with inattentive wait staff, high prices, the din and mediocre food, which then totally defeats the objective of “a nice evening over drinks and food”.

On the contrary, Arthur’s Bar and Grill fits the bill perfectly for such relaxing evenings.
Stepping into Arthur’s for the 2nd time since my previous visit many years back, the interior and the illuminated back bar bottle feature caught my eye immediately. If I remembered correctly, the place did seemed more modern now than before.
Company-wise, the crowd was well-behaved, conversation politely low and service is attentive.

For drinks there are wines by the glass and bottles with a very commendable selection of vintages. Cocktails; from sake (Japanese) to whiskeys and non-alcoholic ones takes up 5-6 pages of the drinks menu. Whatever your preferred poison may be, there should be a few that would keep your evening cheery on Arthur’s drinks menu.
Champagnes, Malta (I kid you not), Pisco Sour to take you to Peru and back or the more austere options of soft drinks, iced tea and hot coffee are available as well.

Leather chairs and booths in the main dining hall, oozing class and character, a main bar area infused with light and high ceilings, tall shelves stacked with rows of liquor and an intimate bar on the mezzanine level make Arthur’s Bar & Grill one of KL’s trendiest eateries. Now I have never been to Manhattan, but Arthur’s at Shangri-la promises a real Manhattan pub-style concept minus the flight and jetlag.
Warm tones emanating from the wood, leather and brickwork in its furniture and fittings exudes an elegant but cosy vibe.

For food, reach under the table for a tapas menu. Be careful though if you’re groping around under the table while there are guests at the same table. :DD

Tapas are either hot or cold, and the servings are pretty big. Tick your preferred order on the order chit and pass it over to the wait staff. Between the 3 of us, we chose one tapas – the garlic prawns with chilli and 2 mains.

When dining in Arthur’s, do not, and I repeat do not miss ordering the Prime Rib.

Yes, I will try you! 🙂

Cut me a fat slice please Chef!

Ok I jest. Everyone gets the same portion.

For RM78++ this bordered on “cheap”! I mean where else could you get a juicy, perfectly roasted, imported piece of prime rib in a 5 star hotel grill with 2 sides for that price?

The meat is perfect medium (almost medium rare, see how pink it is!) and both inner and outer parts are just as tasty. I enjoyed the pinkish center; juicy and tender, just as much as I liked the outer crust for its marinate and firmer texture.

The sides of green beans and fat fries (literally reminding you about its calorie content!) are not to be dismissed; both of which are adeptly prepared and delicious.

Why would anyone order Mee Mamak (RM42) in a bar? Well, when it taste better than some mee mamak stalls in Penang and it goes so well with beers could be the answer.

Should one balk at the price, rest assured that you get what you pay for; for portion is huge and there are seafood (scallops, prawns, squids), just as promised on the menu.

Our tapas – garlic prawns with chilli (RM26).

The Arthur’s Beef Burger (The Works) – RM62 is famous for a reason.

And when there’s burger, there’s Rebecca Saw! :DD

This massive burger is as tall as the length of my face. It consisted of 3 main tiers; alternating layers of bread, 3 patties each weighting 80g, 1 egg, 2 x 3 slices of emmenthal and cheddar cheeses, 4 slices of bacon, and some fibre in the form of lettuce and tomatoes.
This tower of gluttony is held in shape with a skewer and seems to be on the brink of collapsing each time we shifted the cast iron skillet for another angle for photography purposes. Fat fries and coleslaw were on the side but that was largely ignored.

There’s no way one can eat this without having to separate it section by section.

And it’s obviously made for sharing.

Arthur’s Bar and Grill is well known for their portions and I can attest to that now. Even the desserts are big. Similarly to the savouries, the desserts didn’t disappoint.

I particularly liked the Bread and Butter Pudding with White Chocolate and Sultana (RM28). It has a strong eggy flavour versus the usual rich, creamy versions.

If you’re at Arthur’s on Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays, live bands plays from 9pm onwards. We were there on a Thursday and had the opportunity to meet and speak to David Gomez; an accomplished pianist and singer as well as composer, arranger and producer. 
David is an established name on the KL Jazz scene and had produced his own jazz albums. He started young, being classically trained since the age of 5. His father is a pianist and his ancestor; his great-great-great-great grand uncle was supposedly Yap Ah Loy’s pianist teacher.
One can say he grew up in a very musically inclined family.

Even with the band playing, conversation is perfectly possible so Arthur’s is certainly a good choice for that “nice evening over drinks and food”. 🙂

The portions of food are huge here making this perhaps one of the best value for money premium dining restaurants in KL. This, coupled with the tasty ingredients, sophisticated atmosphere and impeccable  service are the reasons why there are many loyal diners/patrons. I’m  already planning another visit soon; for I know there are a few of my friends that would appreciate that glorious prime rib.

At the MIGF Gala Launch I sampled some of Chef Charles’s upcoming MIGF menu. I have been to Lafite for MIGF years back but this is probably Arthur’s first MIGF.

Appetiser Beechwood Smoked Salmon Tatar, MicroGreen Sear Hokkaido Scallop with Avocado and Crispy Parmesan Honey and Mustard Dressing Gran Vina Sol, Chardonnay/Parellada, Torres, Penedes, Spain, 2009 OR Creamy Mushroom Soup Forest Mushrooms and Croutons Mains Australian Black Angus Prime Rib Yorkshire Pudding, Grilled Tomato, Fat Fries, Sautéed Green Bean Béarnaise Sauce and Natural Jus Barbea d’Alba, Barbera, Prunotto, Piedmont, Italy, 2010 OR Grill Black Cod Fish Fillet with Green Lobster Truffle Mash Potato, Grilled Tomato, Sautéed Green Bean Lemon Beurre Blanc Belleruche, White Grenache/Clairette/Bourboulenc, M. Chapoutier, Rhone Valley, France, 2011 Dessert Coconut Macadamia Nut Tart Butter Scotch Ice Cream and Thick Chocolate Sauce

Full Festival Menu 4 Courses: RM200++ per person with wine RM135++ per person without wine 3 Courses: RM185++ per person with wine RM120++ per person without wine

RM120++ per person without wine is pretty reasonable since you will be getting the prime rib as well as an appetiser and dessert. Anyone would like to join me for another round of that marvelous prime rib? 🙂