Out & About: I LOVE DEAD COWS! Dinner with Yan & Ida

"So Razee, wanna join us for dinner? We know this great Steak place in Kelana Jaya", was the short message I got from Avian, an old buddy from way back. It took me all of 2 seconds to decide Hell YES!.

The place was called Las Vacas, a small shop in Kelana Jaya, SS5A/11, (if I remember it correctly from memory) somewhere close to the FAM Field . This quaint place has this homely feel to it, a direct result of the owner's love towards the place.  Apparently they started as a Butcher, selling good meats and somewhere along the line, the owners decided they should also cook them for their regulars. Perhaps it was a suggestion from return customers, perhaps it was the owner's idea all along, perhaps it was great timing but I am glad they took the plunge.

Lotsa cows!

Immediately upon entering you are greeted by the wonderful smells of meat in all its glory. Make no mistake this was no ripe wet market smells but the refined scent of good fresh meat. Quite intoxicating to a meat eater like me. After getting ourselves a table I hovered over the meats like a hawk and ohhh what sights I saw. Rows of meaty deep reds - Wagyu, Angus et al. 

"And this selection of wonderful meats was brought to you by ........ "

Hunk of Rump!

I am the kind of person who appreciates my steaks with more bite to them and thus I asked for recommendations from the butcheress. She suggested Rumpsteak, a cut I wasn't particularly familiar with. I surmised she must know her heifers well enough and so agreed for it to be done medium rare. Yan and Ida ordered their meal and some starters for us to share - Beef Roulades and Beef Bruschetta (Yup, we went all out Carnivore that night!).

Daging Gulung lah pulak!

A take on the usual tomato bruschetta

Avian's Baaaaaaaaaaaa-d (in a good way!) Lamb Chops!

A few munch laden minutes later, my steak arrived. A huge 400ish gram slab of meat (and to think she earlier suggested a 600gm portion to me! Eeep!), with a side salad dressed with Caesar's and  Slice of Garlic toast. It was cooked to perfection, a true testament the fact how much the Chef (who later turned out to be the Butcher/Owner) loves and respects dead ruminants.

That, my friends is an honest to goodness steak!

The moment I cut into the seared flesh I was greeted with the wonderful trickling juices and the coming joy. Biting into the first piece was a culinary assault through and through. Transporting me to lush verdant hills full of happy cows and moo-ing meat. It was at once rapturous and pornographic. The meat offered worthy resistance, firmer to the bite than your average Sirloin and namb-pamby Wagyu. This is it, I exclaimed. Cooked in little oil and butter, the meat was unencumbered by other flavours and shone like a beacon. Heaven had come to live in my mouth. And each piece that followed  was equally transcendental. Good meat like this deserves little accompaniment, maybe good mustard or a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Finally, a proper medium-rare slab of meaty goodness!

Yan and Ida apparently love this place so much that they have visited it 3 times already within January (and probably by time I blog this, a fourth and fifth visit, tehehe!) and they wanted to unleash it upon another meat eater. Boy was I glad they invited me. Good ambience, great staff, fabulous food and wonderful hosts, can one go wrong?

Will I come back here? You betcha. And if you are as much a meat eater like me, then you should bring your britches rootin-tootin over here lickety-split. This place affirms there is God! Wooooeee!

La piece de resistance! A totally empty plate!