** Pricing updated to reflect latest (September 2013) price
After spending hundreds of Ringgit on steaks at other famous restaurants in Klang Valley like Prime, Gaucho Grill, Jake’s, Las Vacas, Meatworks, Suzi’s Corner etc, in the end I still find myself going back to Maria’s Cafe. Overall, they are still the best in my book after weighing all the factors, especially quality and affordability.
As mentioned in my previous posts here and here, the steaks at Maria’s are heavily marinated to add more flavor into the meats. So if you are a steak purist then obviously this is not your thing. I have tried the Kobe and Wagyu here in two previous visits so this time I went for the Australian Black Angus (190gm, medium rare & no sauce) instead. Although this looks like a tenderloin, it is actually a rib eye cut with a tag price of Rm48/100gm. Among the three high-end steak meat, Black Angus would be the most affordable to most of our budgets.
Well, if you compare Angus with Kobe and Wagyu, the latter two would literally melt in your mouth and cost easily twice as much. Now, Black Angus is obviously not as marbled but it is definitely not lacking in flavor and texture. Some would claim that Kobe is the best due to the fact that it is a prized meat with intense marbling and all. But the truth is you have to try all of them to find out which suits you the most, don’t just follow what others say.
The Seafood Pasta @ RM25 is perfect in my books – the pasta is well cooked, topped with fresh seafood (prawns, mussel and salmon) and tossed with olive oil and Italian herbs. If there’s anything you should know it would be the pasta’s seasoning, which has been modified to be much heavier to suit our strong taste buds.
Chicken Parmiagiani @ RM24.50 is one of the popular dishes here. It looks and tastes quite similar to Chicken Schnitzel actually, but imagine it to have a crustier outside and with homemade salsa sauce and melted cheese on top. To be honest I thought it would taste tough but the meat was surprisingly easy to cut it is actually quite tender on the inside. My only gripe with this is that it should have had more cheese! More cheese = moar awsm.
Spicy NZ Mussels @ RM21, the sauce tastes quite similar to the one used to top the Chicken Parmigiani earlier, just thicker and spicier. A garlic bread comes with this dish too, mainly for mopping up any sauce left on the plate.
Onion Soup @ RM9. If you are wondering what’s that at the center of the soup, it is nothing but a drowned crouton lol. I find Onion Soup quite uncommon in the local restaurants so it could be worthy of a try. It is not bad actually, tastes sweet of sauteed onion and provides warming sensation later. But for first timers it is always best to go for their Mushroom and Oxtail Soup. You will hardly go wrong with these two, especially the latter which happens to be my favorite.
And lastly, we had their Tiramisu (RM14, topped with crushed top-grade walnut) as an end to the ever satisfying meal.
Looking back, it has been almost three years since my first visit to Maria’s. How time flies eh? As a customer, it is delightful for me to know that my preferred restaurants are still working hard to maintain their food quality. Many times I have been asked where to go for steaks and Western food and Maria’s is always top on my recommendation list.
Despite the favorable feedbacks, I am, however, aware of the problem with their kitchen service which could get quite slow during peak hours. So to avoid the wait, I my advice would be to call them up the to book your food ahead. FYI, their heavenly meat pies now require one day advance reservation already.
C313A (Level 3), Center Wing, (Take lift on right of Citibank to Level 3)
Metropolitan Square,
No 2, Jalan PJU 8/1,
Bandar Damansara Perdana, PJ
GPS Coordinates: N3 09.914 E101 36.573
Tel: 03-77252313 / 012-444-1601
Opening hours: 12pm – 10:30pm
2nd Outlet @ 58, Jalan Maarof, Bangsar Baru,
59100 KL
Tel: 603-2282 2220
Fax: 603-2282 2224
Never try onion soup.. But i like Tiramisu very much and much presentable.. Great!
you must be the steak house expert now. heehheeh
Definitely looks good all the steak and pasta! Can give it a try soon!
I think I should try this to cook ..Sounds yummy..Thanks for sharing..
Yes….definately the food is good as i tried there before. Will go there again to celebrate my birthday & sis birthday together with families members.
VK, the tiramisu got any alcohol in it? Btw, I tried my first Onion Soup at the Cuisine Studio. I guess it’s a French type of soup.
all the foods there looks yummy………..i love the seafood pasta and tiramisu
I saw the advertising clip at the cimb bank. The model trying the food looks like he really enjoys hid food.. must try!! Got me hungry just watching it all!
This looks finger-licking good :)
Had a birthday celeb of western dishes at 6 to 10 Nasi lemak & Grill, servings were big. My next celeb, heck, I may try Maria’s! Just can’t get that gorgeous-looking steak pic off my mind :)
You should try Outback Steak @ Bukit Bintang.
I used to eat at Maria’s until recently when they raise all their prices by 50 – 75% before they launch their Groupon exercise. And they gave a 50% discount. All a con job. I like their food but the biz ethics sucks.
Hi John,
I’m Amy from Maria’s. I truly regret to hear your dissatisfaction as our regular customer. And feel a need to give clarity as you may have been misinformed.
First of all, we did raise our prices, however, it wasn’t by 50-75%. If anyone’d like to know, it is by 10-15% depending on items; in absolute amount, it is by RM1 – RM6. It is important for our patrons to note that the last change (prior to the recent one) was years back.
It is of utmost importance too for our patrons to und and believe that we do not practice unethical business acts. The rise in price and running of Groupon are two different entities altogether with no intentions re: your comments.
We feel a need to raise prices recently for many reasons, some of it being the increased in operating costs and food costs as well as our brand value. Having said that, many can be a testament that our prices are still very much reasonable and affordable compared to our competitors in the industry.
The running of Groupon was with one objective and it is to increase awareness. I’m certain every food business will agree that Groupon customers do not contribute to our immediate profit earnings (for some items, we dont’t even break even) because on top of the mandatory 50% discount, there’s also a percentage to be given to Groupon. Nevertheless, Groupon is amazing in terms of increasing awareness.
Maria’s do not wish to lose a regular like you simply because of a misunderstanding. John, we hope to see you enjoying your dining experience at Maria’s again.
Regards,
Amy
Maria’s Restaurant & Cafe
03-7725-2313
Brought my family here after seeing the review. To my surprise, this family-run steak outlet which is situated in a deserted area at Petaling Jaya, beats the popular steakhouses in Kuala Lumpur that I’ve been to. Honestly, the location isn’t the best, but the friendly owners and homely interior made up for it. The wagyu I had was perfectly grilled. Highly recommended. If only they have a branch in Kuala Lumpur, I can pay a visit more often.
My search has ended. The steak wangyu 7 is just tantalising and best steak i have tasted so far ,, better than Prime, Pampas, Havana , Opus to name a few. Now i can share or bring my friends with full confidence that they will have an unforgettable experience. As mentioned in the flier, its divine . Thanks for your superb recommendation , spot on. john lim
The ceasar’s salad was soggy and tasteless. The Ribeye steak I got was so sinew and tendon ridden that I couldn’t even finish it. I complained about it and they still made me full price. All you people rating this place highly have either not travelled enough or have never really had an honest to goodness steak.
This is hands down the best steaks in town. Tender, aromatic and perfectly grilled. The lamb cutlets are very flavorful and not dry like most other places. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED PLACE.
Maria’s is a hidden gem. Food of this quality I would reckon could be easily expanded globally. Or it could have been that because it is a small family-run business, the quality is better controlled & maintained.
I’ve been to many steak places worldwide, and Maria’s serves one of the best steaks in the world. Meat quality aside (they can’t beat the farm freshness fr Australia, Argentina, etc), but the way they prepare, season, and grill the meat is world-class.
I normally do not take effort to write reviews but this place deserves a five star because apart from the good food, I find the owners really nice genuine people.
Is there any dinner set served in Maria’s steakcafe? Thanks.
Dear Sir/ Madam,
We are a meat supplier operating in Klang Valley. Our merchandise comprised of wide range of Halal Meat from Beef, lamb and mutton from Australia. The major species of beef that we are using is the Black Angus breed which fed with high quality of grass.
The Items that we are offering to you today are as below:
Frozen Australian Beef/ Topside RM 28.90/kg
Frozen Australian Beef Cube Roll/ Rib Eye RM 43.50/kg
Frozen Australian Beef Knuckle RM 28.90/kg
Frozen Australian Beef Chuck Tender RM 28.90.kg
Frozen Australian Beef Silverside RM 28.90/kg
Frozen Australian Beef Chuck Roll RM 28.90/kg
Frozen Australian Beef Eye Round RM 30.90/kg
Frozen Australian Lamb Shoulder SQ Cut RM 24.50/kg
Frozen Australian Lamb Shank SQ Cut RM 23.50/kg
Frozen Australian Mutton Shoulder SQ Cut RM 19.50/kg
Frozem Australian Mutton Legs RM 23.50/kg
Thank You.
Best Regards,
Fairuz Bin Abdul Aziz
Sales Executive
Agenda Usaha Sdn. Bhd.
Mobile: 011-23086872