Pork takes the center stage in The Eighth Avenue‘s versatile menu. It even encompasses several local and home style dishes from stewed pork to nasi lemak and tandoori.
It’s only a matter of time their wine buffet and all you can drink beer promotions become the talk of the town, especially when their prices are attractive even to a non-drinker such as myself.
Since it was our first time here, we played safe and ordered only their specials and chef recommended items. The Sticky Piggy @ RM19.90 is prepared with pork ribs, and pork ribs only.
What makes this unique is that it the pork ribs were originally stewed before going on a grill for a caramelized crust. The toppings of coriander and thinly sliced apples add an uplifting flavor to the otherwise one-dimensional dish. In short, good stuff.
If your cholesterol level allows for it, don’t hesitate to go for the 8th Hour Stew @ RM19.90. The squares of pork belly have a higher ratio of fat to meat, so they simply melts in your mouth effortlessly.
Taste wise I thought it was nice and comforting, flavorful enough without being overly salty. It’s also served with enoki mushrooms, a couple of boiled quail eggs, white rice and some bok choy – so it’s pretty much a meal by itself.
Eighth Avenue’s Phatboy Squid @ RM19.90 is a popular appetizer due to its delicious description. But I am feeling indifferent about the minced shrimp and fish stuffing because it was a tad mushy and salty. Can’t argue with the freshness of the squids though, they were cooked right to the point and tasted very tender.
If you love fish and want to try something different other than the usual salmon or sea bass, the New Orleans Cat Fish @ RM30.90 should prove to be a new and enjoyable experience.
The creamy peri-peri sauce is not bad but it could surely use more spiciness to kick up the flavor by a notch. And if you’re wondering, those behind are risotto balls – guaranteed to fill you up if the thick fish fillets don’t manage to do so.
For dessert, there’s a handful of cakes and ice creams but most of them appear store bought. So we opted for the most interesting one among all – Strawberry, Coconut and Pistachio Chocolate Meringue @ RM18.90.
After waiting almost 20 minutes for it to arrive, we nearly left without trying. Luckily we stayed on because it was actually worth the wait. The meringue was light and airy with a crisp exterior and the coconut flakes gave it little bursts of tropical flavor and a refreshing finish.
Our meal started off promising but did not end that way because of the long wait for the dessert. From what I observed, the restaurant is obviously understaffed considering there were only two floor staff attending to an almost full house of diners. However, I must commend them for maintaining a friendly attitude when it was clearly hectic.
Lastly, the non-alcoholic drinks (coffee is on the menu but was not available) also need to be improved as they taste watered down. But as far as food is concerned, we’d happy to recommend it to others.
D2-G3-3, Solaris Dutamas
Business hours: 11am-1am
Tel: 012-407 7045
