If you enjoy entertainment while having a hearty meal, Star Café & Bistro is just the place for you. Located in a pretty old neighbourhood of Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur, Star Café has been operating for over 19 years and counting! Star Café is a family owned restaurant and bistro which has been doing amazingly well among the locals through the years. They’ve also expanded to a total of 3 outlets – Taman Desa, Taman Tun Dr Ismail and Sri Hartamas.
Fresh Salmon Ceviche
Star Café & Bistro also offers an extensive collection of wines and hard liquor in three different dining options – a granite bar counter top or lounge chairs with a central table or the standard dining table. On a fun note, there is also a small stage on the right side of the bar counter, for live performances (Monday – Sunday from 9pm onwards) and occasionally, karaoke (by customers – no joke).
Slow-Cooked Lamb Shank
Star Café & Bistro also has a lounge located on the first floor where you can relax and enjoy with hearts content. Not to mention it has facilities of an open karaoke space ideal for birthday, events or even corporate functions. Parking is also easily accessible as the place itself is rather secluded, so not to worry if there are many participants for an event.
Of course, all these wouldn’t matter if the food was bad right? That is why we’re here – to sample some of their best-selling dish in an unforgettable and fun-filled restaurant!
Oyster Fried Kway Teow
We began with some of their appetisers and fresh juices – Fresh Salmon Ceviche, sprinkled with chopped spring onions and chilli with a tangy sauce on the side alongside a jug of fresh apple and orange juice. The appetiser was pretty decent as it was sweet, tangy and “sometimes” spicy (that is if we accidentally had the part where with the most chilli). Fresh juices, nothing much in particular aside from the fact that it was fresh!
Moving on, the main “courses” were simply destructive, in a good way. They had a huge variety on their menu ranging from local specialities, fusion and finally, western cuisines. Some as trivial as Char Kuey Teow and “Sang Har” Mee to Hainanese Lamb Shank and finally, to something as awesome as a Beef Wellington, which we are about to describe.
Mantis Prawn Yee Mee
Simply put, the Beef Wellington is extremely rare here in Malaysia. Numerous amount of restaurant owners and chef had decided not to include them in their menu because of its complications. Preparation take days and the chef has to be skilled in both meat and pastry. The secret is a balance between the meat and puff pastry, assuring that it will not be soggy or too “puffy” to be enjoyed. The fillings too are extremely important as it impart flavour and texture within the Beef Wellington. Fortunately for Star Cafe, they were able to execute it beautifully. Though we can’t compare to the one that Gordon Ramsay makes, but hey, at least you don’t have to fly all the way to United Kingdom just for a plate of Beef Wellington!
The Lamb Shank too was pretty generous. It came in a tsunami of gravy, covering every square millimetres of the shank itself. The meat too was pretty soft as it falls off the bone with ease. It would help with a little more seasoning on the lamb shank itself but with the help of the gravy, it does the job fairly well.
Star Pork Knuckle
Last but not least, the Pork Knuckle. One of Star Café & Bistro’s best seller all these years. Unlike most German-pork knuckle, which has an extremely crispy and popping skin, Star Café’s version is slightly localised. It had a crispy skin, not as crusty or popping, but marinated with flavour instead. The meat itself though, was really soft and tender as it fell apart with minimal effort. It also comes with two different sauces – mustard and Asian-tanginess (we’re not entirely sure what it’s called but we are certain that it felt that way). Served with two sides of wedges and assorted salad – absolutely delicious.
Last but not forgetting, the alcoholic beverages. From ciders to beer, stout to wine – there is one glass for everybody. And for a bit of fun, you’re all free to join the performers on stage to a sing-along or even dance in front of them (since quite a number of them were doing so the night we were there). It was really lively. Truly had been quite a long time since we’ve witness such participation and we did enjoy it very much despite the awkward situation. So, if you’re looking for fun, a hearty meal and someplace to let go, do head on down to Star Café & Bistro today!
