WE just had the best Japanese wagyu – Tottori wagyu– at Butcher Carey, Kuala Lumpur. Its owner, Yusof Dayan Iskandar Carey, had saved a small piece for us that was all of 170g. It was unforgettably creamy, buttery and flavourful.

Yusof occasionally trots out such beef treats for his diners at his casual, no-frills restaurant in Sri Hartamas.  The prize-winning Tottori wagyu is rich in oleic acid, over 55%, hence its melt-in-the-mouth flavour. It’s a notch above the Japanese wagyu A5 which has the buttery texture, but is less flavourful.

When we first ate at Butcher Carey several months ago, it was this Wagyu A5 and grass-fed Australian beef that were served. The good butcher recommended the ribeye, assuring us that we would like the texture and taste. The steak had a good char on it, and was medium rare as it should be. We loved it so much that we came back for more within the week. 

Since then we have had the purebred Hereford, and last week it was the USA Platinum Prime 200 days grain-fed Angus ribeye. It’s hand-picked prime US beef served only in the best steakhouses in US.

The hearty, juicy and robust purebred Hereford from UK is a firm favourite with us. We have always had the ribeye as recommended by Yusof. Ribeye is one of the richest, beefiest cuts with its distinctive flavour coming from the fat as it is grilled. 

The USA Platinum Prime 200 days grain-fed Angus ribeye wowed us. It has more whitish fat, hence the richer, creamier, sweeter and more milky taste than the Hereford. 

All the steaks at Butcher Carey come with a small salad.  Our Aussie grass-fed ribeye ranges from RM49 for 200g to RM109 for 500g. The grass-fed sirloin is from RM38 (200g) to RM90 (500g).

There was a promotion price for the USA Platinum Prime Black Angus ribeye up till Merdeka Day.  Our 500g steak which we shared among the four of us was RM241+; the 300g was 145+. We had fried onion rings (RM12), and sautéed broccoli (RM12). 

If Yusof knows you, he may even throw in some deepfried wagyu fat on to the broccoli. It’s super yummy. If you’re not into beef, there is also New Zealand lamb. Starters on the menu include lamb or beef bruschetta and beef cups (RM25). There are also corn salad and beef salad. 

Strips of beef tenderloin and crunchy fried shallots and garlic on a lettuce defined the beef cups which were finished with sesame infused balsamic and chilli. These were delicious, as was the spicy spaghetti aglio olio with a generous helping off beef strips (RM27).  You could also have lamb chop or lamb mince with the pasta. 

The purebred Hereford ribeye is RM99 for 400g, while the Japanese wagyu A5 ribeye is RM280 for 200g.

All the steaks are chilled beef: “I don’t deal in frozen,” said Yusof.  He recommends them done   medium rare, medium at most. He delivers the steak from the pan to the table, leaving it to rest. He comes back to slice it in front of the diners. A 500g steak would need to rest for 5 minutes. “In the West they rest it for you but Asians don’t like cold food. Resting is also allowing the meat to cook further inside.”

Yusof used to be a finance guy but took an active interest in the livestock industry in Australia. “For a year I learned about cattle farming all over the country.” He also worked as an apprentice butcher, moving up to be a master butcher. In total he has 20 years experience in livestock and beef. From farm to plate holds more meaning for Yusof as he knows farmers and what to buy, and has a good relationship with them.

Back in Malaysia he was GM for R M Livestock Corp  Sdn Bhd in Johor. He later opened a butchery and steak restaurant in Kuala Lumpur which expanded into six outlets. It had grown too big and he sold it. “I try to educate customers about beef and what to buy. Asian housewives have no idea about what beef to use for rendang, for instance.”

He opened Butcher Carey in November 2016. “The idea is to serve good meat without customers having to pay premium prices. When you walk out of here, you would have had a good beef experience.”

The perfect dessert to complete this meal here is the Minus 4* ice cream.  We tried durian, Bailey’s coffee, dark chocolate and banana with coco nibs, three out of 12 flavours whipped up by young ice cream entrepreneur Sarah Tan.  The durian had oomph; i was wowed by the sufficiently alcoholic Bailey’s coffee, and the banana with crunchy coco nibs was lovely too.

Minus 4* ice cream is also at Tipsy Boar, TLB Bakery and Sandwich Hub TDDI. Other flavours to watch out for are salted caramel, stout, lemongrass and lemon curd and savoury ones like smoked salmon, smoked mussel and smoked cheese. 

Butcher Carey is at A-0-10, Block A, Plaza Damas 3,  Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, Kuala Lumpur, or call Yusof at +6019 338 0811. It is closed on Thursday. –  September 15, 2018.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.