HOW I wish Foodies Gourmet Market & Cafe were in my neighbourhood and I could make regular trips there to buy a chilled Australian grass-fed ribeye or striploin, or a lamb chop to cook at home.

And if I’m not inclined to cooking, I could have these cooked for me for a small fee. How convenient is that?

Foodies Gourmet is in Bandar Kinrara, Puchong, and it was surprisingly an easy drive there from where I am. The market side offers chilled meats, German-style sausages (chicken, beef and lamb), meat patties for burgers, including wagyu, a range of sauces, herbs and spices and olive oil.

The cafe behind this is for casual dining on a varied menu that includes steaks, of course, and lamb chops and lamb rack, chicken chop, sausages, burgers and even fish and chips.

The eight of us went the whole hog, starting with the grilled German chicken sausages with mixed vegetables, ketchup mayo and mustard (RM31). The sausages are great for sharing: they go “ping” at the bite and taste good with a dash of mustard.

We loved the grilled lamb spiral sausage, served with crispy tortilla, mixed salad and a siracha mayo dip (RM30). They were packed with flavour, with a spicy lift.

The Foodies Gourmet owners commissioned a German butcher and chef to make these sausages, inspired by those they once ate at a train station in Cologne, Germany.

A trip here should surely be about Australian chilled beef and lamb. It was hard to fault the grilled ribeye steak, premium beef done medium, which came with a mixed salad, potato wedges and garlic teriyaki sauce (there’s a choice of sauces).

It was a juicy steak to relish on its own, without any sauces. The ribeye (200g) was just RM53. We had the same feeling for the grass-fed grilled Australian striploin of similar weight, which had a rich mushroom sauce on the side, potato wedges and salad (RM42).

Spicy Korean-style lamb chops were two shoulder chops marinated with gochujang sauce and grilled.

You get the zing of the Korean red chilli paste on the tender lamb, with a light sweetness to it. I liked it that well-fried potato wedges and not French fries came with all the meat dishes.

Then there’s the Boss’s favourite beef goulash (RM21), that the “boss” liked on a trip to Budapest and replicated the Hungarian recipe in her cafe.

It’s a pleasing meaty goulash that has Black Angus beef in it, hence the melt-in-the-mouth feel in the rich, paprika-spiced stew with carrot, potatoes, tomatoes and onions. It’s served with toasted slices of baguette.

Besides beef and lamb, we had FG style fish and chips, done well with crispy fried New Zealand perch and potato wedges, and served with the chef’s signature tartare sauce (RM29). We are always curious about what fish it is, and I’m happy it’s a perch, meaty and sweet.

Smoked duck with apple chutney (RM30) presented succulent sliced roasted smoked duck breast, that went well with caramelised apple chunks and sweet citrus dressing.

Then there was the excellent chef signature smoked duck quiche (RM20), with its buttery crumbly pastry and soft eggy base topped with duck.

The Japs chicken chop (RM19) is roasted boneless chicken leg glazed with garlic teriyaki sauce and served with salad and potato wedges.

The chicken fillet with Katsu sauce (RM20) is a yummy Japanese crispy fried chicken on toasted brioche, layered with sautéed mushrooms, fried egg, tomato and lettuce and drizzled with tonkatsu sauce.

The awesome wagyu beef burger (RM32) has a wow factor, with a rich beef patty with cheese melted over it, topped with sautéed mushrooms on a bed of lettuce and drizzled with katsu mayo. I also liked it too for the buttery brioche the patty is sandwiched between.

A large fluffy doughnut with cream, chocolate sauce and caramelised apples is what the Berry St Doughnut (RM10) is all about. Banana foster (RM10) is easy to like, with crispy fried bananas with sweet soy and buttery sauce.

You could choose a beef or lamb cut and it can be cooked for you to take away, from RM15 to RM20 cooking fee, with two sides.

Opt for a giant Tomahawk and cook it from RM120 to RM150. With Christmas around the corner, you can order a stuffed roast turkey (RM338 for 4kg), Australian ribeye roast (RM288 for 6 to 8 pax) or an Australian whole frenched lamb rack and ribs roast for RM188, among others.

Foodies Gourmet Market & Cafe is pork-free. It is at 29 Jalan BK5A/3A, Bandar Kinrara, Puchong, Selangor. It is open daily from 10am to 9pm. Call 012 213 5277 for orders and reservations. – December 11, 2021.

* 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.