AN encounter with the “Babe on Fire” was the perfect opportunity for us to reconnect with Chef Yenni Law at her restaurant Meat Feds.

I have had lunch, then dinner at this bright and cheery space in Petaling Jaya, charmed by her delish, meaty offerings, paired with a bottle of wine each time.

Meat is Law’s forte, having previously showcased her culinary skills at Meatology, which she has since closed. We looked forward to Babe on Fire, a slab of 2kg US pork ribs grilled and flamed to perfection.

The ribs had been marinated for several hours with Sichuan pepper, Cajun spices, black pepper, apple, garlic and onions, then finished with tomato and a little chilli sauce. A hickory barbecue left a distinctive aroma on the ribs.

Law brought out the slab of ribs on a tray, poured a mixture of peaty whisky and brandy over them and set them afire, sprinkling more spices to stoke the flames.

Smoky, spiced tender meat, heady with the liquor, fell off the bone at the touch of the knife. A caramelised, gelatinous sauce boiled down from soft bones was served with the ribs, but I only needed a little drizzle of this to enjoy the meat, which had lots of oomph.

Babe on Fire (10 to 12 ribs, RM298+) has to be ordered three days in advance.

We had settled on two wines from the wide selection here, made possible from Law’s symbiotic partnership with wine bar Psychotic Operator, in the shared space at Meat Feds.

We had the Calabria Pinot Bianco 2020 (Australia) and the Giesen Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2020 (New Zealand). It’s RM25 off each bottle of wine from lunch till 6pm.

We added to our lunch the Hipster Salad (RM15) of salad greens, tomatoes, olives, edamame, ebiko and jellyfish, brought together with a sweet vinaigrette.

I liked the combination of ingredients, especially the crunchy jellyfish. How I wished there was more of it.

We were delighted with the plain Aglio Olio (RM16), which was unexpectedly flavourful, having had an immersion in chicken broth.

Meat Feds’ Chocolate Velvet was heavenly – an eggless pure, dark chocolate tart, on a biscuit base (RM20). It was lightly sweet, velvety, with a little crunch from rice puffs in the chocolate. It had the perfect pairing with a very alcoholic rum and raisin ice cream (RM9 per scoop).

We had some nibbles before Babe on Fire – pork crack, which is pork skin crackling, with fats rendered to zero. It was super-good, served with a spicy dip (RM18). I loved the aroma and the crunch.

Another appetiser was the Charred Octopussy (RM12), an octopus tentacle sprinkled with Sichuan spices and grilled. It yielded chewy, tingly bites.

Of course, award-winning Chef Law is well-known for her steaks. I have enjoyed her Argentina Striploin (RM95), a chilled corn-fed Angus. Her Feds’ smoked chicken with chimichurri sauce (RM18) is excellent with wine.

From Friday to Sunday, lunch is served and I would recommend her Truffle Siew Yuk Mien (RM23). It’s melt-in-the-mouth roast pork with crackling skin, topped also with lard crispies.

Meat Feds by Chef Yenni Law is at 7, Jalan 20/13, Taman Paramount, Petaling Jaya. Call 011-3313 2329 for reservations. – September 24, 2022.

* 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.