Estate,
G01 Ground Floor,
The Intermark,
182 Jalan Tun Razak,
Kuala Lumpur.
Modelled after a typical British gastropub, Estate raises the bar with its modern interpretations of classic pub grub.
IN 2011, the Hand & Flowers in the riverside town of Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England, became the first ever British gastropub to be awarded two Michelin stars for its comforting pub grub: roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, and fish and chips alongside more sophisticated offerings of truffled pork terrine with dill, pickles and toasted sourdough bread, and slow-cooked duck breast with peas, duck fat chips and gravy.
While British gastropubs are few and far between on our home turf, ardent foodies are flocking to Estate, a trendy restaurant-cum-bar that’s a modern interpretation of the British gastropub by The Big Group for its eclectic food and beer selection.
The Mussels in Provencal Sauceis a dish to write home about.Don’t let the sleek, rather forbidding entrance deter you from wandering in and making yourself at home inside Estate’s dimly lit, cosy confines. With an ambiance that is reminiscent of a posh Ivy League hangout, its edgy raw concrete-finish premises are bedecked with vintage British paraphernalia and crammed cheek by jowl with overstuffed leather sofas, plush wing chairs, padded stools and low-rise coffee tables.
One feature wall flaunts an artistically spray-painted, graffiti-style mural of the Union Jack whilst the side wall next to the bar is packed to the rafters with retro “boom boxes” – weighty radio cassette players that were all the rage among the 1980s’ break-dance and hip-hop crowd.
According to Lynette Lim of The Big Group, Estate is merely one component that makes up The Estates, an intrepid gourmand haven that also encompasses Est., a soon-to-be-opened upmarket South American steakhouse and Tate, a speakeasy-style bar.
The wickedly indulgent Snicker’s Bar dessert.The menu takes traditional Blighty pub grub up several notches with the use of top quality ingredients such as velvety smooth cod fillet for its ultra-crispy Traditional Beer Battered Cod Fish and Chips with Minted Mushy Peas and Tartare Sauce (RM79.90++) and premium grade five Wagyu beef for the Hand-cut Wagyu Five Striploin Cheese Burger (RM79.90++) on a Sesame Bun with Shoestring Fries, Arugula Salad and White Balsamic Dressing. You’d refrain from grousing over the princely prices once you realise the current market price for fresh cod is RM80 per kilo while Wagyu beef cost hovers around RM380 per kilo.
One starter that’s worth writing home about is the Steamed Mussels in Provençal Sauce (RM49.90++). Doused in a garlicky, herbaceous sauce, the tender, springy mussels are so sublime that we have returned to Estate repeatedly just to savour this starter.
Another house speciality that left us clucking with approval is the Beer Roasted Whole Chicken (RM79.90++) which has a whole chicken roasted upright with an open can of beer stuffed into its cavity. Served with gravy, bread sauce and roast potatoes, the dish is “beery” good indeed; every mouthful of juicy chicken meat deliciously suffused with a distinctly malty, bittersweet nuance.
Also available are updated versions of hearty British classics such as Parmigiano-Reggiano Egg Croquette, Guinness-Braised Beef Stew and Lobster Salad alongside contemporary crowd-pleasers that include hand-tossed, thin-crust Wild Mushroom and Truffle Pizza, and Corned Beef and Basil Pizza.
Hand-cut Wagyu Cheese Burger.Beer snobs will have a field day too since Estate proffers five varieties of draft beer on tap and an imported range from Belgium, Japan, Germany, Spain, Italy, Australia and Britain (RM20-32++ per bottle).
If you have a sweet tooth like me, you’d go weak in the knees over Snicker’s Bar (RM19.90++), one of the restaurant’s most indulgent treats. Imagine the ever-popular Snicker’s Bar candy turned inside out, only it’s lighter in texture thanks to the airy-light caramel mousse sandwiched in between peanut chocolate cracker and topped with salted peanuts and milk chocolate ice cream.
Estate may not be a Michelin-starred gastropub but its scrumptious food, stylish ambience and affable service certainly score highly with me and other discerning diners.
