Get a taste of history at Gyuniku Signature.
GYUNIKU SIGNATURE
29 Ground Floor
Central Market
Jalan Hang Kasturi
Kuala Lumpur
Business hours: 10am-9pm, daily
Pork-free
WHILE shopping around in Central Market, Kuala Lumpur, finding a vintage-looking shop lot serving a wide spread of Penang food is certainly a bonus.
Gyuniku Signature has a down-to-earth and simple setting, which made the experience of dining there even more pleasant.
Furnished with solid wooden chairs and tables against a classic brick wall filled with newspaper cut-outs as well as centuries-old cupboards, the restaurant traced fond memories of the past.
Diners who order the Mixed Beef Kuey Teow Soup Special can opt for mee hoon if they prefer it.
“It is too mainstream to furnish the restaurant with a modern concept, so we opted for a traditional and classic look for the restaurant. It gives a different mood to the diners and it is like a trip down memory lane,” said supervisor Jexmond Wang.
Wang said the restaurant was founded by his father, Wang Soo Kheng, and another partner, Boo Chee Seong.
With 35 years of experience in the hospitality line, Soo Kheng crafted the recipes while Boo, an interior designer, was the brainchild behind the heart-warming decoration.
“My father put a lot of effort into fine-tuning and perfecting the taste of various foods so that diners could enjoy some authentic Penang food here in Kuala Lumpur,” said Wang.
As the name suggests, Gyuniku (beef in Japanese) Signature is lauded for their specialty dish – Sauté Peppered Brisket and Tendon Rice as well as the Mixed Beef Kuey Teow Soup Special.
The gado gado salad is suitable for those with small appetites.
That aside, we were treated to an extensive spread of Penang cuisine such as the Sauté Lamb Rice, Claypot Hot and Spicy Mixed Beef, chicken lobak, Tamarind Chicken Claypot and Barbecue Chicken Wanton Noodles.
I started the meal with a sip of old cucumber juice with dried longan and dried licorice root.
It was refreshing and not too sweet for starters.
Then I dug into their Sauté Peppered Brisket and Tendon Rice and the simple dish did not disappoint.
The combination of the beef tendon, brisket and peppered sauce offered a hint of sweetness in the slightly spicy sauce.
Wang said the sauce was made of light and dark soya sauces, soya bean paste and oyster sauce.
A bowl of ice kacang served with all its condiments.
“Then, we cook it with beef tendon, brisket, carrot and white radish to make the sauce more flavourful.
“As for the beef, we use New Zealand imported beef for all our beef dishes,” he said.
Next, I tried out the Mixed Beef Kuey Teow Soup Special that was bursting with beefy goodness.
“We boil the soup with beef bones, whole ox tongue as well as beef shank for five hours.
“Diners can either opt for kuey teow or mee hoon as either one goes well with the mixed beef soup,” Wang said.
For those who prefer a spicy kick, the Claypot Hot and Spicy Mixed Beef served with carrot and white raddish is the dish for you.
Wang with the Sauté Lamb Rice at the restaurant.
The dish is not too hot and it is rather appetising.
For diners with a small appetite, there are snacks like chicken lobak or gado gado salad.
Wang also dished out some desserts like the Mua Chi, sago pudding, ice kacang and Tee Ya kuih with gula Melaka.
The Gyuniku Signature here is the third outlet with the other two located in Desa Sri Hartamas and Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
The restaurant’s set lunch complete with a starter, drink, a selection of main course and desserts, priced at RM20, is a good way to try the food here.
This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.
