No Bull, It's Good Beef!

A Black Angus steak for under RM70, in a portion so respectable that even my gargantuan appetite can be satisfied with one plate and no sides? Hard to believe, but true!

Here's the beef!

El Toro is my best food find in Subang. Located in Subang Avenue, a retail space that never seemed to have taken off, despite the promise of an IT Mart, roller disco, and gyms, the only things in operation there are the restaurants on the ground floor, facing the road. Which probably explains why there was one other table the first time I dined, and no one at 12.30pm on a Friday. In this case, a restaurant's lack of butts on seats is not a reflection of their ability to produce good food.

It's empty, yo! Come on in!

If you have been wrestling with the poor quality beef generally available in Malaysia, you'd understand how hard it is to trust a steak restaurant in this country. Mamak grills use Indian beef (buffalo if they can get away with it) to keep costs down. Chili's and Fridays claim to use Australian, but the cuts I have gotten at both varied so drastically, it was shocking. I had the best steak at the Fridays at Life Centre when it was still there. The Fridays at Subang Parade served my rare steak medium well, and sapped the joy out of a so-so piece of meat, The Fridays at The Curve served me a piece which i could have used as padding for my cross-trainers. It was so full of fascia that it made the whole meal an Olympic event in Endurance Mastication.

So when I'm offered Wagyu ribeye for RM55 per 100 grams, hmmmm.

Let me say this for the record. It is better to eat the best product in its class, than the product on the lowest rung of the class above. Which means if you've never eaten Wagyu and wondered what the fuss is, you may like to try it at El Toro. However, if you've been blessed to eat score 10 and above Wagyu, then don't be tempted here.

That's not to say El Toro's Wagyu is bad. But it's like comparing A VW with a Mercedes. Both German brands, but catering to different market segments and needs.

Suffice to say that the score 8/9 Wagyu I tried was decent, but not a hint near the ecstasy of a super Wagyu. Co-owner Adrian Ariffin concedes this too. He has Wagyu because a butchery and grill NEEDS to have it. And he always buys the smallest roll possible.

Wagyu ribeye, bloody and juicy, as a steak should be. Quite a steal for what you get at RM120.

Having gotten that out of the way, let me tell you that El Toro is GREAT for Black Angus. The cuts are good, the preparation is simple, and lets the meat do the talking. Also, another good thing about El Toro is the fact that the sides are taken as seriously as the meats. The salad accompanying the steaks are large enough to be a side salad. They are hand-tossed in a salad bowl before being placed on your steak plate. No commercial Thousand Islands dressing here! And you even get grated Parmesan. The potatoes accompanying the steak and salad can be either mashed or served as fries. And it's the big, thick kind of steak fries too! They also remain crunchy throughout the meal. And they helpings are generous. Considering you will pay RM25 per 100 grams for a Black Angus ribeye (a regular steak will be about 200 grams), that's a fill-you-up meat right there for RM50. That is way good for such good stuff!

I've got a review on El Toro coming up on HungryGoWhere Malaysia, so there will be many more photos there. Think of this as a sampler. And really, get yourself down to El Toro for a meal. You won't regret it. Even my good pal, Executive Chef at Resorts World Genting, Oliver Lopez, said the food was good, with value for money pricing and big portions.

El Toro Butchery & Grill

SG-07 Subang Avenue

Persiaran Kemajuan

SS16, 47500

Subang Jaya

Selangor