Sandwiched in the middle of a row of shop lots in Kuala Lumpur’s swanky Damansara Heights is Brasa Steakhouse. True to its name, the restaurant is focused on high-quality steaks cooked over fire.
To put this mission to fruition, Argentinian chef Francisco Bernabe Garcia recently took charge of the kitchen and is now dedicated to introducing South American fiery flair to Malaysian diners.
Garcia is a seasoned chef who grew up in Tucuman, Argentina, surrounded by a family whose blood line has long been devoted to the restaurant industry.
“In my family, everyone is involved in the kitchen. My grandmother had a restaurant, my father has a restaurant and so do my uncles. So I have memories of them cooking from the time I was a child,” says the affable Garcia.
Garcia’s heart was initially set on being a rugby player, but the family genes proved too strong and his love of food emerged triumphant.
He set out to do a culinary arts course and after a year, he went on to do practical work in a restaurant kitchen.
He loved it so much that he spent nine years doing that before eventually going back to finish his course.
At Brasa, he says his goal is to showcase the Argentinian flavours and cooking techniques that he grew up with.
“I visited a lot of steakhouses in KL and the style of cooking is very different – there is a lot of butter or oil, rosemary, garlic and other seasonings. Here, we do an authentic grill like in Argentina – we use charcoal and wood so there is a smoky flavour.
“And when the meat is high quality, you don’t need to put a lot of things on it. You only need to season it with salt and appreciate the taste of the meat,” explains Garcia.
While the focus of the restaurant is on grilled meats, there are plenty of other things to start your meal at Brasa with.
To begin, try the Prawn Sago Cracker (RM38) which features squid-ink sago crackers with grilled marinated prawns, herb salad and lumpfish caviar.
The prawns, salad and caviar form a memorable trio – delivering plump fleshiness, a hint of freshness and a briny, umami blast in one go. The only downside to this meal is that the crackers are a tad limp.
Up next, indulge in the Pear & Brie Salad (RM48) which features ripe pears, creamy Brie cheese and crisp greens, finished with an effervescent dressing.
The salad is pretty good – the cheese is velvety smooth and slightly salty, the pears are sweet and the greens are crunchy.
The dressing draws these elements together and provides a bright, cheery astringency to the meal. If salads are your thing, this will do the trick nicely.
Move on to the charms of the Charred Bone Marrow (RM87). Here, fire-roasted wagyu bone marrow is topped with caramelised onions and paired with grilled sourdough.
This is seriously good stuff – the bone marrow is unctuous and toasty atop with a custard-like countenance and a rich bovine heart. Scoop this generously over the bread and enjoy one of life’s greatest indulgences (and pleasures).
From the pasta selections, tuck into the Minced Lamb Rigatoni (RM60) which is composed of spiced minced lamb, peperonata (Italian vegetable stew made up of bell peppers, onions, olive oil and tomatoes), chilli and tomato concasse (finely diced tomatoes).
The pasta is utterly delightful – the rigatoni is cooked so well it still retains a firm grip on the teeth and doesn’t lose its hold or shape.
The sauce that clings to the pasta is intensely decadent – rich, tomatoey, creamy and filled with minced lamb studded into crevices and crannies. It’s honestly one of those dishes that satiates and satisfies in equal measure.
Move on to the big ticket items: The carnivorous options on the menu or in other words, Garcia’s pride and joy.
Start with the Argentine Grass-Fed Angus Ribeye (RM169 for 300g). The steak is served with a choice of sides – either straight-cut fries or mashed potatoes and a choice of sauces – either beef jus or chimichurri.
Argentinian beef is distinctive because the cattle are typically grass-fed and graze on the fertile grassland in Pampas in southern South America. The animals are allowed to roam free and are not fed antibiotics or hormones, resulting in a more pronounced, pure beefy flavour.
This shows in the ribeye, which is cooked medium rare and has a robust, fulsome, slightly creamy flavour profile. The char on the beef is sublime, evoking smokiness and a sexy ruggedness that gives the cattle a quiet, yet discerning edge.
The chimichurri sauce is homemade – Garcia makes it himself the traditional Argentinian way and as a result, is one of the best renditions of chimichurri you are likely to find.
The sauce is herbaceous and lively, with a slight acerbity that is the ideal counterpoint to the meat.
If you’re after an even heftier bovine offering, perhaps indulge in the 400-Day Grain Fed Wagyu Tomahawk (currently at a promotion price of RM399 1kg to 1.2kg).
The tomahawk is flame-grilled to a fine art, retaining an admirable crust on the surface that then succumbs to flesh that is incredibly sumptuous, voluptuous and pillowy.
It’s an experience that leans into primordial passions and delivers a hearty meat masterclass in the process.
End your meal with an equally meaty offering in the form of the New Zealand Lamb Cutlets (RM159 for 300g).
Garcia’s superior cooking skills really come through here, delivering cutlets that have a blast of smokiness on their exterior yet are cut open to reveal meat that is insanely juicy and succulent.
Garcia’s talents are obviously centred on meat – he has a way of extracting the best flavour out of each animal without allowing too many distracting elements to get in the way – in true Argentinian fashion.
Moving forward, he hopes to stealthily and slowly introduce more Argentinian dishes on the menu, in an effort to get Malaysian diners to truly embrace his heritage and lineage.
“I know the real menu identity here is a steakhouse, so we have a very good steak selection. But my idea is to put more Argentinian dishes on the menu, like empanadas (baked or fried turnovers) to pair with the steaks, so people know more about my culture,” he says.
