CLOSED. Jayson, the boss of newly opened Menu Please Bistro which offers casual Western dining in Taman Maju Jaya (near Plaza Pelangi), invited me to try his Western dishes and pizzas.
The interior of Menu Please Bistro is simple and neat. Customers dine in air con comfort and with soft, easy listening tunes in the background.
Jayson is a SHATEC (Singapore Hotel and Tourism Education Centre) graduate. Jayson had worked for 7 years in Singapore's Four Seasons Hotel and Marina Bay Sands before returning to Johor Bahru to open his own restaurant last year.
Braised Beef Cheek RM26.80.
When Jayson told me that Menu Please serves braised beef cheeks, I immediately jumped at it as this is one of my favourite beef dishes. Jayson shared that Menu Please's beef cheeks are braised in beef stock with ingredients such as carrots, potatoes and onions for hours until all the vegetables are dissolved.
The hours of braising in slow fire turned the huge chunk of lean meat with layers of gelatin in between into a smooth, soft and gummy treat. The lean meat became like a savoury soft meat loaf while the gelatin turned to gummy jelly.
All those hours of slow heat dissolved the sinews, gelatin, carrots, potatoes, and onions that blended into a marvellous savoury gravy. It was so beefy good, I felt really guilty about wasting any of it. Happily, Menu Please's beef cheeks come with a large stick of focaccia bread which was handy in wiping the plate squeaky clean of the savoury gravy.
Jayson told me that Menu Please's beef cheeks are loved by some customers while others are less excited about it. As for me, I am very pleased with Menu Please's braised beef cheeks and highly recommend it to beef lovers.
Sesame Duck Salad RM9.80.
Jayson let me try Menu Please's Sesame Duck Salad which he shared is popular among customers.
The salad is made with thin slices of smoked duck on a bed of fresh lettuce, onions, carrots, tomatoes and tangerines showered with sesame sauce.
The slices of smoked duck are eaten with Menu Please's house blended dip which was inspired by traditional "char siew" sauce.
Personally, as I like the smokey, creamy flavour of smoked duck, I prefer to eat it on its own with a squeeze of tangerine, without any dip.
Otiental Potato Cakes with Tamarind Dip RM8.80.
I had Menu Please's Potato Cake with Tamarind Dip.
The cake was made with mashed potatoes and minced crab stick. The cakes were nicely fried with the skin outside crispy while the steaming hot inside was soft.
The potato cakes are eaten with the special dip that tasted salty and tangy as it was made with plum juice and tamarind.
Tomato Soup RM7.80.
I tried Menu Please's tomato soup. It was full bodied and had that nice sweet and slightly tangy tomato flavour.
As usual, I asked for permission to visit the kitchen :P
Chef Anthony stirring the pot of braised lamb shanks, another of Menu Please's signature dishes which I must come back for.
Jayson was also eager for me to try Menu Please's handmade pizzas but there was simply no more room in my tummy.
So, my next trip to Menu Please Bistro is already planned. I can't wait to try their lamb shank and handmade pizzas next time.
One last word, beef lovers! Menu Please's beef cheek is a Must Try!
Restaurant name: Menu Please Bistro
Address: 25, Jalan Maju, Taman Maju Jaya, Johor Bahru (near Plaza Pelangi)
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/1vLa8
GPS: 1.480859,103.766314
Hours: Tues to Fri 12:00 noon to 3:00pm and 5:30pm to 12:00 midnight. Sat and Sun 12:00 noon to 12:00 mid night (Closed on Mondays)
No pork, no lard, no alcohol, no Halal cert
Date visited: 3 Apr 2013
Went there yesterday. Food was excellent and the service was good. Tried their homemade pizza and duck salad. Was nice. The most memorable item was their dessert Chocolate volcano with warm chocolate
ReplyDeleteinside and vanila ice-cream outside. Thanks to your blog!
wow I want to try that volcano cake!
Delete