Double Marriott Bonvoy Points at Prime Le Méridien KL

Double Marriott Bonvoy Points at Prime KL

Words: Meg Alice
Photos: Rich Callahan

Monica had to convince me to review Prime, the steakhouse located within Le Mériden Kuala Lumpur in KL Sentral. She’s on a mission this month to score double Marriott Bonvoy points in their latest promo (details here). I told her I didn’t want to visit a hotel restaurant with impersonal service, generic and standardized menu options, uninspired food, and a chef who resents that her talents are wasted in a chain. I’m so glad she convinced me otherwise, as this is not Prime.

Prime is the inspiration of Le Méridien executive chef Antoine Rodriguez from France, who was recruited 18 years ago. He opened Prime 17 years back. He has perfected every aspect of this restaurant, from the throne-like chairs to the chandelier of wine glasses to the dry-aging tomahawks displayed like art. Even the Frank Sinatra-esque music is curated to enhance the old-school steakhouse vibe. This is the opposite of what I imagined of a hotel restaurant. It is rich with history but also current and vibrant.

The steak is imported from around the world. Chef Antoine is a sommelier of steaks, so to speak. He knows exactly what every cow in his restaurant was fed, how it was slaughtered, butchered, and the best way to cook it. He could win steak blind tasting contests. He has put the same effort and level of detail into each of the menu items we try.

Earn Double Marriott Bonvoy Points at Prime

Amuse Bouche and Bread

We start with spinach arancini with garlic aioli. This nourishing warm bite whets our appetite. We are also served a tray of warm bread – brown bread with pumpkin seeds, and white. The butter includes coriander, plain, and orange-glazed, and flavours change with the whim of the chef.

Smokehouse Fishery Salmon (RM 78)

The smoked salmon plate is a picnic platter of delights, including fennel, capers, red onion, and blinis with dill cream cheese. Chef Antoine sources his smoked salmon from the Smokehouse Fishery specializing in Norwegian smoked salmon. The owner missed this gourmet delight from his homeland, so brought the technique to Malaysia. This could have been our meal.

Rubia Gallega Bone Marrow (RM 170)

I usually find bone marrow appetizers to be gimmicky and the bone marrow to taste like a clump of fat. Prime’s bone marrow appetizer changes my opinion. That’s probably due to the size of the bone coming from the Rubia Gallega, a breed of cattle native to north-western Spain. It is an enormous cow raised mainly on grass. The bone is colossal, which means the bone marrow is plentiful, allowing you to dissect the individual flavours and texture.

This dish is served with an equally rich oxtail marmalade cooked for over 18 hours. As it breaks down, it creates stickiness. To cut the rich flavours, we are offered toast and a salsa verde allowing us to construct our own perfect bite depending on taste preference.

We are curious how Prime can continue to serve this unique dish sourced to a specific region of Spain. Chef Antoine explains that he imports large quantities of the bones in one go and keeps them frozen on hand. When ready to prepare, the bone is sawed in half (they must use a chainsaw). The preparation is simple. The bone marrow is torched. Given the uniqueness of this dish, we strongly endorse trying it. It is worth the price point.

Lobster Bisque (RM 72)

The lobster bisque is served enveloped in a puff pastry – the beef wellington of bisques. It has been on the menu for 17 years. Chef Antoine couldn’t take it off the menu even if he wanted as customers keep returning for the expensive velvety taste. It is a cream and butter-based soup with the ingredients pureed together to create smoothness. The chef uses the entirety of the Maine-imported lobster but especially the head to capture the deepest lobster flavours. Other components include celeriac, thyme, tomato, and onion. The key is to reduce, reduce, reduce, according to the chef.

Japanese Wagyu Picanha (RM 110 per 100 grams)

We indulge in two steaks, with the first being the Japanese wagyu. The cut is called picanha, first made popular in Brazil and Portugal. It is also known as the sirloin cap, rump cover, or culotte. Prime serves it with microgreens, shoyu sauce, and wasabi. Cooked at chef’s choice, it is served with a deep purple centre. The fat that wagyu is known for is evenly dispersed throughout and barely visible. The taste is refined.

Australian Black Angus Ribeye (RM 320 per 340 grams)

Our second steak is quite different, being a ribeye with the fat more visible. The cook is slightly more than the Japanese wagyu, probably to melt the fat. This is a rougher, more manly piece of meat compared to the more refined wagyu. The texture is looser too. I prefer the ribeye because it is closer to the kind of steak I grew up with, whereas Rich prefers the wagyu.

Sauces and Mustards

Monica, Rich, and I are lucky enough to try ALL the steak sauces offered by Prime: traditional Bearnaise, cracked Sarawak peppercorn, truffle, wild mix mushroom, and Argentinian chimichurri. This is dreamy, as I have a fear of missing out on the perfect condiment.

My favourites are surprisingly the truffle sauce and not surprisingly the chimichurri sauce, which I’m always partial to. The shoyu sauce with wasabi that accompanies the Japanese wagyu is also a standout. I didn’t need an additional sauce for the picahna besides these traditional Japanese flavours.

We also sample the three mustard options – French Dijon, English, and whole grain. Each is the best version of these mustards, and it’s really a personal preference on what you might opt for.

Side Dishes

Chefs Antoine picks three sides for us: wilted organic Malaysian broccoli (RM 24); sauteed spinach with parmesan and nutmeg (RM 24); and truffle mash (RM 30). Why is that steakhouses have the best vegetables? If I were a vegetarian, I would eat at Prime just for these sides. I don’t understand how come my spinach and broccoli never look this lush dark green colour when I cook them at home. The truffle mash is fluffy and beautifully whipped.

Baked Truffle Cream Cheesecake (RM 52)

Our first dessert is the cheesecake with a generous layer of shaved black truffle on top. The taste is earth-forward with only the slightest hint of sweetness. The sophisticated dessert leads to a long discussion with Chef Antoine on supply chain issues for truffle. He brings out a large uncut truffle that sits locked up in the pantry. It probably is worth more than its weight in gold. I even get to hold it; truffle is surprisingly heavy, but this makes sense to keep its form when shaven.

Thin, Crispy Apple Tart (RM 38)

In my American mind, this is a great twist on American apple pie but served as a thin crust pizza. I like its lightness to end our robust meal. The mascarpone vanilla ice cream could be a dessert on its own.

Afterthoughts & Double Marriott Bonvoy Points

Prime has an extensive wine menu, although we keep it simple with a table red wine. We’re there for the steak. We meet several other members of the Le Méridien team, including Reuben, general manager of the Italian restaurant Favola, and head Chef Domenico Piras also visiting from Favola. Melinda serves us and is thoroughly knowledgeable on all things Prime, where she’s been working for five years. Prime’s team operates like a family.

Visiting a steakhouse tends to be for a special occasion like an anniversary or birthday, probably because of the high price points. However, one could dine at Prime for a reasonable price if desired. In other words, don’t wait to visit Prime. Stop by on any given Tuesday or Wednesday night to vary the workweek, and double your Marriott Bonvoy points while at it.

Reason to visit (besides the steak):  Deep respect for the cow, Chef Antoine’s stories (check out one of The Yum List’s prior interviews of the chef in 2017), the Rubia Gallega bone marrow, lobster bisque, feeling like royalty, double Marriott Bonvoy points and up to 20% discount for members (the program is free to join) – details here.

Get Double Marriott Bonvoy Points at Prime
Le Méridien Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
2, Jalan Stesen Sentral
Kuala Lumpur Sentral
50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+60 3-2263 7888 or +60 3 2263 7434
www.facebook.com/lemeridienkualalumpur

Prime Le Meridien KL Opening Hours
Daily: 6pm to 10pm (last order 9:30pm)

Find more steak restaurants in Kuala Lumpur here and stay up to date with the happenings around Malaysia here and here.