Grill Bar Steakhouse in Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru

This is my second visit to Grill Bar Steakhouse in Taman Pelangi. Gary, the boss, has a gathering for family and friends to celebrate his sister-in-law's birthday and I am honoured that he invited me to join in. I am also glad to visit Grill Bar Steakhouse again because during my last visit, I missed the chance to chat with Gary and to photograph him in action.



Grill Bar Steakhouse was full house during our visit (it was a Sunday lunch). Grill Bar Steakhouse is so popular and is the favourite of so many that I was surprised to learn that it will only be its third anniversary this coming July :)


Gary was going to present this surprise dessert to a regular customer who has become a friend.

But after meeting Gary and his wife Eva, it is not hard to understand the success of Grill Bar Steakhouse. Grill Bar Steakhouse is brimming with energy and passion for good American style food. Customers also enjoy the warm service of the attentive Grill Bar Steakhouse folks.  



I noticed that Gary is very customer and service focused. Gary enjoys mingling and interacting with customers. Whenever he has the time, he will "sneak out" from his kitchen and chat with customers. Here Gary was helping to cut our steak.

Where did that passion for good food come from? Well, making and serving good food is literary in Gary's blood. You see, Gary's father and grandfather were the owners of the legendary Ah Yong Nasi Padang in old town Johor Bahru. To their fans, Ah Yong Nasi Padang defines good food in Johor Bahru during its days.

How did Gary jump from nasi padang warung to American grill and steakhouse? Gary's first job about 15 years ago was with the restaurant at the American Club in Singapore and then he moved on to Morton's Steakhouse Singapore, and other grill houses. Over 2 years ago, Gary suddenly decided to start his own grill bar, and since then, it was no turning back :) 

Here's all the good stuff we had during our visit :)



Our first dish was an appetiser which Gary calls his "Well Dressed Sloppy Joe". Well this appetiser is certainly no sloth in taste. The crispy, crunchy oven dried toast is eaten with Ozzy's rich beefy chili dip. (Ozzy is Gary's nickname. I forgot to ask him how that came about :P )


Wild Mushroom Soup RM14

The "Sloppy Joe" was followed by another appetiser, the "Wild Mushroom Soup". Made with fresh chopped mushrooms with a touch of truffle oil luxury, this mushroom soup is creamy, wholesome goodness.


Manhattan Seafood Soup RM14 per serving

There were 9 of us in the party, so we had room to try another appetiser. This time the Manhattan Seafood Soup. Slipper lobsters and calamari cooked in tomato soup - full bodied, savoury and sweet with a touch of tangy.


USA Sea Scallop with Spaghetti RM22

My share of the USA Sea Scallop wrapped with turkey bacon served with a mouthful of spaghetti. I love this spaghetti cooked with lobster bisque gravy - that umami flavour from the lobster is especially addictive.


Hardcore Solo Jerk Cheese Burger RM39

Gary calls this his "Hardcore Solo Jerk Cheese Burger". I took only a small bite of the patty to taste as I am not a big burger fan. The patty was chunky, beefy, juicy and wholesome. That deep fried chicken sausage perched on top looked like the crowning glory of this burger. I enjoyed the small bite that I took of this bouncy meaty sausage. The younger folks at the party were raving about this burger but I didn't pay enough attention to recall their exact words (sorry :P ). I was busy composing my photos :P This happens also to be my first outing with my new camera and the dim lighting was a challenge :)


Leather Jacket Short Ribs RM55

I am crazy about any kind of braised meats, so this huge "Leather Jacket Short Ribs" really got me excited. Gary slow braised this chunky short beef rib in low heat for over 10 hours before serving. Pardon the overused cliche "melt in your mouth" but this short rib was super tender and the fatty and gelatinous parts literally melted into savoury jelly. Good braised meat melts my heart, again.


Prime Filet Mignon RM50 (5 Oz)

Another tender steak, this Prime Filet Mignon had a slight savoury crust and the inside was thick and moist with that nice beefy flavour.  

After all that scrumptious meal, it was time for dessert.



We were all really stuffed and Gary wanted us to try this Danish Waffle.



Stuffed as we were, some dainty ladies in the party asked for this Chocolate Lava Cake - "Must Have"  they say. I was a little hesitant but have to admit that they were right :P Sweet and slightly bitter, warm and cold, soft and crusty - Grill Bar Steakhouse's chocolate lava cake is an interesting blend of flavours, mouth feel and temperatures. No wonder it is so irresistible.



Grill Bar Steakhouse serves many different interesting hot and cold drinks as well as beer. For today, I just have ice water to cut back on cream and sugar. This was one of the pretty drinks ordered by one of ladies :)

I am always happy to be back at Grill Bar Steakhouse. Great passionate folks, delicious food, lovely ambiance. 




Restaurant name: Grill Bar Steakhouse
Address: 202, Jalan Sri Pelangi, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/WUYzl
GPS: 1.480602,103.773548
Hours: Monday to Friday 5:30pm to 10:30pm / Saturday and Sunday 12:00 noon to 10:30pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
No pork, no lard, alcohol served (beer only)

Dates visited: 2 May 2013, 26 May 2013

This is my second visit to Grill Bar Steakhouse in Taman Pelangi. Gary, the boss, has a gathering for family and friends to celebrate his sister-in-law's birthday and I am honoured that he invited me to join in. I am also glad to visit Grill Bar Steakhouse again because during my last visit, I missed the chance to chat with Gary and to photograph him in action.



Grill Bar Steakhouse was full house during our visit (it was a Sunday lunch). Grill Bar Steakhouse is so popular and is the favourite of so many that I was surprised to learn that it will only be its third anniversary this coming July :)


Gary was going to present this surprise dessert to a regular customer who has become a friend.

But after meeting Gary and his wife Eva, it is not hard to understand the success of Grill Bar Steakhouse. Grill Bar Steakhouse is brimming with energy and passion for good American style food. Customers also enjoy the warm service of the attentive Grill Bar Steakhouse folks.  



I noticed that Gary is very customer and service focused. Gary enjoys mingling and interacting with customers. Whenever he has the time, he will "sneak out" from his kitchen and chat with customers. Here Gary was helping to cut our steak.

Where did that passion for good food come from? Well, making and serving good food is literary in Gary's blood. You see, Gary's father and grandfather were the owners of the legendary Ah Yong Nasi Padang in old town Johor Bahru. To their fans, Ah Yong Nasi Padang defines good food in Johor Bahru during its days.

How did Gary jump from nasi padang warung to American grill and steakhouse? Gary's first job about 15 years ago was with the restaurant at the American Club in Singapore and then he moved on to Morton's Steakhouse Singapore, and other grill houses. Over 2 years ago, Gary suddenly decided to start his own grill bar, and since then, it was no turning back :) 

Here's all the good stuff we had during our visit :)



Our first dish was an appetiser which Gary calls his "Well Dressed Sloppy Joe". Well this appetiser is certainly no sloth in taste. The crispy, crunchy oven dried toast is eaten with Ozzy's rich beefy chili dip. (Ozzy is Gary's nickname. I forgot to ask him how that came about :P )


Wild Mushroom Soup RM14

The "Sloppy Joe" was followed by another appetiser, the "Wild Mushroom Soup". Made with fresh chopped mushrooms with a touch of truffle oil luxury, this mushroom soup is creamy, wholesome goodness.


Manhattan Seafood Soup RM14 per serving

There were 9 of us in the party, so we had room to try another appetiser. This time the Manhattan Seafood Soup. Slipper lobsters and calamari cooked in tomato soup - full bodied, savoury and sweet with a touch of tangy.


USA Sea Scallop with Spaghetti RM22

My share of the USA Sea Scallop wrapped with turkey bacon served with a mouthful of spaghetti. I love this spaghetti cooked with lobster bisque gravy - that umami flavour from the lobster is especially addictive.


Hardcore Solo Jerk Cheese Burger RM39

Gary calls this his "Hardcore Solo Jerk Cheese Burger". I took only a small bite of the patty to taste as I am not a big burger fan. The patty was chunky, beefy, juicy and wholesome. That deep fried chicken sausage perched on top looked like the crowning glory of this burger. I enjoyed the small bite that I took of this bouncy meaty sausage. The younger folks at the party were raving about this burger but I didn't pay enough attention to recall their exact words (sorry :P ). I was busy composing my photos :P This happens also to be my first outing with my new camera and the dim lighting was a challenge :)


Leather Jacket Short Ribs RM55

I am crazy about any kind of braised meats, so this huge "Leather Jacket Short Ribs" really got me excited. Gary slow braised this chunky short beef rib in low heat for over 10 hours before serving. Pardon the overused cliche "melt in your mouth" but this short rib was super tender and the fatty and gelatinous parts literally melted into savoury jelly. Good braised meat melts my heart, again.


Prime Filet Mignon RM50 (5 Oz)

Another tender steak, this Prime Filet Mignon had a slight savoury crust and the inside was thick and moist with that nice beefy flavour.  

After all that scrumptious meal, it was time for dessert.



We were all really stuffed and Gary wanted us to try this Danish Waffle.



Stuffed as we were, some dainty ladies in the party asked for this Chocolate Lava Cake - "Must Have"  they say. I was a little hesitant but have to admit that they were right :P Sweet and slightly bitter, warm and cold, soft and crusty - Grill Bar Steakhouse's chocolate lava cake is an interesting blend of flavours, mouth feel and temperatures. No wonder it is so irresistible.



Grill Bar Steakhouse serves many different interesting hot and cold drinks as well as beer. For today, I just have ice water to cut back on cream and sugar. This was one of the pretty drinks ordered by one of ladies :)

I am always happy to be back at Grill Bar Steakhouse. Great passionate folks, delicious food, lovely ambiance. 




Restaurant name: Grill Bar Steakhouse
Address: 202, Jalan Sri Pelangi, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/WUYzl
GPS: 1.480602,103.773548
Hours: Monday to Friday 5:30pm to 10:30pm / Saturday and Sunday 12:00 noon to 10:30pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
No pork, no lard, alcohol served (beer only)

Dates visited: 2 May 2013, 26 May 2013

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Grill Bar Steakhouse in Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru

I was at Grill Bar Steakhouse last night at the invitation of Gary, the boss. Meeting Gary for the first time, I can't help but be captivated by his infectious passion for biking and cooking - I can feel Gary's positive energy everywhere in his restaurant and in his food.



The biker theme is all over the restaurant. Gary is an avid biker who makes numerous trips, including at least one 2,500 plus kilometre bike trip a year. For food, Grill Bar is in my opinion, one of the best Western food restaurants that I know of in Johor.



I found Grill Bar Steakhouse and Gary really fascinating. I think I am going to spend a lot more time in Grill Bar Steakhouse.



Walking along the familiar streets of Johor Bahru, you will be surprised (I was delighted, actually) when you step into Grill Bar Steakhouse. Push pass the door and you may think that you have suddenly arrived in San Francisco or New York City.

Gary pays a lot of attention to create the perfect ambiance for a nice dinner date at Grill Bar :) The mood lighting makes food photography extremely challenging - I assure you that Grill Bar's food is way better than what I could capture in my photos.



This picture of Grill Bar's Baby Lobster Bisque (RM16) is a huge understatement. One spoonful of this smooth creamy soup made me sat up - it thrilled and primed my taste buds for the dishes that were to come. Grill Bar's lobster bisque was full bodied and had that distinct umami flavour extracted through prolong boiling of lobster shells and heads.



The Paprika Grilled Sea Prawns (RM28) were meaty and sweet, and the charred outer layer was smokey. The tasty prawns were well complemented by the lemon cream sauce.



This Onion Blossom (RM17) is a Grill Bar signature dish. The deep fried onions "fries" were crispy outside and inside they were moist and sweet.



The crunchy Onion Blossom is eaten with Grill Bar's house blended Tartar sauce which is creamy, savoury and sweet.



Grill Bar's famous Black Angus Ribeye Steak (RM12 per oz).



Our 8 Oz Australian steak was done medium rear. It was so tender and the flavourful juices so delightful - I was like being reawakened to my meat eating instincts, rediscovering the primeval pleasure of devouring quality flesh.



The Rosemary Rack of Lamb (RM59) made with chilled New Zealand lamb roasted in a broiler.



We asked for our lamb to be cooked medium to savour the tender, juicy rosy pink meat.



I am not a fan of burritos as I associate it with American franchised fast food. Grill Bar's Mushroom and Cheddar Beef Burrito (RM39) changed my mind about burritos.



The tortilla wrap was firm while the moist and savoury filling made with mushroom, cheddar and tender pulled beef was so... delicious. The pulled beef softened by hours of slow cooking was so tender, it felt as if it melted in my mouth into a smokey, creamy puree with just a little chewing.



Grill Bar's burritos are totally different from their fast food cousins. This is a Must Try. 



For dessert, we shared a Chocolate Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream coated crushed peanuts. Oozing, warm, not-overly sweet chocolate, it was a nice way to cap our happy overindulgence.

Grill Bar Steakhouse and Gary are so fascinating, I hadn't had enough when it was time to go. I must mention that the service staff at Grill Bar was part of our delightful experience -  always cheerful, always helpful. My stomach had no more room while the restaurant was full house when we left. Our three hours at Grill Bar passed in the blink of an eye and I didn't really have a chance to chat with Gary - hence, no customary picture of the Chef in action :( I can't wait to be back for more of Grill Bar's delicious delights and to hear Gary's stories.



Restaurant name: Grill Bar Steakhouse
Address: 202, Jalan Sri Pelangi, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/WUYzl
GPS: 1.480602,103.773548
Hours: Monday to Friday 5:30pm to 10:30pm / Saturday and Sunday 12:00 noon to 10:30pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
No pork, no lard, alcohol (beer only) served

Date visited: 2 May 2013

I was at Grill Bar Steakhouse last night at the invitation of Gary, the boss. Meeting Gary for the first time, I can't help but be captivated by his infectious passion for biking and cooking - I can feel Gary's positive energy everywhere in his restaurant and in his food.



The biker theme is all over the restaurant. Gary is an avid biker who makes numerous trips, including at least one 2,500 plus kilometre bike trip a year. For food, Grill Bar is in my opinion, one of the best Western food restaurants that I know of in Johor.



I found Grill Bar Steakhouse and Gary really fascinating. I think I am going to spend a lot more time in Grill Bar Steakhouse.



Walking along the familiar streets of Johor Bahru, you will be surprised (I was delighted, actually) when you step into Grill Bar Steakhouse. Push pass the door and you may think that you have suddenly arrived in San Francisco or New York City.

Gary pays a lot of attention to create the perfect ambiance for a nice dinner date at Grill Bar :) The mood lighting makes food photography extremely challenging - I assure you that Grill Bar's food is way better than what I could capture in my photos.



This picture of Grill Bar's Baby Lobster Bisque (RM16) is a huge understatement. One spoonful of this smooth creamy soup made me sat up - it thrilled and primed my taste buds for the dishes that were to come. Grill Bar's lobster bisque was full bodied and had that distinct umami flavour extracted through prolong boiling of lobster shells and heads.



The Paprika Grilled Sea Prawns (RM28) were meaty and sweet, and the charred outer layer was smokey. The tasty prawns were well complemented by the lemon cream sauce.



This Onion Blossom (RM17) is a Grill Bar signature dish. The deep fried onions "fries" were crispy outside and inside they were moist and sweet.



The crunchy Onion Blossom is eaten with Grill Bar's house blended Tartar sauce which is creamy, savoury and sweet.



Grill Bar's famous Black Angus Ribeye Steak (RM12 per oz).



Our 8 Oz Australian steak was done medium rear. It was so tender and the flavourful juices so delightful - I was like being reawakened to my meat eating instincts, rediscovering the primeval pleasure of devouring quality flesh.



The Rosemary Rack of Lamb (RM59) made with chilled New Zealand lamb roasted in a broiler.



We asked for our lamb to be cooked medium to savour the tender, juicy rosy pink meat.



I am not a fan of burritos as I associate it with American franchised fast food. Grill Bar's Mushroom and Cheddar Beef Burrito (RM39) changed my mind about burritos.



The tortilla wrap was firm while the moist and savoury filling made with mushroom, cheddar and tender pulled beef was so... delicious. The pulled beef softened by hours of slow cooking was so tender, it felt as if it melted in my mouth into a smokey, creamy puree with just a little chewing.



Grill Bar's burritos are totally different from their fast food cousins. This is a Must Try. 



For dessert, we shared a Chocolate Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream coated crushed peanuts. Oozing, warm, not-overly sweet chocolate, it was a nice way to cap our happy overindulgence.

Grill Bar Steakhouse and Gary are so fascinating, I hadn't had enough when it was time to go. I must mention that the service staff at Grill Bar was part of our delightful experience -  always cheerful, always helpful. My stomach had no more room while the restaurant was full house when we left. Our three hours at Grill Bar passed in the blink of an eye and I didn't really have a chance to chat with Gary - hence, no customary picture of the Chef in action :( I can't wait to be back for more of Grill Bar's delicious delights and to hear Gary's stories.



Restaurant name: Grill Bar Steakhouse
Address: 202, Jalan Sri Pelangi, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/WUYzl
GPS: 1.480602,103.773548
Hours: Monday to Friday 5:30pm to 10:30pm / Saturday and Sunday 12:00 noon to 10:30pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
No pork, no lard, alcohol (beer only) served

Date visited: 2 May 2013

reade more... Résuméabuiyad