The Dish, Dua Residency Jalan Tun Razak 25th June 2011

The layout had changed. No more the racks of wine surrounding the tables and eating area, now it was bare wall with a few odd bottles in racks. As a result, a good chunk of the ambience and warmth had gone from the place. Notwithstanding, the food was still excellent - Australian rib eye steak and potatoes fried in duck fat. The starter salad was unavailable for some reason, which Dear Lady thought smacked of bad planning, but at least they had the wherewithal to realize the problem and not bring a rancid salad to the table. Wine list was a bit sad - way way less choice than previous and large markups - previous was much more fairly priced. Probably the new owners looking at the larger margins available. Well and maybe, but not here - don't like to pay over marked up prices for mediocre wine. Better to bring your own and pay the RM50 corkage. Which we did - an old friend we discovered at the Porter House Steak restaurant in New York 2008 and found in a store on the way back from Yakima Valley in Washington in 2009. The Stella Maris 2003, a blend of Cabernet and Merlot with a little Malbec. A light, almost non existent bouquet gave way to a rounded velvet in the mouth, tasting of blackcurrant and plum and enough acid to cut through the steak to bring out peppers and sparks of wild fruit all the way down the throat. Top end quality at fair price. Was the only bottle, too, but at eight years in the bottle we felt it was time to go. Could maybe have left it a little longer in the bottle, but it was magnificent as it was. And the memories it brought back of New York and Washington in a Malaysian steakhouse were most pleasant. Will look for more next time we are in the USA.