Having run out of ideas of where to go for dinner when SG foodie closes her kitchen (that functions on weeknights only, since she is not exactly a person who enjoys cooking but cook out of necessity), DH suggested Castell that was supposedly good some 15-20 years ago. SG foodie has heard of the place from some friends who did say the food was pretty good so Castell it was.
Drove up to the restaurant at 7:30pm on a Saturday night and stopped short of getting out of the car as SG foodie saw only one table (in a restaurant that has more than 20 tables and an upstairs room too) occupied... on a Saturday night... debated for a bit and decided that since we're already there, we should give the restaurant a try though it was a rather pricey restaurant (expect to spend RM60-80 per person). So SG foodie and family were seated. Shortly after, a family and another couple entered the restaurant too.
So this being a place that is supposedly famed for its steak courses, SG foodie went straight to ordering a rib-eye steak for K2 who loves steaks, a Mexican wrap/Quesadilla for K1 who wanted something different, a seared tuna for herself while DH ordered a lamb shank. The waiter asked how SG foodie wanted the beef steak done and since this was for K2 and not herself (who prefers beef steak rare/medium rare), SG foodie asked for the steak to be medium-done. Another request was also put in for the salsa in the Quesadilla to be served separately rather than in the wrap since K1 didn't want anything spicy in the wrap. The waiter didn't seem to understand the request for he came back and asked again if salsa should be served separately.
The waiters (there were about 4-5 of them) served up the tiny little bread rolls that were thankfully warmed up and then all crowded at the kitchen service window and drew up the short curtains so that they couldn't see the customers. Now the service window is very visible from where SG foodie and family were seated and the curtain covered only the waiters' bodies and not their legs, so while SG foodie didn't understand the language spoken, all the customers could hear the waiters chatting at the service window instead of checking to see if the 4-5 tables of customers had all they needed.
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| Castell - Rib-eye steak that was inedible |
So the rib-eye steak arrived. K2 tried to cut it up the steak himself but was having some difficulties so DH helped and everyone took a piece of steak to try. Medium-done steaks are generally still tender and juicy but this one was tough and chewy and K2 couldn't do more than a few bites of it. SG foodie and DH spoke to the waiter who called the chef to the table. The chef indicated that they had some issue with supplies and were using grain-fed beef instead of corn-fed beef; that grain-fed beef is better if well-done instead. SG foodie indicated that she was specifically asked how she wanted the beef to be done and if the chef could perhaps inform the waiters that they should advice the customers that the beef they had would taste better well-done. The beef steak was taken off the bill thankfully. But wasn't beef steaks supposed to be what Castell made really well???
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| Castell - Quesadilla? Avo salsa looks x | T | | |
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The beef quesadillas (an appetiser that K1 who wasn't very hungry wanted as dinner) arrived unwrapped as the waiter really didn't comprehend what SG foodie meant by serving the salsa that is usually in the wrap in a separate bowl. Anyway not a problem, food can be fun if it's wrapped personally. But it was supposed to be a beef and cheese quesadillas and there was no cheese anywhere and after the beef steak fiasco, SG foodie simply wasn't in a mood to speak to any of the waiters or chef again. Now the beef strips for the quesadillas wasn't too bad but there was just a small bowl of it with a small bowl of avocado salsa, a tomato salsa and a small bowl of sour cream plus the wrap that was cut up in small triangles. Not sure if this is how the quesadillas are done here but they probably assumed K1 was gonna dip the wrap into the sauces? Anyway the avocado salsa didn't taste too good and the tomato salsa didn't taste too good either and as suspected was too spicy for K1 (which was why SG foodie asked for it to be served separately!).
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| Castell Lamb Shank |
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| Castell Seared Tuna |
The lamb shank and the seared tuna crusted with black sesame seed were the two saving graces for the restaurant. The lamb shank was tender with a well-made sauce, served with a side salad and some mashed potatoes and the seared tuna was nicely crusted with black sesame seed, served with a side salad too. But the garlic bread served with the seared tuna were horribly over-soaked with garlic butter (see photo for yourself!). But frankly, you can get good lamb shank (try Secret Recipe, cheap and good) and seared tuna at most high-end steakhouse.
Honestly for RM60-80 per head, you can get pretty good steak at The Ship Restaurant (which isn't a high-end steakhouse) or Victoria's Station (again not a particularly high-end steakhouse) or Jake's Char-Grilled (a relatively high-end steakhouse but recently the steaks haven't been quite satisfactory). Service at Castell, could have been better especially for a relatively higher-end restaurant... some other lower-end restaurants utilise foreign-employed waiters too and their service is not suffering from these.
Well, SG foodie knows now why only a few tables were occupied on a Saturday night even when she left about 8:30-9:00pm.
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