IN THE KITCHEN WITH...CHEF MEG LEE

Uncover the art of perfectly cooked meat at Maillard Grill, where authenticity, precision, and local ingredients define their culinary approach.

- COLIN GOMEZ

It’s a grey, blustery evening as I arrive at the Maillard Grill in Bukit Damansara, the harbingers of rain heralding its impending visit. The restaurant’s quaint, unassuming dark wood exterior lends it a rustic kind of charm. Three people sitting at a table outside, seemingly in deep discussion, eye me as I walk past. I stride up to the door and push, but nothing happens. I try pulling this time, but still, it won’t budge. Perhaps it’s a sliding door? No dice.

Just then, a slightly built woman with short, spiky hair and a stern countenance steps up to put me out of my misery. She pulls the door open with an ease that leaves me feeling rather embarrassed. Apparently, I’d been pulling on the wrong side. I thank her sheepishly and bungle my way indoors, but not before stopping to take a glance at the contents of the freezer to my right. Interestingly proportioned chunks of meat reside within, each with a little card placed adjacently that have some dates scrawled on them. All part of the restaurant’s meticulous ageing process, as I’ll come to discover.