Karl's Beisl @ Solaris Mont Kiara

Porky Austrian food in Solaris....

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Mini language lesson (Austrian):
BEISL

A typical Austrian drinking establishment, a pub/ bar.

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Before I start on the food, just want to say thanks to:
- Ming, our a gracious hostess who charmed us with oodles of lovely food and a really heartwarming story*,
(*Yay! Happily ever after type love stories exist in reality! I am still waiting for mine to begin though...)
- Pure Glutton, for organising this and extending an invite to me, and
- everyone there that day for being such good company!
:)

If you hadn't guessed already, yes, this was an invited review...
So, here's my disclaimer:
I wasn't paid to write this but neither did I pay for anything I ate and well, the restaurant owner was seated at our table lah... :)
In that sense, of course there's a chance that maybe (just MAYBE) the food + service was better than normal that day... but I promise that I will adjust the review (IF I have to) when I go back by to try the food by myself in future.
Karl's - right next to Haagen Daz...
I liked the ambience - the warm tones and wooden surfaces made it feel cosy, while the tables are quite spaced out, so you won't feel cramped:
Inside Karl's...
There's also a nice upper level there that looks like it would be great for small functions or just chilling out with some drinks and finger foods:
Lots of comfy sofas...
Anyway, moving swiftly along - we were generously served with a heart stopping amount of dishes that day (almost pork overdose! Haha...) so I'll have to keep each description short....
SOUPS:
- Cream of Forest Mushroom (RM 18++):
The mushroom soup...
- Cream of Roasted Garlic & Red Pepper w/Rosemary (RM 15++):
Red soup...
Ming swears that the secret to their soups is that they are made from scratch (and not poured out of a can) and MMMMMmmmmmmm.... yummy, they tasted really good: hearty, tasty and creamy without being jelak

STARTERS:
- Spinach Salad, w/ Red Peppers, Bacon Strips (RM 18++)
Veggies...
Strangely, the dish that really stood out for me that day was this salad - fresh leaves coated with a delightfully creamy mustard dressing and a good amount of other ingredients - perfect.
(Would definitely order again)

- Cold Platter with Serrano Ham, Chorizo, Pork Belly, Olives, Cheese, Roasted red Peppers, Gherkins, Sundried Tomatoes & Baguette (For 1 RM 38++, for 2 RM70++)
Platter of pork...
Although the siew yoke lookalike wasn't crispy, it was still tasty, as were all the items on the platter...
(We were told they make their own sausages and smoke/roast their own meats here)

- Roasted Suckling Pig served with Steamed Cabbage/Sauerkraut & mashed Potatoes (Whole pig: RM 199++, Half: RM 110++)
Poor yummy piglet...
Crispy skin, fragrant tender meat.
Poor piglet. Who asked it to be so delicious? *sigh*
(They gave us both the sauerkraut and steamed cabbage to try - both were yummy,.. sour but not too sour)

- Farmer's Platter (RM 95++/ RM 130++)
Meaty extravaganza...
A combination of Karl’s Beisl's Roasted Pork Knuckles, Pork Belly, Kasseler Ham, Bratwurst, Sausage and Steamed Cabbage/Sauerkraut.

The price seems hefty but good grief there's a lot of stuff on that platter!... O_O


MAINS:
- Double Rib Pork Chop (RM 50++)
Slab of pork...
OK. Tasty but the meat was only kinda tender.
(Massive serving size though! I think it's enough for 2)

- Pork Wiener Schnitzel, w/Potato Salad (RM 38++):
Weiners and Carbs...
The Potato salad was AWESOME (chunky, tasty, creamy but not jelak), and the Schnitzel was nice (tender and slightly crisp on the outside).
:)

- Black Pepper Spare Ribs with Garlic Butter Rice and Pickled veggies (RM 60++):
Stack of ribs...
Once again, the serving size was really big - a stack of tender ribs coated with a fragrant black pepper sauce.

- Seafood Spaghetti with white wine sauce (RM 30++):
Delightful seafood pasta...
For a restaurant specialising in pork, they do pasta amazingly well - fresh seafood with al dente spaghetti, coated in a really tasty garlicky white wine sauce.
:D

DESSERT:
- Calvados Apple Strudel, w/Vanilla Sauce (RM 20++):
The real deal...
- Palatschinken - Crepes, w/Apricot Jam, Rum & Raisin Ice Cream (RM 18++):
Crepe...
Both desserts were good.
- Strudel: Tart chunks of apple and nuts encased in a slightly thick but not flour-y pastry.
- Crepe: Simple way to end the meal. Thin crepes, with a slightly chewy texture (not the crispy type) served with a sweet/ sour jam and yummy ice cream.

On my way out, I noted that there was a reasonably priced lunch set (RM 20++):
I am so there!...
There are also a good selection of imported beers here, mostly bottles but there's a really nice German beer (Franziskaner) on tap:

(Smooth, not too fizzy and heavy** yet refreshing - mmmmmmmm..................)
(**As compared to the normal beers like Tiger and Carlsberg)

So it's: Good selection of porky Austrian options as well as some classic other Western food (pasta, etc) in Solaris Mont Kiara, cosy ambience, good selection of beers (yummy Franziskaner on tap!) BUT no negative comments - this was an invited food tasting so everything was impeccable - will revise if I need to, when I do go back and pay for a meal by myself... :)

Restaurant Review
Summary Sheet:

Karl's Beisl @ Solaris, Mont Kiara, KL

Lot K-OG 13 & 14, SOHO KL,
No. 2, Jalan Solaris, Solaris Mont Kiara,
50480 Kuala Lumpur

Taste: 7
Ambience : 7
Service : 7
Price** : RM 75++ per person
Parking: Limited ***

** Approximation - 3 course meal, excluding drinks
***Try parking inside the Solaris basement parking instead...

Telephone No.: 03-6204 0628
Opening Hours: 12noon - late

NOT HALAL

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Cumi dan Ciki
- Kampung Boy City Gal
- PureGlutton
- My Story
- Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
- Babe In The City - KL
- a lil fat monkey
- Eat Drink KL


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Hartamas, Mont Kiara, Solaris, Karls Beisl, Austrian, German, Pork, KL, Kuala Lumpur