Ante - 1 Utama Shopping Centre

Definitely one of the best pork steaks I've had. Rarely come across pork steaks that are cooked perfect and juicy (most of the time you get severely overcooked dry stuff). The sauce goes really well with the pork chop, making it perfect. The curry char siew pasta tastes very one dimensional though, just plain spicy, a little lacklustre.

I went there with my friend to check Ante out. At first, I was squeamish about the price tag, the cheapest main dish there being around RM25. We were greeted by a very enthusiastic and friendly usher who recommended customers’ favourite dishes. He recommended the Curry Char Siu pasta and the pork shoulder, so me and my friend each ordered one, which was RM35 and RM52 respectively. I also ordered the polenta, another main dish, as I was worried that the portions may not be enough as I have had not-too-great experiences with restaurants such as this.
To my surprise, the bacon polenta (which cost RM25) was very filling and really tasty. The polenta was creamy and well-seasoned and the bacon was juicy and tender. It wasn’t cut too thinly and it was moist.
I was about 50% full, which was surprising given that I could eat a lot more than normal people can, when the mains came. The Char Siu pasta was a very good fusion of Asian and Western cuisine and I was astonished by the tastiness of the dish. Despite drawing obvious inspiration from Malaysian dishes, it did enough to distinguish itself from typical Indian or Chinese curries. It was curry-infused so it’s not spicy enough to make even the most spice-intolerant person sweat. It was sweet and savoury and I regretted ordering the polenta because I was too full to fully savour the taste of this pasta dish. (I finished the pasta, even if I had to stuff my face in.)
My friend ordered the Mediterranean rub Pork Shoulder and the portion was humongous. Even without the bone, the meat was around 320 grams which was somewhat surprising. Ante really doesn’t cut any corners when it comes to food. I only had one bite, but even with that, I could tell they really put a lot of thought into the dish. The meat was moist and tender and almost melts in your mouth. The meat comes right off the bone and to me, that’s a sign of a skilled chef. The flavours of the Mediterranean rub was an added bonus on a very good slab of pork.
I went in with doubt in my heart, but left with a longing for the next visit. Very good job indeed! Worth every cent.

Located within 1U, Ante has indoor and semi-outdoor seating (facing the rainforest area) and if you order their signature steaks be prepared for a 15-20 min wait (as mentioned in the menu). But it's really worth the wait :D The pork ribeye served with truffle butter sauce is grilled to perfection and the crispy fat at the edges adds a nice crunch. The pork shoulder with rosemary sauce is slightly firmer but also good. Their carbonara and arrabiata pasta are also well executed but not really outstanding.

Tried their pork diane and handmade gnocchi on a previous visit but the sheer creaminess of the sauce makes it a bit hard to stomach for the average diner. Order only if you love dairy @_@