Eat Drink KL: BIFE Charcoal Steakhouse, The LINC KL

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

BIFE Charcoal Steakhouse, The LINC KL

Strike up the bossa nova, sway to the carimbo: BIFE Charcoal Steakhouse in The LINC KL brings Brazilian churrasco-style grilled meat to the city centre, true to the traditions of the churrascarias that span Sao Paulo to Salvador. Expect an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord of sultry succulence, a carnivore's carnival of skewered steaks, sausages and seafood, charismatically carved at the table.

BIFE takes its rotisserie seriously, investing in an Italian-built charcoal grill that costs more than 15,000 euros, empowering the kitchen to cook up to 36 long spits of meat evenly and simultaneously, fired up with Malaysian mangrove charcoal.

The result is meat that's aromatic without being overly smoky, as tender and tasty as the most carefully tended barbecue.

BIFE is Portuguese for beef, so it's no surprise that a bovine bonanza beckons here: Stay comfortably in your seat and the servers will keep coming back to you with a bevy of Australian grain-fed beef, seasoned with the pure simplicity of rock salt, offered in four varieties.

The sirloin will satisfy patrons seeking lean but moist cuts; the BBQ cheese beef is enhanced by a savoury parmesan crust; while the garlic beef promises a pleasurable pungency.

But the most prized might be the picanha, also known as rump cap, the most coveted cut in Brazil, with the fat retained until the steak is cooked, heightening its luscious textures.

If you love beef, BIFE makes for a worthwhile change from typical Western steakhouses - not only will you enjoy quality beef that you can devour to your heart's content, the range of different preparations will ensure a more engaging experience.

Beyond beef, there's much, much more. The pace is relaxed, as the team returns with chicken wings that take flight with full-bodied flavour, chicken cocktail sausages for bite-sized munching, turkey ham that's robust and punchy, plus lamb shoulder that scores for juiciness - we happily had multiple rounds of both the turkey ham and the lamb, upping our protein quotient for the entire week.

From the sea, a triple threat surfaces: Fresh, briny-sweet prawns; tangy squid brightened by a tomato-based sauce; and smoothly charred dory fish tinged with parsley and thyme, nicely balancing out the heavier meats on the menu. Note: The cooking is confined to the kitchen, so the rest of the restaurant remains mercifully odour-free throughout the meal.

Glazed pineapple and garlic bread round out the churrasco selection, but more buffet temptations line the venue, a daily-changing spread that might include butter rice with peanuts, spaghetti aglio olio, onion soup and salads, so you can certainly have a nutritionally balanced feast at BIFE.

BIFE's dinner buffet runs daily, 6pm through 10pm, at RM89.90 per person - a solid bargain for such an epic meat binge. An even more wallet-friendly lunch buffet runs from 12pm to 3pm at RM39.90, with a slightly stripped-down selection that'll still include sirloin slices, chicken wings, garlic beef, lamb shoulder, herbed fish, glazed pineapple and more.

If you're not up to a whole buffet, BIFE's a la carte menu also offers numerous cooked-to-order dishes that range from steaks and lamb chops to chicken parmigiana, seafood arrabbiata and beef bacon carbonara.

With so much food to consume, hydration is crucial - BIFE's mocktails will keep your palate feeling revived; sip on the Apple Limbo Rock (RM13.80; a lively blend of apples, lime and sour plum), and the BIFE Spike (RM13.80; ice cream soda with sirap bandung and milk for the young at heart).

All in all, BIFE Charcoal Steakhouse is another fine feather in The LINC KL's cap, offering another invigorating F&B destination in this mall. Many thanks to BIFE and The LINC KL for having us.

BIFE Charcoal Steakhouse
No. 1-5 & 1-5-F, First Floor, The LINC KL, Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-2300-6488

This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com