Ant Cave • Pavilion Bukit Jalil — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

I had dinner at this BBQ restaurant with my family today, but honestly, the online reviews are overrated. It was quite a disappointing experience.

First, after placing my order, the meats and squid arrived, but the charcoal took a long time to be delivered. I had to ask twice, and even then, they only brought it over after about 10 minutes.

Second, I asked for a fork, but they told me they don’t provide forks. I was quite surprised—this is Malaysia, not China. If I were in China, I’d understand because I usually bring my own fork when I travel there. But in Malaysia, a restaurant should at least provide basic utensils.

Third, the charcoal they used was subpar. The quantity was too little, and the type of charcoal wasn’t ideal for grilling. They didn’t use high-quality Korean Binchotan charcoal, which burns hotter, lasts longer, and enhances the flavor of grilled food. I’d suggest that they consider mixing Binchotan with their current charcoal to improve the grilling experience. Hopefully, the management or owner will take this feedback into account.

The marination of the meat was just average—nowhere near as good as the online reviews claim. I have invested in the F&B industry, including BBQ restaurants, so I do know a thing or two about quality grilling. Their marination and seasoning were quite basic.

Lastly, service was slow, which I suspect is due to a lack of manpower.

Overall, this was my first...

Overall the taste of the food is good but it really doesn’t stand out among all the good korean bbq restaurants out there. It’s hard to convince me to come back unless I’m already in the vicinity.

We ordered 3 dishes: (1) Orang beef ribs - Marinate is good but the meat has a lot of tendon making chewing them a pain (they did give me a 10% discount after I complained) (2) Eal - Taste good but 1 out of the 9 pieces given is full of bones (3) Beef Bibimbap - This one was good, liked the crispy rice bottom.

Some comments on the details : (1) They don’t serve free water like korean restaurants do, that’s fine actually (they do sell beverages so its understandable) but they actually have bottles of jugs filled with water placed visibly around the restaurant but they don’t serve to the customers?! As a thirsty customer that somehow triggers me.

(2) They grill the meat for you which is good, but the waiters/waitresses do no really explain to you the recommended way to eat the food. For example which meat goes with which sauce or...

Had an amazing lunch date with my hubby at Ant Cave in Pavilion Bukit Jalil 2 weeks ago! We tried their incredible set menu and it was a feast for the senses. The spread was generous, with so many delicious things to try, including grilled fresh eel, beef short ribs with grounded black pepper, seasonal beef brisket with special sauce, pork belly in coconut, and marbled pork jawl.

I especially loved how many condiments there were to pair with the meat, but the grilled fresh eel with seaweed was definitely the star of the show for me. The traditional dolsot bibimbap was also a standout—so moist and flavourful! And the marbled pork jawl was cooked to perfection. To finish it all off, the Hokkaido milk ice cream was the perfect sweet treat. We also got to enjoy a refreshing jumbo Chinese lemon iced tea and a mixed fruit salad. It was the perfect meal for a perfect date....