Crumbs: Stefan Pertz Swirls: Jacqueline Pertz

(Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia September 2026) Residents of Malaysia know the country has an enormous breadth and depth of cuisines. Regarded by many as a food haven, it is a place where Western and Asian cuisines compete on quality and taste, as well as authenticity. However.

There is also no shortage of top-end steak houses vying for the favour of those craving meat. One of the latest additions to the scene is Smith & Wollensky Kuala Lumpur, the iconic steakhouse with roots in New York. It has reached legend-status as a host for Warren Buffet’s Glide Foundation’s annual dinner. The year 1977 marks the start of a remarkable journey and since the opening of their first outlet, the brand has enjoyed expansion throughout Southeast Asia. 

Stefan Pertz and Jacqueline Pertz celebrating their wedding anniversary

An Unusual Place to Start
Although Malaysia may not be immediately associated with steaks, the country has its own charm. Opening a steakhouse right next to the iconic Petronas Twin Tower sets expectations and projects prestige. Anchoring their restaurant next to the highest twin towers in the world sets expectations in terms of standards and quality. Indeed, there may not be many other luxury steakhouses around Kuala Lumpur that offers what Smith & Wollensky offers. 

The term ‘steak house’ is a correct signifier for the property that is rather expansive. The extensive floor space includes a private room for business meetings, a choice of no less than 77 wines by the glass to complement the menu (this could likely be the most extensive by the glass wine list in Kuala Lumpur). Smith & Wollensky vies for an upmarket clientele that lusts for luxury and extra layers of quality. If one were to look for an exceptional dining experience, Smith & Wollensky Kuala Lumpur must be given serious consideration. Serious wine connoisseurs should congregate here while those new to the world of wine do not have to shy away as one is in the excellent care of the sommelier. 

Alone, Couples or Events
The booking for a dinner to celebrate a wedding anniversary was conveniently done via their website and the terms & conditions were reasonable. With a full house on most nights, it is recommended to make a reservation within a reasonable time. In particular, when it comes to special events, one would want to be assured that the experience is a memorable one for the right reasons. Entering the high-ceilinged, generously laid-out spaces of the steakhouse immediately teleports guests into a serene and satisfying ambience. Leaving behind the hectic of the big city, one is overcome with calm. Those needing space for family gatherings or corporate events will find suitably sized rooms, which, richly decorated, thick leather-clad and wood-paneled, can be partitioned for privacy. The confidence of staff ready to turn the evening into a feast for the eyes and taste buds immediately slows one’s pulse. If only to raise it again with the excitement for a dinner-exceptional. 

Depending on the number of guests, the recommendation is for the Signature Angry Prawn or the Signature Crab cake from the ala-carte for appetizers. If there’s a big group wanting to start with seafood, one should go for shellfish tower sharing style. The chef recently added options for individual portions of steak such as the filet ribeye; optional upgrades have been added to elevate the experience by adding steak enhancement. The most popular is the Oscar style (crab meat lump and bearnaise sauce on top of the steak). 

Steak: Meaty Experience on Your Table
The ultimate steak experience at Smith & Wollensky is (of course) the swinging tomahawk. It is 1.3kg of tomahawk served table-side on the service trolley. This ritual starts with the rendering of the beef tallow using the fire torch, allowing the melted fat to go through the meat. This gives the meat even more flavour before dripping in the bowl of roasted potato. The 28-days dry aged tomahawk is perfectly paired with a glass of red wine. With their own label, Smith & Wollensky Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, this should be an easy choice. This wine is specially curated for S&W by the Charles Krug Mondavi winery in St. Helena and grape is sourced from Yountville, Napa Valley. The option for red wine does not stop there, as there are also other premium wines offered by the glass, such as Dominus from Napa Valley 2020, Hermitage “La Chapelle” Rhone Valley 1999, and more great labels.

We started with seafood as appetizers. As the main event will be a steak, the idea is to surf and turf it a little. Oysters and prawn are the obvious choice, the stage is set for a culinary journey. Descriptions of the food are delivered with the flourishing of a storyteller, the sommelier stepping up for the second act. Both the prawns and oysters (Rockefeller) are generously portioned and perfectly cooked. With the appetizer to be admired and devoured, the wine will have time to decant. We certainly did not plan to go anywhere else, hence a bottle of the Smith & Wollensky Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was to carry our meal. Nosing it as it started to air it hinted at an exceptional drop was to be had. 

Steak being the main act, the choice was for the T-Bone, weighing in at over 600 grammes and dry aged as per the house’s specialty. The onion rings, spinach and potato mash were picked from a generous list of sides. Maybe the onion rings deserve a little extra mention as they were not only extremely tasty, but also unexpectedly large (in line with the oysters). Ordered medium, the tenderloin and strip loin of the T-Bone had very distinct flavors; cooking perfection had been achieved! The char perfect, the cutlery adorned with the name of Smith & Wollensky, nothing was left to chance in the experience of having a meal in their Kuala Lumpur outlet. Meanwhile, having had time to breathe, the wine, now velvety in taste and filling the air with aroma, added a layer of complex taste with a long finish cutting through the taste of the food.

Dine. Wine. Leer
Having the opportunity to try their own label for the first time added to the excitement. The wine cellar holds close to 10,000 bottles when the restaurant first opened in December 2025. All wines are curated with the ambition to contribute to building the best wine list in Malaysia.  This wine collection comprises labels from around the world including classic wines, boutique vineyards from the USA, Spain and Italy. The wine list at Smith & Wollensky is crafted to compliment the dry-aged steak by providing multiple options for diners to sample by the glass instead of full bottle. Those feeling a little intimidated by the protocols and rituals around wine may find that this removes the pressure when picking the label they should opt for to go with their meal. 

Smith & Wollensky take pride in their steaks, and most definitely the magic of their great steak is dry aging. All meat served here goes through this process. This process naturally allows the air to withdraw the moisture inside the beef; this gives the beef meatier flavor, and the enzymes help to soften the meat. Those who like venison, or similar gamy meat, may easily favor this flavour profile for their steaks. The other benefit is that the smell of the beef develops a nice nutty character. 

In and Out of Sight
Happening out of sight is the preparation of the steaks. Smith & Wollensky broilers that can produce up to 900° C. This is important as the cook grills the meat on high heat on the top part of broiler. This is where the instagrammable char and appealing crust form. Following what is called “Maillard reaction”, the steak must rest in order to get the right doneness colour when guest cut into it. According to staff, this is what set this steakhouse apart from others. The attention to detail, such as where the meat is sourced, the details in handling the meat, how it is stored in the dry aging process as well as the preparation of the steak itself, ooze sophistication without snobbishness. A meal here tells the diner a lot of work and detail goes into it. In a conversation with their General Manager, we rendered their approach down to: the love of striving for perfection can easily lead to “very addictive satisfaction feels”. 

While the magic of steak broiling happens out of sight, the waitstaff is the core of any hospitality. Here, their responsibility is to set the mood of the guest by offering the right dish or drink at the right time, based on their knowledge and experience. At Smith & Wollensky, being waitstaff is not only that. Staff is trained to understand “Hospitality”. Hospitality meaning making other people happy without asking for return. ‘We are practicing the art of hospitality in everything that we do at Smith & Wollensky.’ The team receives on-going training from the General Manager. From food tasting and breaking down every ingredient, to service etiquette like crumbling breadcrumbs, decanting wine service, the collective is to decide what level of standard is desired. Training needs to be repetitive so the team maintains that standard. 

With the evening closing with time spent at their bar, sampling a beverage with a little more fire than a glass of wine, the choice was the right. Not only celebrating an anniversary, but the triumph of culinary excellence, Smith & Wollensky Kuala Lumpur is certainly set to be a regular stop for those seeking an exceptional steak experience next to the amazing foods that Malaysia has to offer. 

https://smithandwollensky.com.my/

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