The Table is Set

Guess who’s back – back again?

Attention all meat-lovers – Mr Ho’s back.

Should you happen to be in SS2, Petaling Jaya, and you’re hankering for a meat-filled feast, head on to The Butcher’s Table, which, despite being open for mere months, has already gathered a sizeable lunch and dinner crowd, some of them returning customers from Mr Ho’s earlier days in the food business.

And there’s a very good reason for that.

A well-known name, Ho Kim Loon (or Mr Ho) is known by many to be the OG; the pioneer of KL’s foodie scene who made his rounds in the 1990’s – hence the “since 1992” subtitle on the signage – with Mr Ho’s Fine Foods in Bangsar Shopping Centre (BSC). Long story short, The Butcher’s Table is his return to the scene, after a decade of silence.

The Butcher’s Table marks Mr Ho’s return to the scene.

Much like the Chinese wuxia trope of the master coming out of hiding, or Luke Skywalker back in the fray from his years of isolation, Mr Ho’s return to the scene has not gone unnoticed, and neither has he lost his touch.

It is incidentally a family business as well, with Mr Ho at the forefront, with his wife Melinda by his side; their son Kent can be found in the kitchen, while daughter Tiffany handles the establishment’s digital presence.

Small eaters will want to bring some friends who are OK with sharing, just so they can sample a little of everything The Butcher’s Table has to offer.

If you are just looking for a simple, well-balanced meal at The Butcher’s Table, then you can’t go wrong with their bacon fried rice, a wonderful amalgamation of egg, black pepper, bacon and spring onions.

What’s better than fried rice? Bacon fried rice.

Note: If you’d like to try and have a go at your own bacon fried rice, we have good news as the fine people at The Butcher’s Table have kindly shared their recipe with us, so stay tuned!

If you want more bacon and absolutely no rice, then go for the grilled pancetta (Italian bacon), with the right amount of salty, smoky and fatty.

As Homer Simpson would say, “Mmmm… (Italian) Bacon…”

Continuing our porcine food quest, you can also try a platter of Mr Ho’s homemade sausages, which are nitrate-free. The highlight was definitely the Cheese Ring, a 300g standout where meat meets cheddar cheese; the latter oozing out like lava when you slice through it. For your information, the normal sausages weigh 100g, while the ring sausages at 300g – triple the weight, triple the goodness.

The sausages are also on sale at the counter – just buy and prepare them at home.

Another popular dish is the crispy roast pork (or colloquially known as siew yuk). Rather than the Chinese treatment of using five-spice powder, Mr Ho adopts Western herbs in its preparation. The results? Golden crunchy skin, coupled with juicy, tender meat and fat. Pair with mashed potatoes (with chunks of spuds) for a complete meal.

Mr Ho adopts Western herbs in the preparation of his take on siew yuk.

For those who prefer beef over pork, then you must go for the salted beef. Falling apart at the slightest provocation, the dish embodies the term “fork tender”; and once it enters your mouth, you’ll need some time to gather your thoughts – no effort required to chew through it, as it just melts effortlessly. You will be rendered speechless by this dish.

Take a bite off of this, and you will be rendered speechless – trust us on this.

Aside from beef and pork, there’s also lamb, and of course, our favourite feathered friends are not left out of the menu – Mr Ho has got smoked chicken in the eatery’s offerings. Now, before you think that “it’s just chicken”, Mr Ho’s skillful hands have turned what is thought to be conventional, normal-sounding poultry into a flavourful, juicy bounty. Trust me on this.

There’s also its signature shoulder loin…

Now, be forewarned, as The Butcher’s Table adopts a canteen style layout (long benches and long tables), sharing tables with strangers is a definite possibility. However, think of it as the potential to meet new friends, bonding over a hearty meal!