KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 — The meat is fork-tender and unbelievably flavourful. The pork shoulder, marinated for hours with cumin and paprika, had been grilled and served with sautéed zucchini and buttery mash.

A divine dish for any card-bearing carnivore.

This is the signature dish at Gluttony, a casual restaurant in Taman Desa serving uncomplicated Western fare. Gluttony was founded by four friends in their early 30s: operation manager Michael Lau, head chef David Lo and two other partners.

The foursome know what their strengths are. Lau says, "The pork shoulder and the ribs are our favourites. Simple, straight to the point, delicious.”

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Gluttony is led by operation manager Michael Lau (left) and head chef David Lo (right).
Gluttony is led by operation manager Michael Lau (left) and head chef David Lo (right).

Gluttony’s impressive rack of pork ribs is indeed unostentatious though not lacking in nuance either. With a choice of domestic pork or imported Spanish Iberico meat (from the famous Black Iberian pigs), the ribs are served with charred cabbage and savoury bacon.

It is a dish that is designed to excite the unassuming gourmand seeking no fuss, only maximum flavour. This philosophy has a lot to do with the restaurateurs themselves.

Lau shares, "We are four East Malaysian boys from all walks of life — coming from diverse backgrounds such as culinary arts, finance and accounting, marketing and events. The one thing we have in common is the love for eating... a lot, and drinking... a lot!”

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That constant refrain of "a lot” is perhaps one of the major reasons why the four friends chose the name Gluttony for their restaurant. But to them, the word isn’t simply indicative of a voracious appetite but one that is discerning for the most delectable of foods too.

Gluttony’s rack of ribs, with a choice of domestic or imported Spanish Iberico pork.
Gluttony’s rack of ribs, with a choice of domestic or imported Spanish Iberico pork.

Lau explains further: "What truly brought us all together — quite literally, as we had weekly cook-outs and barbecues at home — was a love for good casual Western fare made from scratch with the best possible ingredients. No shortcuts.”

With Gluttony, they wanted to build a space where they could share the joy they found in eating good food. Lau adds, "Also, we always wanted a place to properly call our own. A place where we could dictate the quality of ingredients, eat whatever we wanted to eat and how we wanted to eat it. A place where we could find all our favourite drinks and where we would never get kicked out of.”

Gluttony had its soft opening in November 2021, just over a year ago; the process was far from smooth-sailing. Lau recalls, "To be honest, operations was rather hectic at the beginning. Rushing to start before Christmas while holding down full-time jobs was nothing short of a nightmare for the partners. It was a scramble, and not the silky egg-coloured kind.”

Due to the hurried nature of their restaurant’s launch, the first couple of months were frantic and the initial response from customers was less than enthusiastic.

Bacon mac ‘n’ cheese (left). Beef bolognese (right).
Bacon mac ‘n’ cheese (left). Beef bolognese (right).

Lau shares, "Wait times were high and certain dishes... the flavours weren’t appealing to the local customer base. Something had to be done.”

While often discouraging, customer feedback was invaluable as it gave the team useful information to work with. Lau says, "We listened and learned. As we progressed, the menu has definitely been adapted to the taste of the neighbourhood residents... to suit our customer base.”

One of the ways they discovered to be most effective in testing out menu items was by introducing specials, either on a weekly or seasonal basis. Lau explains, "We realised the Taman Desa community was very open to trying new off-menu items. Through this, we also learned that there was a high demand for quality seafood in the area.”

That gave the Gluttony crew the jump-start they needed. Soon their weekly specials included air-flown wild caught sea bass and groupers, fresh oysters and scallops. There were even shipments of "tiger prawns the size of a wine bottle.”

Grilling a tomahawk steak over charcoal.
Grilling a tomahawk steak over charcoal.

Clearly they had needed to pivot from a meat-dominant restaurant to one that placed equal emphasis on quality cuts of meat as well as the freshest and most varied offerings of seafood.

Carnivores come in all stripes, after all. Beyond meat lovers craving their chargrilled tomahawk steaks, even pescatarians could be insatiable too. Their calling card has now become equal opportunity gluttony.

Take their creamy, best selling fish pie. Lau notes, "It is not the typical pie with crust on top. It is our take on a classic British favourite. We use three different types of fish, three different cheeses with a buttery homemade mash to top it off.”

There were even shipments of 'tiger prawns the size of a wine bottle.'
There were even shipments of 'tiger prawns the size of a wine bottle.'

Despite an expanded and well-received menu, which includes classics such as beef bolognese and bacon mac ‘n’ cheese (absolutely rich with red cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan... and cream), Gluttony cannot entirely escape persistent problems that plague the F&B (food and beverage) industry.

Lau says, "The main challenge faced at the beginning was an industry-wide shortage of manpower which is still ongoing till this day. Our operations and setup had to be adapted to run with a minimal crew. Even the menu and kitchen had to be designed around this.”

Another issue faced during the pandemic was the inconsistent supply and shortage of imported ingredients. Lau says, "Even fries — a staple in any outlet serving Western cuisine - were hard to come by. Beef shortages and price hikes were next.”

Preparing fish in the kitchen.
Preparing fish in the kitchen.

These are common complaints raised by other F&B operators so the Gluttony quartet has decided to focus on what they can control rather than what they cannot.

Lau says, "I think the key to overcoming any challenge is to be adaptable to the situation and not make rash decisions on the fly. We are continuously learning what the community around us responds to and what they don’t.”

At the end of the day, they return to their original inspiration for their restaurant, the raison d'être behind their entire menu: that of making comfort food for their customers and themselves. Uncomplicated, flavourful, delicious.

The creamy and cheesy baked fish pie is another seafood favourite at Gluttony.
The creamy and cheesy baked fish pie is another seafood favourite at Gluttony.

They might have finally figured it out, if the more fervent feedback from their repeat customers, now ardent fans, is anything to judge by. Lau shares his favourite: "The food is good, the taste is unique... and the portions are wonderful!”

Gluttony

10A, Jalan Desa Jaya, Taman Desa, KL

Open Mon- Fri (except Tue closed) 12-3pm & 5-11pm and Sat-Sun 12pm-11pm

FB: facebook.com/Gluttony.MY/

IG: instagram.com/Gluttony.MY/