El Cerdo, Changkat Bukit Bintang
Those who used to frequent “Changkat” as far back as the mid to late 2000’s would recognise this mainstay because El Cerdo at Changkat Bukit Bintang has been around since 2005.
It is iconic by now, almost hitting its 15th year of operations under the expert guidance of Chef Werner and his highly skilled team. Sporting a cute little pig on its signboard, there’s no doubting its specialty - pork.
We started off our meal at El Cerdo with a Caesar salad. Of course, their version comes with bacon. We can’t complain because it hits all the right notes and we simply can’t say no to bacon.
What followed next, their Spanish cold cut platter, really blew our minds as we devoured (almost) the whole plate in one sitting. We had to save some space for the rest of the meal but it was hard to stop us from savouring each bite of iberico and Serrano hams and salamis.
Now, those who’ve followed foodievstheworld over the past few years know about our bias towards a certain restaurant’s pork steak. But we have to admit, we were blown away with El Cerdo’s rendition. The marinade was so deeply embedded into each juicy bite of steak, we were swooning the whole way through.
Of course, the porky goodness doesn’t stop there. You should never say no to iberico ribs because you’ll never have any regrets trying it, especially the ones here at El Cerdo. Though the meat doesn’t fall off the bone like some places do, we appreciate having to work a little for our food as each bite packs punches of flavour and the meat is still pretty tender and succulent.
No visit is complete to El Cerdo without ordering their classic roasted suckling pig. This dish is both a treat to the tastebuds as it is a form of entertainment. El Cerdo gives you a plate to “cut” the suckling pig with - a testament to how soft the meat is while retaining the crunchiness of the skin. Three taps on the table with the plate for good luck and chop chop chop! You use the plate to chop up the pig and you’re done. Later on, you break the plate in a wooden barrel as a sign of good luck.
Dining at El Cerdo often means you hear breaking plates every few minutes as this dish is their most popular dish.
If you are a fan of paella, then El Cerdo’s version is a pretty decent outcome. You can choose to have your paella either with chicken, seafood or pork or a combination of either. We enjoyed the fluffiness of the rice as well as the thickness in flavour here. It was a pretty heavy way to finish off our meal but one that was enjoyable nonetheless.
Finally, to top off the meal, we sampled both Chef Werner’s and Andreas’ desserts. These two desserts might cause polarising opinions but in the end, surprisingly, more at our table fancied Andreas’ version better!
El Cerdo Bukit Bintang
43 & 45, Changkat Bukit Bintang, Bukit Bintang, 50200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Open daily from 12-2:30pm; 6-10:30PM