Tag Archives: steak

Flat Iron, Soho

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There is something instantly appealing about the notion of a steak for 10 quid. Which is what Flat Iron offers, no strings attached.

Of course there is the no reservations policy but the queue is painless… you go on a list and settle downstairs with a drink before being called to your table, and it’s all very calm.

There isn’t really much of a menu:

Flat Iron Steak served with house leaf salad £10

Dripping cooked chips £2.50

Creamed Spinach £3

Today’s market greens £2.50

Sophie’s salad (blue cheese, candied pecans, lemon dressing) £3.50

Roast Aubergine (tomato, basil, Parmesan) £3.50

Sauces (Bearnaise, Fresh Horseradish Cream, Peppercorn, Fred’s Sauce) £1 each

Speciality Wagyu steak was also available (for the extra cost of £16) when I went along and I got the impression that luxury steak alternatives are often added to the standard list.

It was so simple and easy and yet so perfectly delicious. Lean, seasoned, sliced meat presented on a wooden board. A modest portion beautifully presented with a small glass of dressed lambs lettuce. The chips are insanely good too, medium thin, soft inside but crispy edged. Of the sauces, I would recommend the peppercorn with tiny flavoursome pieces of diced onion or the light and creamy Bearnaise.

Salted caramel mousse is the one and only dessert option… a squirty hand whipped cream machine is used to inject the tumblers with the airy sweet mixture. It was divine, life threatening perhaps, but just so so good. And even better with a sprinkle of sea salt on top.

I was impressed with the cocktails as well, Pound Sterling £7 (Chase English vodka, sloe berry liqueur, Tahitian vanilla pod syrup, lime and soda) and Rhubarb Aperol Spritz £6.50 (Chase rhubarb vodka, Aperol, lemon, sugar, rhubarb bitters, soda) were our preferred tipples. Both were served semi-long with perhaps a little too much ice as they soon became diluted. The ingredients though were finely matched to create delicious and unique drinks.

I loved everything about Flat Iron. But please don’t go, I don’t want to have to queue behind you as well.

More information here.

www.flatironsteak.co.uk/

@flatironsteak

Mash, Soho

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I have never associated steak with Denmark… though I know the food is meant to be exquisite there. MASH is a phenomenon and like its Scandanavian counterpart, the new Soho branch offers large steak cuts from the best cattle in the world.

I was amazed by the expansive interior when I went for lunch… located in Brewer Street’s iconic Art Deco building, the place exudes charm and charisma, inside and out. Mashed potatoes do feature as a side dish at this restaurant but the name is actually a clever abbreviation of Modern American Steak House.

Mash deserves to be recognised just as much for its cocktails as its steak… which are mixed up with top ingredients and inventive flavours. The leading barman seemed happy to be distracted by our persistent questions and was delighted to show off the best homemade combinations by giving us little tasters. The cocktails are mixed with fine and characterful spirits and liqueurs, some homemade by the creative bar staff others carefully sourced from around the globe.

After sampling numerous spirits, we took a seat in one of the diner-esque plush red leather booths and addressed the meaty menu. The waiter noticed immediately that we needed help and took us for a brief viewing of the steak varieties… cuts from Denmark, Australia, America and Uruguay are available. We opted for a dry aged Danish sirloin and Wagyu sirloin from Australia, both looked promisingly pink and juicy behind the exhibition glass.

Wine was expertly selected for us by our blonde waitress, a perky white to start (our favourite was the Kungfu Girl Reisling) and a mellow red to continue, finishing with an unusual dessert wine. We grazed on our starters: charcuterie for me and fried squid for my friend. Both very tasty, though hurried through in anticipation of the main attraction.

The steaks arrived sizzling, great hunks of meat sliced elegantly by our waiter into immaculate segments. This was ideal for sharing but unfortunately made the meat turn cold faster than desired. Alarmingly we both preferred the Danish steak, which I couldn’t believe, especially after preaching about the qualities of Wagyu meat to my guest. It was soft but dense and packed full of flavour so that it barely needed the rich peppercorn sauce that arrived alongside it. The Wagyu was delicious too, but more fatty and less addictive. Onion rings were of the plump kind, airy and tasty and the fries were nice but nothing special, and looked a little limp in their dish. Macaroni Cheese was an entirely unnecessary addition to the table, ultra rich, gooey and good but an odd accompaniment to steak.

Patting our full bellies, puddings seemed unwise, but nonetheless we ordered a couple to share: creme brulee and cheesecake with red fruit coulis. A French recipe and an American classic: both were very lovely and provided the perfect sweet tooth satisfaction.

Four hours later and we finally dragged ourselves out of Mash feeling rather Mashed! This Danish eatery offers magnificent meat and cool concoctions underground in a secretive Soho restaurant. A must try for steak and cocktail lovers.

More information here.

http://www.mashsteak.dk/

Lonestar Restaurant, Barbados

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Everyone seems to know about Lonestar in Barbados, its longstanding reputation makes it an obvious choice for first-timers on the island and a favourite for regulars.

The place was busy when we visited on a Tuesday night. Everyone was quite dressed up, everyone apart from us! Tired from our flight that day, I resisted the cocktail list.

The menu is mostly fresh seafood, a mix of oriental inspired dishes and European style food. My guest chose two Thai options: hot and crunchy vegetable spring rolls with sweet chilli dip to start, and Thai green king prawn curry for main. He was particularly delighted with the curry, which, although spicy, had a lovely flavour with the creamy sauce beautifully complimenting the giant prawns. I also chose a starter from the far east, opting for the Thai chicken salad. This was a ridiculously big portion that I felt rather daunted by. A cross between chicken satay and Caesar salad, it was an interesting combination with an especially nice peanut satay dressing. For main I had the US ribeye steak with hand-cut chips, spinach and peppercorn sauce, a rich but delicious dish cooked exactly to my specification.

Feeling full but intrigued about the dessert menu, we greedily shared the yummy Lonestar Dame Blanche brownie, it disappeared fast. The rest of the puddings looked amazing too… including an extra indulgent Lonestar Sundae.

Lonestar is a Barbados institution, with luxury accommodation and an excellent restaurant, it is a pricey but special choice for your Caribbean holiday.

More information here.

http://www.thelonestar.com/