Steak Frites by The Butchers Club – a must-try for steak lovers

We all know and love The Butchers Club for their delicious, house-made dry-aged beef and mouth-watering burgers. After continued success with their shop, Deli and Burger Bar (with the most recent branch opening in Central), they’ve now launched a new concept – Steak Frites by The Butchers Club. Conveniently located in Soho (the entrance is on Aberdeen Street), the new space is much larger than I was expecting, and had the signature cool vibe that all their venues have. The low-lit hanging red lights are reminiscent of local meat markets and tie together with the simple, rustic décor. Giant slabs of dry-age meat are on display… tempting you with what’s to come.

After we were seated, I decided to try their signature cocktail, a barrel-aged Negroni. I’m a big gin-lover, so I had high expectations for this classic drink – and I was not disappointed. Whilst the cocktail is known for being very strong (gulp!), it didn’t have an overpowering alcoholic taste – it was a lot smoother with a gentle citrus kick brought out by the orange peel. They also have a barrel-aged ‘Re-Fashioned’ on offer, and a selection of wines and spirits. The red wine we had went down an absolute treat with the beef… in fact it went down too easily!

The menu at The Butchers Club is inspired by the traditional l’entrecote restaurants in France, with a set menu of Wedge Salad followed by a Rib-Eye Steak and their signature tripled-cooked Duck Fat Fries. But don’t expect a couple of leaves for your salad – The Butchers Club always goes big, and the Wedge Salad is no exception with a quarter of iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and a rich, blue cheese cream. Topped off with their incredible thick-cut maple glazed bacon, this is a meal in itself! It might be a little too much for most, but you NEED to come to Steak Frites hungry!

Before we were able to tuck into the promised steak, we sampled some of the dishes from the restaurant’s ‘secret’ menu. Whilst the set menu is the most featured, the QR code at the bottom of the menu reveals some alternatives to the steak/salad combo (or just check it out on their website). There are different secret sets for lunch and dinner, and we began with the Novia Scotia Lobster Roll ($200). The toasty, sweet brioche buns were the perfect holders for the chunks of butter-poached lobster, and I was impressed that the filling-to-bun ratio was very equal, as usually places are quite stingy on the lobster. Don’t forget to try the fresh coleslaw, garlic mayo and unusual fried pickles that come with it too!

We also tried the Surf and Surf ($500) – ideal for non-meat eaters. The dish serves up line-caught Aussie coral trout and a butter-poached Nova Scottia lobster tail. Although the fish was good (meaty and fresh) it wasn’t as special as the lobster, which completely overshadowed it. The lobster tail tasted incredibly fresh and the butter gave it a rich yet refined flavour – yum.

On to the main event – the meat! If you go for the regular salad and steak set, you get a good size rib-eye (8oz at lunch, 14oz at dinner), but if you want to share between two if you’re having the same temperature, then you have the option to share a much larger double chop to get more char on your hunk of meat. We got to try both versions and we were treated to another special from the ‘secret’ menu – 1kg of USA Prime Porterhouse steak! All the meat was divine and perfectly cooked medium rare. We had the choice of three sauces, peppercorn, béarnaise and horseradish cream, but the meat itself is so flavourful you don’t really need a sauce. My favourite however was the rich, velvety peppercorn sauce, and of course the creamy béarnaise and sharp horseradish were welcome accompaniments.

After an enormous salad, lashings of lobster and a huge amount of tender steak, I was bursting at the seams, but couldn’t resist trying a sliver of the cheeses from the cheeseboard. We tried the Comte du Haut Doubs, Epoisses Au Marc De Bourgogne, Ossau du Béarn and the Fourme d’Ambert, which were all great quality, powerful cheeses that taste delicious with the salt and pepper cracker-thins and chutney.

Although by this point I was feeling absolutely stuffed, I managed to try a forkful of the delicious dark chocolate cheesecake. The oreo-like cookie base and the dense chocolately mousse was the perfect end to an extremely indulgent meal…

If you’re familiar with The Butchers Club as a brand, you’ll know what the boys who run it are like. All of them are approachable, knowledgable and most of all, fun! The passion they have for steak is evident and Andy was great at introducing us to the dishes. I do feel for the staff who have to squeeze past the narrow spaces between the long tables though!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Steak Frites by The Butcher’s Club. The lively ambience and hearty food (warning – these portions are not for the faint-hearted!) make it the perfect place for a fun and boozy night out with a big group of friends. If you love steak, then the higher prices will be worth paying for the high quality of the meat and don’t worry, you definitely get your money’s worth when it comes to the amount of food you’ll eat! Just remember to come hungry…

Steak Frites by The Butchers Club, UG/F, 52-56 Staunton Street, Soho, Central, 2858 9800, www.butchersclub.com.hk/steak_frites