TGIF! And I'd been looking forward to a good Friday feast all day and to seeing the A team plus other halves. Stef booked the table for 6:30pm and I caught the lift to the second floor with some bright, young, hipster girls with midriffs showing, high heels ready for a night out.
Feeling distinctly dowdy, I was shown to our table and Stef and Kerem had also just arrived. The boothed seating is lovely and roomy for 6. The overall decor is pretty swish and very P'Diddy / NYC. The waitstaff are all attractive and impeccably groomed too. Charlie commented to one of the waiters that when he was here last, he was wearing his Jordans with a suit and the waiter retorted; "what Jordans? They're Prada!" So I guess that short exchange demonstrated how well we didn't fit in! I mean Charlie likes to think he's gangsta and the boss, but we also knows he helps his mum and dad out every Saturday with the family business so he's a far cry from Al Capone.
I decided to give into Fun Friday and started off with an espresso martini as a little pick me up. It was an ok espresso martini but for $20 I've had far better.
Feeling distinctly dowdy, I was shown to our table and Stef and Kerem had also just arrived. The boothed seating is lovely and roomy for 6. The overall decor is pretty swish and very P'Diddy / NYC. The waitstaff are all attractive and impeccably groomed too. Charlie commented to one of the waiters that when he was here last, he was wearing his Jordans with a suit and the waiter retorted; "what Jordans? They're Prada!" So I guess that short exchange demonstrated how well we didn't fit in! I mean Charlie likes to think he's gangsta and the boss, but we also knows he helps his mum and dad out every Saturday with the family business so he's a far cry from Al Capone.
I decided to give into Fun Friday and started off with an espresso martini as a little pick me up. It was an ok espresso martini but for $20 I've had far better.
We all ordered mains and sides and Steve and I share the Bovine Tasting Plate which were 3 different steaks each 150g:
Most of us had some form of moo but Kerem went with the Half roast Saskia Beer chicken, gnocchi alla Romana & field mushrooms.
Across the table we also shared:
- Robbins Island Wagyu Flat Iron
- Tasmanian Vintage
- Eye Fillet Rangers Valley Rump
Most of us had some form of moo but Kerem went with the Half roast Saskia Beer chicken, gnocchi alla Romana & field mushrooms.
Across the table we also shared:
- Beef fat potatoes, garlic aioli
- Brussel sprouts, maple glazed & crispy bacon
- Baked chipotle green beans
I was amused by the notion of Yorkshire pudding as a steak topping and didn't think they'd be any good but the waiter who happened to take our order waxed lyrical about them and told us he's from Manchester so as a fine Northern UK boy, we decided to take his word for it and have a pudding party with a few serves.
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The food did take a while to come out and it wasn't exceptionally busy but it's a pleasant dining area to sit at. I did notice a table have to use their torch function on their phones to read the menus. And the music is a little loud but that's hipster for you.
So our bovine tasting plate came with a little copper pot of gravy and some potato gratin. Stef was given the wrong steak and there was much confusion and halfway through the meal a salad and a new steak came out but we couldn't hear what the waiter was trying to tell us. And he wasn't very smiley. A bit pouty! Anyway after he dropped off the salad, took the new steak away and then brought it back, we finally understood it was complimentary to make up for the mistake. Gesture was appreciated.
Poor Stef though as the comedy of errors continued. As we were tight on free surface space on the table we'd moved our water glasses and Stef's drink to the ledge behind us and when we wanted them, they'd gone! And Stef's drink was half full. So they replaced that too.
Anyway back to the food. The steak was cooked beautifully and Steve and I enjoyed that. Sarah's steak seemed very tough and so was Stef's mistake steak but the replacement was far better. Charlie seemed to enjoy his and Kerem's chicken was ok but under seasoned and there was no salt and pepper on the table.
It had been so hard to get wait staff attention throughout our meal so it became too difficult to ask for anything that wasn't essential! I'd ordered bearnaise sauce and that didn't come and I really wanted something as the little pot of gravy was only just enough for the Yorkshire pudding which was an ok Yorkshire pudding. I can make better ones! Not the worst I've had but not the best. Poor little Manchester waiter mustn't have had many good ones to think these ones are amazing. Deprived child. I did actually manage to get some bearnaise and it was tasty. Smooth and creamy with the right tang of vinegar and tarragon.
The side dishes were also just ok. The Brussel sprouts were undercooked and I didn't like the maple syrup pooling at the bottom of the dish. If it had been a maple glaze and the sprouts chargrilled, I think that'd be much better. The chipotle baked green beans tasted like they'd been boiled and then sprinked with some paprika and chilli powder. I thought they'd be baked or braised and I had expectations that it would be smokey and tasty but this was just meh. Beef fat potatoes were bland.
I think that's what the meal was; "meh". I wouldn't rush back if it all. It's all a bit shiny shoes and no underwear for me. The service is inattentive and all about appearances. The Manchester waiter had more personality but we only saw him once. The steak is good but there are many good places for steak. The decor is impressive but shiny newness does not a sustainable restaurant make. Perhaps we were just not glamorous enough clientele for them to be treated well.
So our bovine tasting plate came with a little copper pot of gravy and some potato gratin. Stef was given the wrong steak and there was much confusion and halfway through the meal a salad and a new steak came out but we couldn't hear what the waiter was trying to tell us. And he wasn't very smiley. A bit pouty! Anyway after he dropped off the salad, took the new steak away and then brought it back, we finally understood it was complimentary to make up for the mistake. Gesture was appreciated.
Poor Stef though as the comedy of errors continued. As we were tight on free surface space on the table we'd moved our water glasses and Stef's drink to the ledge behind us and when we wanted them, they'd gone! And Stef's drink was half full. So they replaced that too.
Anyway back to the food. The steak was cooked beautifully and Steve and I enjoyed that. Sarah's steak seemed very tough and so was Stef's mistake steak but the replacement was far better. Charlie seemed to enjoy his and Kerem's chicken was ok but under seasoned and there was no salt and pepper on the table.
It had been so hard to get wait staff attention throughout our meal so it became too difficult to ask for anything that wasn't essential! I'd ordered bearnaise sauce and that didn't come and I really wanted something as the little pot of gravy was only just enough for the Yorkshire pudding which was an ok Yorkshire pudding. I can make better ones! Not the worst I've had but not the best. Poor little Manchester waiter mustn't have had many good ones to think these ones are amazing. Deprived child. I did actually manage to get some bearnaise and it was tasty. Smooth and creamy with the right tang of vinegar and tarragon.
The side dishes were also just ok. The Brussel sprouts were undercooked and I didn't like the maple syrup pooling at the bottom of the dish. If it had been a maple glaze and the sprouts chargrilled, I think that'd be much better. The chipotle baked green beans tasted like they'd been boiled and then sprinked with some paprika and chilli powder. I thought they'd be baked or braised and I had expectations that it would be smokey and tasty but this was just meh. Beef fat potatoes were bland.
I think that's what the meal was; "meh". I wouldn't rush back if it all. It's all a bit shiny shoes and no underwear for me. The service is inattentive and all about appearances. The Manchester waiter had more personality but we only saw him once. The steak is good but there are many good places for steak. The decor is impressive but shiny newness does not a sustainable restaurant make. Perhaps we were just not glamorous enough clientele for them to be treated well.
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