September 1, 2008

Steak Night in Beijing


I always look forward to the 29th of every month. That's when Entero, a Japanese whisky bar, invites a Japanese butcher to prepare the most tender steaks you've ever tasted. The steak set comes with a side of bean sprouts, vegetable or miso soup and rice, and at only 50 RMB it is one of the best deals in town. Best of all, topping up your steak set with a second steak will only set you back 30 RMB. Beijing Gourmand skipped the butter for his second round on doctor's advice. The butcher cooks the steaks himself in a wok behind the bar in a very straightforward way. One of the secrets to the great flavor seems to be the care he puts into each steak. Beijing Gourmand noticed him removing the steaks part way through the grilling process to slice some of the strips before returning the whole steak to the wok and then reassembling the steak on the plate. I'm guessing this was to ensure perfectly even cooking of the steak. The other secret is the cut of the meat, which had the perfect amount of marbling and outside fat. If you're wondering where you can get your hands on steaks like these, a rare find in Beijing, then you'll have to keep wondering. The butcher will not divulge his secret steak source, so you'll have to wait for the 29th of the month and head over to Entero to enjoy cuts like these.

Entero has a wide selection of Scotch and Japanese single malts as well as bourbon and cocktails. If you normally drink a lighter single malt, like a Macallan, then Beijing Gourmand recommends switching to something with a stronger finish so that the chargrilled flavor of the steak doesn't overpower the whisky. One of the smokier single malts from the Islay region, like Laphroaig, would do the trick nicely. Even better, if you want to have a Japanese single malt then the Taketsuru 17 years is the way to go.



For dessert, coffee flavored flan made with coffee from Uganda Crane Coffee, available for purchase at Entero. Entero serves Uganda Crane Coffee on weekend afternoons.


Simon, Richard and Anuj enjoy their steaks

Rating (out of 5): 串串串串


Dongzhimen, No. 1 Xinyuanli, Chaoyang District
东直门朝阳区新源里1号
8451 0554



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2 comments:

C. Lyle Barrett said...

As Richard pointed out, it's odd that this bar with an extensive whisky selection doesn't have any Japanese beer. The steaks were great, but I would have preferred to have had something other than Carlsberg to wash it down with.

Clark Racing Concepts said...

Man that steak looks good!!!