Note: There are several menu changes on the site between the various menus online as well as in the restaurant. Examples include the description of all the sides, the salad, and even what comes with the bread
I was here at this Korean-inspired steakhouse with three others for their "Prime Rib Experience," available either for 2 people for $109 or $199 for 4. The deal turned out to be pretty decent, especially for the food desert that is Midtown West. The space itself is pretty nice, but it was very loud, combined with the people as well as the light music, though it was much more comfortable once the loudmouths next door finished their meal. While the entree took a while for the meat to come out, it was good that the staff told us and apologized. Outside of this, the staff was a bit hard to understand, but a lot of that was probably from the noise. I didn't bother with a drink as both a cocktail and mocktail I was interested in weren't available.
The experience starts presumably the same as other diners with a Parker House Brioche. The brioche was slightly warm and fluffy, and there was a bit of popcorn on top, which was unique. The butter was a bit cool, but fine.
Next was a choice of salad. Most of us went with the Chopped Salad, served with seasonal market greens, sunflower seeds, and a tangerine citronette. The dressing was slightly sweet, and I liked the radicchio in it for added bitterness. Along with some crunch, there were also some sundried tomatoes, which was a nice touch. The other choice was a Caesar Salad, which she liked.
As an extra, someone ordered the $15 Double Cut Bacon with heritage pork belly and chunjang glaze. The portion was surprisingly large compared to other steakhouses, and the pork was tender with a mild sweetness. This was tasty and worked nicely, especially when added to the salad.
After a good wait, the meat and side dishes arrived, with it arriving as two different prime ribs. Listed as koji-fermented, five-pepper crusted, slow-cooked for 72 hours, and finished with hot beef tallow, the prime rib itself was excellent. The meat was very juicy with the fat rendered down perfectly outside of a tiny bit on the end piece. The outside had a mildly spicy kick with some other interesting flavors, likely from the various pepper mix or the ferment. My only complaint would be that it wasn't super hot or sizzling and was on a cool plate, which was a bit unappetizing.
The sauces included were a mixed bag. The beef au jus consommé was decent, but I wish it was a bit more flavorful, with some other spots doing much better. I liked the horseradish cream more as it wasn't too pungent and it had a nice texture.
Otherwise, there were some alright sides. First was a decent Pommes Purée, lacking lumps and being creamy but not too much so. Much better was the Creamed Corn, which wasn't overly sweet with a slightly salty tang.
As an extra, I added the $12 Charred Asparagus with black bean sauce. The asparagus were chopped, and they had a slightly spicy kick with some fermented flavors. There was otherwise an unnamed, slightly foamy and creamy sauce on the side. Another person added the Wild Mushrooms for $15 with truffle and soy, which I disliked. It was a nice mix with them being perfectly cooked, but in general I don't like truffle oil, and I don't think the extra earthiness pairs well at all with already earthy mushrooms. The bit of saltiness/sourness, presumably from the soy, was nice though.
Two of us split dessert. We went with the $15 Baked Alaska, which is different from the menu and cheaper. Instead of what's listed, it had ube and a passion fruit crème anglaise. There was some earthy and slightly sweet flavor from the ube, some creamy sweetness from the meringue, and the passion fruit added some tartness. Overall, I liked it.
Outside of the plate not being hot, we liked the prime rib here a lot. The sides and sauces could be better, but the salad and bread were decent. For Midtown West, you could do a whole lot worse. Low 4 read more