Where would you go for a great steak? With so many great butcheries around nowadays, the answer really is “At Home”. Seriously, it is easy to make a great steak. All you need is a good piece of meat, a frying pan, some salt and pepper, and if you have never done it before, a good YouTube video.
So, the real reason to visit a Steakhouse is actually for the starters and side dishes! Of course, great steakhouses still differentiate their steaks by sourcing from boutique farms, getting hold of special cuts, aging, and using special methods of cooking that involve firewood and exotic charcoal, but it is the other stuff that accompanies the steaks that showcase the skills of the Chef.
The Chef helming Meadesmore is Vic Loy whom we last met when the restaurant was known as Fat Belly Social. The whole restaurant has since revamped its concept and menu although the focus is still pretty much on the concept of steaks for sharing. The dishes at Meadesmore are a little more refined than Fat Belly Social which is a reflection of Chef Vic’s culinary journey. We thoroughly enjoyed the steaks but the starters are what sets Meadesmore apart from other steakhouses.
Review of Dishes
Starters
One of the more impressive starters was the Burrata Di Puglise. It was bold of Chef to present the Burrata cheese with a green gazpacho made from cucumber, apples and green grapes, instead of the usual red tomatoes, but the overall presentation was stunning and it worked quite well. The Burrata could have been more creamy, but this is a dish that I would order again, perhaps as a side dish rather than a starter. 4.25/5
Another dish that is as visually stunning as it was delicious was the chilli-crusted bone marrow. The crust is made from a combination of Calabrese peppers and grana padano cheese which added a hint of smokiness and spice to the rich marrow. 4.5/5
Oyster aficionados would balk at the thought of cooking an oyster but no doubt grilling an oyster with white sauce, cheese, and spinach makes for a tasty little mouthful. It’s a bit of a waste if the oysters were live, but quite acceptable if they are frozen (which they are) 4/5
The truffle and kelp-flavored tagliolini was very tasty but I was disappointed that the prawns were slightly mushy. I am not convinced that these “blue prawns” are in any way superior to our local varieties, but perhaps I haven’t tasted the fresh ones yet. 4/5
“Crudos” are quite trendy nowadays especially since we have all gotten used to eating sashimi. This dish is hamachi which is served with a dressing made from passionfruit juice, dill oil, and topped with pickled onions. It’s a refreshing dish that Lisa really enjoyed. Me, I would go for the bone marrow any day! 4/5
Mains
Meadesmoore prides itself in sourcing unusual cuts of meat from boutique producers. One of their stars is the MBS 9+ Black Label Fullblood Wagyu Flatiron from Queensland, Australia. The Flatiron is essentially the same muscle (infraspinatus) where we get the oyster blade steak, except that is cut along the grain to remove the tough centre membrane, is touted as the 2nd most tender muscle after the tenderloin.
I have had Flatiron steaks before but I must admit I had never really been wowed by them. But this one finally won me over. The marbling was really fine and the steak was perfectly charred over charcoal and basted with wagyu fat. I would easily choose this flatiron over a striploin any day! (Its cheaper than striploin pound for pound) 4.5/5
We also tasted the 35 day dry age Argentine grassfed ribeye (Topmost photo). It was a nice and beefy steak which is good for those who are looking for something that is more beefy with less marbling. 4/5
We were pleasantly surprised by the Bone-in-Pork Ribeye which was tender, juicy and flavourful! It just goes to show that we have been exposed to local lean pork for too long that we always think of pork loin as dry and unappetizing unless it is deep fried and served with sweet and sour sauce. The Canadian pork chop from Primrose Farms changed our minds about the Pork Chop! Chef sous vide the pork for an hour and simply grilled it with salt and pepper and it was perfect! 4.25/5
Sides
I was looking forward to the Ratte Potato Puree because when it comes to steaks, I love potatoes as a side, either mashed or fried. It’s no wonder that “Steak and potatoes” is the quintessential dish in American cuisine. And when it comes to mashed potatoes, Ratte potatoes are widely regarded as the best because of their buttery, nutty flavour.
Having said that, I was slightly disappointed with the potato puree that day because it was gummy instead being creamy and fluffy. It could have been overly stirred. Hopefully, it’s a one-off incident. 3.5/5
For those of you who regard Mac and Cheese as a quintessential side dish for steaks, then you would be quite pleased with Chef Vic’s rendition of the classic American dish. Chef uses a casarecce pasta instead of the usual macaroni. (Should it still be called Mac and Cheese?) It worked really well as the texture was rather unique and there was more surface area for the pasta to develop that golden crust! He also uses four cheeses to give it that creamy umami we all crave! 4.25/5
The roasted cauliflower didn’t quite resonate with me. I felt the ricotta cheese didn’t quite go so well with the cauliflower and the dukkah spices was just a bit too Middle Eastern for what had so far been generally American/European flavours. Would probably had been ok if we were eating Lamb kebabs but I don’t think it goes with steaks. 3.5/5
Dessert
For dessert, we would recommend the cheesecake crepe which is a leveled-up crepe suzette that has been filled with a creamy “Burnt Cheesecake” filling and topped with caramelized apples. 4.25/5
Conclusion
We enjoyed our steakhouse experience at Meadesmoore. The steaks and well sourced and they try to use secondary cuts which are not only more affordable but also offer a different steak experience. The starters and sides are also very good and the steaks for sharing concept works very well for us who like to try everything.
This was a media tasting. Opinions expressed are that of our own.
