Hong Kong’s newest steak restaurant has solid DNA but needs a little tweaking to compete with the city’s top carnivoric hotspots, finds Nick Walton.

Steak is serious business in Hong Kong, a city that seems to live off expense accounts. With many leading steakhouses already boasting loyal, sometimes multi-generational followings form business travellers and corporate clients, any new entrant is going up against stiff competition.

The New Arrival

Soho’s newest arrival, Steak on Elgin, is banking on the established reputation of British beef and seafood, matched with a sterling wine offering from owner and wine retail guru Stephen Wickens, making it an ideal spot for intimate corporate entertaining. The menu is laced with ingredients sourced from across the British Isles and has been positioned as the city’s first restaurant driven by the archipelago’s produce.

We arrived at the pint-sized steakhouse a little after seven to find two other tables already diving into the fare of head chef Clayton Ma, formerly of FINDS by Chef Jaakko Sorsa, Relais et Chateau boutique hotel The Little Nell Montagna in Aspen, Colorado, and Armani / Ristorante in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, and who offers a strong focus on sustainability.

The décor of Steak on Elgin, which has been designed by architectural consultancy Zanghellini & Holt, is dark, muted and comforting – there’s plenty of wood and marble and leather, with soft lighting creating an ambience that’s perfect for shop talk over a glass of Burgundy and a ribeye. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), the tiny stature of the 24-seat restaurant (half of which is given over to the bar) means groups over four will be a squeeze so forget those wine-soaked lads catch ups, this is more mandate than pre-game sating territory. Staff were welcoming and attentive and the air was alive with brilliant aromas coming from the kitchen beyond.

Wine Only

I’m a martini guy, especially if I have a steak in my near future. Unfortunately, because Steak on Elgin is a chance for Wickens to showcase his wine, the restaurant doesn’t do any cocktails, so we were forced to skip aperitifs and get straight to it.

We kicked off with the British Grass-Fed Beef Tartare with smoked Arbequina smoked olive oil, arugula, Parmigiano shavings and balsamic. The tartare had a great, silky yet tender texture though my dining companion and I found it to be a little under seasoned, particularly with the absence of the customary egg yolk. However, the balsamic gave a great tangy bite that complemented the salty cheese.

We followed the tartare with grilled Spanish octopus with anchovies, roasted garlic and a caper sauce, an exquisite and surprisingly delicate dish. The octopus was tender and perfectly seasoned and didn’t stand a chance when placed in front of two hungry nine-to-fivers.

The seafood dish was perfectly followed by Buffalo Burrata cheese from Campania, served with smoked tomato jam (which was described by our waitress as “tomato sauce”, basil and vine tomatoes. The cheese was deliciously succulent, with a touch of heat from the zesty jam off-setting the creaminess.

Other appetizer options include Crudo of New Caledonian “Angel Prawn” with Arbequina olive oil, cucumber and fine herbs; House-Cured Gravlax Balik Cut with dill, pickled mustard seed, capers, and onions; and a Chef’s Salad of shaved vegetables, herbs, and walnuts.

Steak to Die For

On to the main event; we ordered the 30oz UK Native Breeds Dry Aged Rib-eye on the Bone, which is suggested for two diners. Steak on Elgin has six cuts to choose from, including a Kettyle Irish Salt Moss Cave Aged 42oz porterhouse and a dry-aged filet mignon on the bone. There are also token lamb, pork, and fish options if you’re so inclined.

After a rather lengthy wait, during which the waiter apologized twice, the whopping beef cut arrived, but clearly, something had gone amiss in the kitchen as the meat was rock hard on the outside, more medium than medium-rare on the inside, and packed with gristle making getting through it rather hard yards. The side of Hand Cut Triple Cooked Fries didn’t help the steak’s cause – there were supermodel slender, lukewarm, and cooked to within an inch of their lives so that most were simple inedible oily shells.

The meal was saved in part by a great wine selection by the knowledgeable sommelier, a Bass Philip pinot noir from Gippsland, chosen from the restaurant’s 350 bottle curated collection, which so matched our selected dishes so well we stuck with it throughout the meal. If not perfectly cooked, the rib-eye was massive, so we skipped dessert for our arteries’ sake.

Summary

Steak on Elgin has the finesse often lacking in big, boisterous steakhouses, but it still needs to ensure that the culinary experience comes before everything else. With a little tweaking in the kitchen and a little flexibility behind the bar, it could be Soho’s next hotspot for gents looking for a red meat fix.

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