Everyone loves a good steak. While "good" is relative, there is a general rule for a lump of steak to be in that category. A good measure of firmness and tenderness combined, not bland yet not overly marinated till it tastes more like the spices and herbs it's marinated in, and of course, done to personal preferences.
I am no exception to loving a good steak. It's one of the things you can order in a restaurant and tell the guy how you want it. In my case, medium rare with a visible tinge of bloody meat in the middle. I know that grosses some people out but my meats really taste better this way. Like I said, steak is the one thing on the menu you can actually dictate to the expert in the kitchen on how it's to be cooked.
And so we trooped over to Block House Erfurt for a lunch treat. It wasn't my first trip there, my first was in December last year, about a month after they opened. I was impressed with their meats then and decided to give it another go.
Firstly, I am appreciative of their social distancing efforts. In these recent times, restaurants and eateries are having it hard - staff have to wear face shields AND masks while serving, and half their normal capacity to accommodate adequate distances between patrons which encourages fewer customers, and significantly affects their profits. For restaurants which had always seen full capacity even on working days, this must be difficult to swallow. So thank you, Block House Erfurt, for putting health concerns at the top of your priority list. Now, to the food.
I ordered my pet choice for a steak - The T-Bone, medium rare with blood (no kidding, this was exactly how I described it to my server).
And so it came, served with baked potatoes doused in sour cream, garlic bread and garlic butter.
First, the steak itself. It looked normal enough; customary dark brown hue with darker lines criss-crossing. What made it really appetizing was that it was nicely moist. Not wet, just adequately moist to give it that shine to whet the appetite. Cutting through the steak, I love how the top and bottom sections of the meat was firm, yet juicy. And when the knife cuts to the centre, it hits the soft, rare section and then, back to the firm meat again. It was like unwrapping a birthday present with layers - you get joy every step of the way, and that was only the cut.
One word comes to mind - succulent. I am extremely pleased it was done to the medium rare-ness I wanted. Yes, I am pretty fussy. I've ordered medium rare and sometimes, the chef's version of medium rare is either a little too well done for me. There have been times when it's been a little too rare. But this one today, was exactly as I envisioned it. All thumbs up 👍 The red bloody midsection was clearly marked, which satisfies me greatly. Outside, the steak was sprinkled generously with black pepper.
Biting into the steak felt exactly like the cut; there was that mix of firm and tender meat all rolled into one. Chewing it released the juices within and coupled with the black pepper and garlic butter, gave off a smorgasbord of flavours in the mouth best experienced with the eyes closed. The full-flavoured moments lasted throughout the meal till the last cut, even when the meat was less than warm.
The steak wasn't the only star on the block (or in this case, plate). The baked potato in sour cream was also a winner. Served hot from the oven, cutting into the potato, thus releasing the steam, was another satisfying moment. The generous slice of garlic bread was no disappointment either. In my previous post, I said sides should never be too far away in quality from the main order, and this steak plate upheld the rule. The baked potato and garlic bread stood independently in their own glories without outshining the steak star. Lovely.
I ordered the 1.1lb T-Bone steak, meant to be shared (which I did with the hubs). There was also the 500g version for solo eaters (I have to admit, I was being a little greedy. I ordered the larger one as I wasn't sure if the single steak would be enough for me). The shared one comes on a separate plate.
On its own, it looked a little solitary and yes, understated. My initial thought was that it needed a little help in presentation but on hindsight now, it tasted so good, it doesn't need any presentation, ever. Held under the light, the shine of the meat from its juices can really equal the sparkle of a diamond. And was every bit just as tempting too.
The steak order came with a salad, prepared and brought to the table. Mine was with French dressing.
It was a concoction of roman salad leaves, red cabbage, onions, turnips, radish and a couple of slices of tomatoes. All vegetables were fresh and tomatoes were juicy. The French dressing was lovely, although I personally would have liked to have been served with a little bit more of it. It was a generous serving of greens too; the salad plate is the size of a main dish, which surprised me a little as most restaurants offer a small salad so as not to kill the appetite. But I am a sucker for generous restaurants, so continue, please. I am a happy cookie.
By now, I was extremely full but I really wanted the full experience of a complete meal so I ordered a dessert - my Eis und Schoko (Ice Cream and Chocolate), the vanilla ice cream drowned in thick chocolate sauce. Served with a wafer biscuit in whipped cream, and sherbet on the side.
It lived up to its name. Every bit of it was ice cream and chocolate. The chocolate sauce was rich and full, and combined with the ice cream, makes for one fulfilling treat for the taste buds. When the sherbet and whipped cream are added into the mix, the result is a cold explosion of soft chocolate creaminess that has both the firmness of ice cream and softness of whipped cream. The wafer was fresh and crisp, which makes for a perfect contrast to the softness of the rest of its accompaniments.
Everything served here was in generous portions and, for that, I am thankful. I always believe that running a business means giving more than you promise or are paid for, so you have a higher chance of repeat business. This wasn't a cheap meal by any standards; steak houses are always a little higher priced than others, but with such generous portions and good job done, I will consider returning for more.
Good for flavour? Yes. Value for money? Yes. Satisfying? Yes, oh yes. Actually, sated.
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