Meating the one

SoHo Grill has been garnering some attention of late. With competitions and promotions on radio and in print media, and the launch of their second outlet on Sheikh Zayed road, the popular New York-style concept eatery makes many meaty promises… and lives up to them.

Over here at wknd., we have a fondness for steak places — as you might already have noticed on these pages — and when it’s American-style dining, it’s mostly a win-win situation. SoHo Grill promises big bold flavours, meats aged to perfection, ribs that melt in the mouth, and some major juicy NYC burgers. It also throws in a fresh, upbeat atmosphere to eat it all up.

The first thing we walk in and note is that the “atmosphere” part is guaranteed, on the spot. The complex in Century Village, Garhoud, 
adjoining the Dubai Tennis Stadium, is already famous for its bustling nightlife and good eateries. SoHo reserves a special spot in a corner, brightly lit, with a verandah-dining area snaking around the restaurant, set snug among some unexpected greenery. We prefer the casual outdoors any day to fancy interiors, especially to chomp into some good meat in its juices. The ambience is further amped up by live music, and all you need is good company. I mean, you know it’s a good thing when the place is packed on a weekday evening. If you prefer to dine inside to escape the humidity of these high summer evenings, the interiors are no less inviting, or contemporary. It’s all clean, industrial lines, featuring a lot of steel fittings and wooden palettes, modern yet warm.

So when you’re already feeling upbeat, with all the beginnings of a perfect night out ahead of you, the menu offering quality steaks, handmade burgers, and bites and beverages can’t look any more enticing. You can pick from beef ribs and Wagyu burgers to New York cut steaks.

We take off with SoHo Wings, their house smoked buffalo chicken wings served with celery and creamy blue cheese dressing, paired with a Philly Cheese sandwich — quite a yummy substantial sliced sirloin beef with beyond yummy sautéed mushrooms, peppers, caramelised onions, cheese and their own BBQ sauce. Everything is freshly made and piping hot, and the staff are friendly, without being obsequiously so, and well informed about what they’re putting on our plates.

You can choose from their imaginative Combos section — Ribs & Tenders, Wings & Ribs, Surf & Turf, the SoHo Combo — but we eschew those and head straight for the mains. My friend’s classic T-Bone steak — she goes medium rare — is the best of the lot, an 18-ounce monster cut of beef served with sides of choice and a juicy sauce, as if the meat isn’t juicy enough. The other’s Kansas Back Ribs is also a big and bold one — 24-hour marinated beef ribs, smoked and slow braised for 18 hours! Then flame grilled and served with a glaze and fries.

Mine is the Four Point Baa Baa, a herb crusted rack of lamb, oven roasted and served with two sides (I opted for mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus); the herbs crunchily melt in the mouth, quite an infusion that I can’t get enough of. The only downside is that the salt infused in the herbs, likely to add to its crunchiness, renders me so thirsty that I have to down water copiously.

If we haven’t already said this, all portions are humongous and quite large for one person, but well worth it. We haven’t any stomach for the burgers, but The Fat Cow of both Angus and Wagyu comes highly reco-mmended, as do the trio of sliders. Desserts are a compact offering, but with all the basics in there — a chocolate pudding, ice cream, an apple pie, a cheesecake.

We’ll put this on the final menu — SoHo Grill is definitely one of Dubai’s best eating joints, maybe even one of its best kept secrets, if it’s one at all. Compared to many steak brands in the city that serve substandard (and pricey) fare at best, SoHo offers quality food, great portions, value for money. It would easily slot into one of your favourite, repeat-visit restaurants in the city, or a great place to take friends or family who are visiting. Also try their ‘Eat Dinner for a Dirham’ offer for ladies only, on Tuesdays (conditions apply), and the interactive SoHo Stone experience where you can cook your own steak!

Go SoHo, you won’t regret it.