Steaks and steakhouses are enjoying unprecedented popularity right now. According to TripAdvisor, more than half of Thailand’s top ten steakhouses are located in hotels. At the top of the list is Nami Teppanyaki Steakhouse at the JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok with 2,207 reviews – 1,661 ‘excellent’ ratings, and 109 for ‘very good’. The two key factors that contribute to their ratings are service and quality of food, with many commenting that the steaks are cooked to perfection.
Second on the list is the New York Steakhouse and is also at the JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok with 1,021 reviews – 696 for excellent and 88 for very good. Their Tomahawk steak gets top mention as the most recommended dish.
According to David Campbell, Director of Food & Beverage at JW Marriott Bangkok, the key element when it comes to operating a Steakhouse in a hotel is consistency. That consistency spans across maintaining the quality of steaks, managing the different teams, the procedures that they follow, the service that they provide and of course the menu. He also added that going beyond expectations and nurturing relationships is important. Furthermore, the atmosphere is crucial – good lighting and music are essential in satisfying customers.
Even with the rise of health-conscious diets and vegan trends, David confirms that loyal guests have been continuing to patronize his steakhouses. Catering to an international mix of guests allows the business to continue growing.
“I believe that the market in Bangkok can accommodate for many different cuisines and dietary needs. Everything can be enjoyed in moderation, with a balanced diet, and I personally believe that the New York Steakhouse manages to do this perfectly.”
How to Ensure a Perfectly Cooked Steak
David provided Hotelintel.co with descriptions on how to make the best steak:
Start with the best quality steak. New York Steakhouse ages all of the steaks for a minimum of 28 days. This will provide a much better feel in the mouth of tenderness and to an extent help concentrate the flavours. The New York Steakhouse buys their steaks from USA, Australia, and Japan – this way there is a wide selection that suits all palates.
Steak is stored at almost zero degrees Celcius to allow ageing without spoilage.
Steak is then prepared by a team of highly-trained chefs with experience.
The equipment is simple, a hot grill and an oven (for larger steaks) will do. It’s an almost prehistoric form of cookery but it’s still the best.
Pro Tips:
Resting the Meat: Let the meat rest – Twice. Cold steaks don’t cook evenly. Let the steaks rest out on the counter, covered for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
After cooking, it’s just as important to let the steaks rest again for at least 10 minutes, so the juices redistribute and the fibres relax.
Cutting into a steak the moment it comes off the heat will result in a very tough dry steak, same applies to a roast or large joint of meat but rest longer.
Seasoning: Give the steaks a generous rub down with salt and cracked black pepper. Do this before resting the steaks, so that the seasoning has time to work its way deep into the meat, then a quick flash for two minutes on the heat just to bring the exterior temperature up.
The Finger Test:
Raw
Using your thumb, feel the thickest fleshy area of a relaxed hand located near the other thumb – this is how raw meat feels.
Rare
Connect your index finger to your thumb, and use the other thumb to feel the thickest fleshy area – this is how rare steaks should feel. The equivalent for this on the meat thermometer is 46 degrees Celsius.
Medium-Rare
Connect your middle finger to your thumb, and use the other thumb to feel the thickest fleshy area – this is how medium-rare meat feels. The equivalent for this on the meat thermometer is 52 degrees Celsius.
Medium
Connect your ring finger to your thumb, and use the other thumb to feel the thickest fleshy area – this is how medium meat feels. The equivalent for this on the meat thermometer is 57 degrees Celsius.
Medium-Well Done
Connect your pinky finger to your thumb, and use the other thumb to feel the thickest fleshy area – this is how medium-well-done meat feels. The equivalent for this on the meat thermometer is 63 degrees Celsius.
Well-Done
Lastly, the equivalent for well done on the meat thermometer is 68 degrees Celsius.
When asked how The New York Steakhouse maintains its relevance with so many new steakhouses popping up, David replied: “I firmly believe that it’s the reputation of The New York Steakhouse serving the best quality steaks in town, as well as being able to provide our legendary Thai hospitality that keeps us above others. We are the steakhouse that other steakhouses are judged against.”
So, who will be the next premium steakhouse on the top ten list?
