Bistecca Italian Steak House    

We called in advanced for a booking, not only did they missed the booking; but also claimed that they called us and we confirmed a cancellation. Waiters are very grumpy , argued with each other and doesn't know how to smile. Appetite is gone once you've walked in basically..

The better half and I decided on Bistecca knowing full well what a carnivore I was and how she'd always have a soft spot for a good fillet mignon. We read the editorial sometime back, saved it to our database and decided tonight was a good night to try it out. Called for reservations but was told it was either 630pm or 9pm. We were booked for 9.

Arrived 10 minutes early and told the front staff of our booking. We were made to wait a little and got our table at 9 on the dot. However, we weren't sure what the system was because there were walk in customers who got their tables quicker than we did. Wasn't too hot about that. The original table we were assigned was in a really awkward position, sorta caught in between the walkway and a turn so we asked for one outside instead right in the corner. We moved.

We ordered a bottle of sparkling water to start. Then began looking intently at the menu. I decided on the ribeye done rare and the wife wanted the fillet mignon done medium. We couldn't make up our minds about starters, salads or sides but in the end, we figured we wanted everything to come at a go so we decided that we'll have sides (lots of it since they all sounded SO good) to accompany the meats.

Then we saw garlic nuggets - we just had to try it.

We were given a cup of veggie sticks and tomatoes to have alongside the house bread. House bread was interesting - cumin, black olives, rosemary. Not fantastic but an interesting marriage of flavours.

Then the garlic nuggets arrived. I assume the garlic was either boiled or slow fried first, then coated in breadcrumbs and again slowly pan-fried. They were really soft and mushy (in a good way that is) on the inside with a nice crispy exterior. Some stuff was sprinkled on to of it and the accompanying pomodoro sauce was pretty swell.

Half stuffed, we waited for the main stars, which arrived quite quickly after our starter plates were taken away. The fillet looked so good as if beckoning us to devour it immediately. The ribeye, fairly huge at 14oz, was sitting right in front of me, again asking to be eaten. Then the sides were served up - broccoli and garlic, new potatoes and zucchini fritters.

First the sides, broccoli and garlic was firm to the bite with garlic pieces and one chilli on it. It wasn't anything to shout about and strangely, had a little spiciness to it. The new potatoes were likely oven baked alongside garlic and cubed bacon/pancentta of sorts. Again decent, but nothing to really shout about. It wasn't bad but I've had better. Oh I forget to mention the potatoes had a slight sweetness to it. The zucchini fritters were coated in a light batter, fried and sprinkled with sea salt and either cayenne pepper or paprika. It looked oily but certainly didn't feel that way when we put them into our mouths.

The stars of the night were obviously the steaks. I cannot exclaim enough how downright sumptuous they were! The fillet was about 8oz (230 grams) was quite burnt on the exterior (in a good way). The wife gave me a nice sized piece to try and it though done medium, it was not dry, had spurts of juice and most of all, the flavour was full (perhaps from the aging). The heavy charring on the steak gave it a whole lot of character and a certain muskiness - which my wife simply loved.

The ribeye was astoundingly juicy, more so than the fillet obviously. The meat was tender, without the hard to chew bits that you sometimes find in other steaks. It felt so at home in my mouth and kinda makes you wanna just keep chewing on it to extract the juices. There were bits of fats but that's completely normal for a ribeye so it's not a complaint.

Halfway through our steaks, I asked one of the servers for horseradish (I remember I saw in on the menu) and he looked a little frantic and came back to our table with 2 wet wipes. That got my wife and wife cackling and I wonder if there was a problem with my diction. Then my wife made a second attempt with another waiter and we were brought some REAL horseradish - it was a good complement to the steak for sure.

By the time we got through our steaks and sides, we were completely stuffed to the brim.

All in all, it was a really good dinner. The sides and starters weren't anything to rave or shout about but they were in essence proper food that were done well. The tipping point was the steaks - TOTALLY MAKES UP FOR EVERYTHING ELSE MEDIOCRE OR BAD. The sides, the noisy clubs downstairs, the misinformed waiter, the slightly biased reception just somehow faded away when we had the steaks.

I will return when the carnivore in me calls for a repeat performance.

On a Sunday night we hadn't intended on going out to eat...somehow after a few drinks at the Pawn, a great pub in Wanchai, We decided to hop in a taxi and try Striphouse, a new steakhouse I had been meaning to try since moving back to Hong Kong. Little did we know, as we rode the elevator up that the joint was closed Sundays but lo and behold, "Bistecca" (I had mixed reviews on) was open and we were accosted by one of the chefs to try their "wagyu" (most expensive item on the menu, come on.)

Anyway we were seated quickly, the dining room was a ghost town-never a good sign but as I said, I've never been out on a Sunday. But so far so good, the service was friendly, the atmosphere, although "quiet" for a crowded resto was good. Buzzing. Meat. The air smelt of meat.We were eyeing the bone marrow in the glass case by the kitchen and the head chef commented loudly, "That's Bone Marrow", Yes sir I know I'm a steak-girl. Hawksmoor in London became a regular thing/regular haunt. Anyway, off the menu we got that with some toast, it came with tapenade. Very nice. For our mains, we decided against getting a steak each and stuck with one to share. Now the whole "concept" of steak here is that you get all these sauces as extra and order sides, so we got creamed spinach and these very very salty courgette fritters (so much so I really felt a bit meh after the whole meal)With two martinis, two glasses of prosecco, a ribeye, two sides and a complimentary dessert (chocolate chip cookies) the bill came to just little over 900HKD, which, in my mind, is very reasonable for Lan Kwai Fong.

I would return!

Didn't have to wait since i made reservations.

My hubby wanted to try to Kobe but one look at the meat all brownish and dry he opted out and went for sirloin. Hence strongly suggest to check out the meat BEFORE ordering.
Sirloin was cook to perfection, medium rare however over seasoned so the taste of the meat couldn't come through.

I ordered the penne and it was very salty. i also ordered mushroom, zucchini and onions and they were all too salty.

Overall besides the bread everything cooked was too salty. Ah! the cookies at the end of the meal was good, the only cooked stuff that tasted great.

It is one of the Dining Concept's restaurants and the food was good just like other restaurants under that company.

The only thing that let it down was the table allocation.

I booked a table and when I got there it was only 10% full, even when I left the restaurant was pretty empty so I couldnt understand why i was not given a spacious table.

We went there on a Sunday night after we finished the night at Disneyland. When we arrived, it was a bit later than the time we booked. As there's not a lot of people, the waitress was quick to notice that we were the later comers and quickly settle us down at the table closest to the kitchen. That makes a good start of the dinner!

We decided to try the 14oz rib eye in medium rare as a lot of people on Openrice recommend it. As for sauce, we chose black pepper.

They give a cup of veggies with celery, carrot, etc. If you are not a fan of fibres, better not touch it.

House bread: Not really my taste. I like butter with french bread most.

Appetizer: Caesar salad. Recommend this as a starter of the meal. It comes with a nice dressing.

Main: 14 oz rib eye with black pepper sauce, medium rare. Recommended!
After I had my first bite, the question comes to mind is "what did they do to the cows to make it so delicious". It is juicy and tender. The black pepper sauce and sea salt on top makes it tastes wonderful. At first we thought 14 oz would be so huge that we couldn't finish it, but end up we ate so fast that is was finished within 20 minutes I think.

Snacks: Zucchini fries. A lot of people said it's good. It is something like tempura coating on fries. I like it but didn't take too much as it is a bit oily.

Drinks: Also recommend people who like sweet wine to try their dessert wine (Moscato and Cheatau).

Recommended place for Italiano lunch in busy Central.

The Good Bits
* Good value for Italian antipasto and dessert semi lunch buffet - I paired with a grilled medium rare Jap Wagyu burger at only $208
* Antipasto include:
parma ham (good quality and aromatic)
fresh mozzarella ball
tomatoes - fresh and sundried
artichokes
green and black olives
beetroot; etc
* Dessert include good quality of cheesecake, chocolate cream muffin, raisin tart, fresh fruit
* Nice service

To Improve
* Tables are a bit crowded that afternoon

First of all, none of the appetizers were appealing. Rarely do I walk into a restaurant where there was nothing that I wanted to choose. The spinach Caesar salad was small but charged a lot for it. The sauce wasn't even the Caesar sauce!When the steak came, I thought I was eating cold cuts and a piece of charcoal... It was completely cold and burnt; we mentioned this to the waiter and he replied with "the head chef is absent today, so the quality would not be of the usual standard as it was difficult to control". That was one of the lamest excuse I have ever heard. If the standard is lower, surely there should be a discount?The one thing that we enjoyed would be the mushroom and the fries. The tiramisu was one of the weirdest dessert I have ever tasted as it tasted and looked nothing like a tiramisu! I didn't find the atmosphere relaxing at all as it was so loud and the noises kept echoing back towards you. The waiters also weren't the brightest. Overall, it doesn't worth for what it charges and I find it a total horrible experience! It really was a unique experience as it promoted; an unpreceded shocking experience!

I am so disappointed ..... the service was really terrible, the Indian lady server was very rude and unkind. I ordered a rib eye steak and I asked for rare and it came out to be burnt. The server was telling me that this is the way it should be and many people like their steaks, she was mean and did not admit that the steak was over cooked, hence it was brunt. There was a small bug inside my iced tea and the Indian lady server was telling me that this season, there are lots of flies around so??????? The assistant manager apologized but I don't think you should serve burnt food to anyone. VERY HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. Would not recommend anyone to come and I will never come here again.

This is my second time to this steakhouse but the funny thing is I totally forgot which kind of meat we had last time. All I remembered was it was a nice steakhouse.

We sat right next to the meat display, so convenient! The chef recommended the Florentina 36oz, which is a porterhouse steak. Sirloin on one side and fillet on the other. Then my husband spotted the bone marrow in the fridge. We asked how the bone marrow can be cooked. The chef explained that it would be grilled and served with toast.

The bone marrow came first as our appetizer. I have not had bone marrow often and didn't know what to expect. The serving came with 3 bone marrow and with a spoon each. I scooped it all out from the bone and spread it on the toast. I also added some source onto the toast. Wow! Amazing taste! I didn't expect to be able to have bone marrow in a steakhouse!

Next came our main course, our huge Florentine steak. I tried the sirloin side first. It was cooked to medium rare with red in the middle. I normally prefer the fillet side as I do not like my steak chewy, but this time I truly enjoyed the sirloin a lot more. The sirloin side was so tender, juicy and full of flavor. On the other hand, I found the fillet side a bit too tender and it certainly smelted in my mouth. In terms of the meat, I found it less flavorsome then the sirloin side.

Overall, a great restaurant that I would visit again very soon. The service was very good and the waiters and waitresses were very attentive.

- need to make reservations beforehand
- Love the decor, feels like I am back in New York
- Can actually SEE the piles of beef
- I always like open kitchen restaurants because looking at the chefs in action just makes me look forward to my dish that much more
- Definitely a place to eat with friends, or a client. Could be a first date type of place since it can get a little loud
- I personally like to go with a group of friends, so we could share and try different dishes
- Only other decent steakhouse in Hong Kong is the Steakhouse in InterContinental hotel which is more expensive and has a much better view (The steak I think is around the same though the dining experience + service is better in InterContinental). But for people who live in the Hong Kong side and do not want to venture to kowloon, Bistecca, I believe, is your best choice.

Appetizer
Charcoal Grilled Bruschetta with Asiago Fondue
- As the name suggests, it is melted cheese served in a plate. So it is as cheesy as it gets. Personally I just eat the cheese and not the bread, do not want to waste the space for steak
- Fav appetizer in the restaurant
- highly recommend this appetizer to people who loves cheese

Warm Pear Salad, Taleggio Cheese, Hazelnut
- hainvg a salad lessens my guilt for being such a carnivoire
- Love everything about this salads
- note: if you are not a cheese lover, cannot have this salad

Wagyu beef from the Oakleigh Ranch exclusive to Bistecca
- Peronally, I am not a big fan of steaks with 50% fat. Therefore, when I was eating this, i cut away almost 50% of the steak because I was scared my heart will stop beating after eating all that
- Of course the meat part was nice, but if you are one of those more health concious people, definitely do not get this dish

American steak
- obviously compared to the wagyu steak, this tastes more meaty.
- Maybe cuz I lived in USA for so long, but I always go for the american steak. Depending on my mood and hunger level, i decide how big i get

Next time I come here, I would like to try the pork which is also favmous, other salads and desert

We went to Bistecca for lunch, as I heard that the lunch include antipasto and dessert buffet.
I am a sucker for buffet. Tell me there's a buffet, I'll be there
Look at this beautiful spread.

Delicious looking antipasto...come to mama!

Hello, sweetnesses...

I'll be right back!

What did I get from the spread?

Anything and everything!

A few batches of them.
My favorite from the antipasto spread? The ham and melon combo, spicy salami, marinated mushrooms, eggplant and the chunks of bread.

This place is a steak house, but I was not impressed by their hanger steak main course served during lunch time.

Despite how gorgeous it looked, it was not charred enough, tender enough, juicy enough or tasty enough. Hmmm, maybe I am not the type of person who appreciates subtle flavors?

Surprisingly, we were very pleased with the whole grilled seabass.
Utterly surprised, in the best way. Perfectly cooked, very well seasoned, fresh, truly delightful!


I tried everything from the dessert spread.
Love every single one.
I should've ordered a cup of hot tea or coffee to polish this plate off.
Yum!

Less than HK$200 per person, including antipasto and dessert buffet. Went back a couple of times and tried the lamb and burger too. Love the lamb!

After several booking attempts, have finally get to try out this restaurant.
We were served with complimentary appetizer, vege sticks with dipping sauce and the warm olive focaccia, while waiting for our orders. I am a bread lover and I have to say the focaccia was scrumptious, warm from the oven, crusty on the outside and spongily soft inside, seasoned with a hint of olive oil and italian herbs...mmmm....but remember to leave enough room for your main course.
We have ordered the Wagu Beef Delmonico 24oz and the Zucchini fries to share between two. The wagu beef was done to medium rare, the cooking temperature is just right to lock in the flavour, keeping the meat tender and juicy, together it was seared perfectly to a smoky flavour, it was one of the best steaks we have had. The Zucchini fries is also a must try, they were delicious and full of flavour. Slightly crispy, the zucchini just melt in your mouth with a hint of lemony taste.
The only downside was that dining in a restaurant like this, you would not expect a 'hawker's place' ambience. On the night, there was someone yelling loudly over the phone, I am sure the whole restaurant would have heard him. Honestly, who would be interested in his conversation??!! To our surprise, none of the staffs did approach him. Also, maybe the food was too yummy, there was a 'noisy eater' next to our table, chewing sooo loudly, it really was annoying!!!! Sorry to be rude....but I have to say....these people seriously need a lesson in dining etiquette!!!!!
Overall, the experience was well worth and would love to go back for another visit,

After reading all kinds of rather negative review on Openrice, I have to admit I am pleasantly surprised by the warm and friendly service at Bistecca. We have a big party of twelve a Friday night. In terms of the logistics of managing orders and the number of requests we made during the course of dinner, I have to admit the restaurant coped well. I have no complain on service whatsoever!

I am a steak lover and I must admit the steak quality here is average only. But I am willing to overlook this as the menu is not unreasonable. Seriously, the cost of a comparable USDA Prime grade steak will cost at least HK$350 to 400 alone. This is simple economics and very understandable.

I do have one suggestion and that is for a restaurant which advertised itself as an Italian steakhouse ought to serve genuine Italian beef every once in a while, maybe as a special promotion? I truly would like to see and taste a real Bistecca alla Fiorentina from Chianina cattle in Hong Kong.

The menu changed a little a bit from the first time I was there, well, I only noticed the meat and salad buffet section. Not a great difference, they didn’t offer the hanger steak this time round. Probably a good thing, as I would have ordered again. We all opted for the special lunch, R and I had the bistecca burger with bacon and gorgonzola cream. J and R had the lamb and Hubby had the penne with shilli, sweetcorn, tuna and tomato sauce. I was a tad surprised that Hubby ordered the pasta. I thought he would have ordered either the burger or the lamb.

I started off with the prosciutto which was as good as the first time! I love good prosciutto as you all know. Had some salami which was deliciously spicy with some sweet potato, beetroot and seasoned mushroom. It was a great salad starter.

We also ordered a serve of zucchini fries, thinly cut zucchini battered and fried. Oh my my… it was crispy, and oily but absolutely tasty.

I ordered the bistecca burger with bacon and gorgonzola cream and my gosh… it was bigger than what I remembered! Gigantic burger with bacon, tomato, lettuce and gorgonzola cream, it was absolutely divine and exactly what I needed.

I asked for my meat rare, and indeed it was rare… slightly grilled on the outside and red on the inside. It wasn’t oozing with blood, which was good. The beef patty was tender and absolutely delicious. The fries were thin and crispy and the gorgonzola was cream to die for! A must have!

J and S had the lamb, I am not a huge fan of lamb so didn’t have any, however, both J and S thoroughly enjoyed it. They did say that the lamb was tender and salty – sounds like a common theme, as the steak I had last time was also salty.

I was surprised when Hubby ordered pasta. I found out that day that he wasn’t too hungry and didn’t feel like meat or burger. I thought the pasta was a little boring – I could have easily made it at home on my own.

read rest of blog: http://gastronomous.wordpress.com/2010/08/03/craving-for-good-steak-burger-bistecca/