“Select your weapon of choice, sir!” says a man who has surreptitiously slipped into our conversation brandishing a wooden box of sizable steak knives. It’s our waiter Kasun, not a villain from the latest 007 thriller, although Mr. Bond would not look out of place in this restaurant setting of natural dark woods and upholstered leathers.
If you are a connoisseur of fine cuts, World Cut Steakhouse has a licence to thrill you and your fellow carnivores with a full gamut of steakhouse classics from around the world, cooked to your preference as the sounds of pianist David Pragmo reinterpret the biggest hits of today and the not-so-distant past.
A classic all-American – and award-winning – steakhouse that evokes thoughts of prohibition-era Chicago, the team is headed by Chef Deniz, who combines ingredients grown in farms across the Northern Emirates with World Cut Steakhouse’s special in-house condiments to create its flavours and tastes from their first floor setting of Habtoor Palace Dubai.
Begin the evening with a glass of wine or perhaps a Martini before casting an eye over the meats at the raw bar; each offering increasing in size from the World Cut exclusive of the 250g Queensland Beef MB4 to the two-person challenge of the 1.4 kg Australian Black Onyx Tomahawk.
Once selected, you can return to your table and tuck into seared Hokkaido scallops with fennel foam and Sturia caviar, crispy baby calamari sprinkled with basil salt with a lemon dip and grilled black pepper octopus with tarragon purée, onion and lime.
For something more raw, try the yellowfin tuna tartare with avocado and spicy radish ginger marinade, Waygu beef tataki that comes with a spicy kick and variations of caviar, such as Royal Imperial, Royal Osetra, Royal Baeril and premium Beluga. While the menu isn’t strictly sharing, portion sizes dictate it’s wise to team up, especially with a choice of breads and an amuse-bouche of tomato, watermelon, olive oil and goat’s cheese.
Then it comes to the real star of the show, the meat cuts... The Master Kobe MB9, Japanese Kagoshima Sirloin MB9 and the aforementioned Tomahawk takes top billing with five different mustard options served via a table-side trolley. As for the sides, the winners are the potato gratin with Comté cheese, truffle macaroni with Red Leicester cheese, mashed potato, and sautéed forest mushrooms, while the sauce list runs long with Béarnaise, peppercorn, blue cheese, and chimichurri.
Somehow, I manage to squeeze in dessert, mainly because I spied earlier that Baked Alaska with brandy flambé is on the menu. The World – a dish of cherry compote, crumble, vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce – is as scrumptious as it sounds, while my friend plays it safe with a reliable but divine warm chocolate cake. The cheese platter – with Comté, Silton, Manchego and Brie – is winking at me seductively, but I admit defeat. I’ll have to save it for another time.
As far as dinners go, World Cut Steakhouse is definitely world class. A sophisticated interpretation of an iconic American classic brought up to date with steaks served just as you like. Right, I’m off to make another reservation. That cheese board awaits…
WHAT: World Cut Steakhouse
WHERE: Habtoor Palace, Dubai
TEL: +971 4 435 5577
www.habtoorpalace.com