How to get a good steak in Bangalore

July 14, 2004

Getting a decent steak in this country isn't easy. In the north, the taboo against beef restricts serving of beef to only the five-star hotels. Thankfully, in the south, we're not so conservative and in Bangalore especially, there are plenty of restaurants serving beef. 

But while there are plenty of restaurants serving steak, there aren't too many that serve good steak. In India, you don't get a choice between different cuts of meat like you do in the West. If you want a porterhouse or a t-bone, good luck. The beef you get in India comes in two basic forms: a) the stuff that takes 2 hours to cook and b) the stuff that cooks in 3 minutes. There's nothing in between.

Moreover, most of the mid-range restaurants in town don't know the first thing about cooking the steak right. Some typical abuses are:

a) Not cooking at a high enough temperature because of which the meat "leaks" and gets very dry

b) Overcooking it to death - giving you extra well done and turning it into leather in the process

c) Liberally slathering it with some gooey sauce so you can't taste any of the meat flavour

d) Totally disregarding your instructions on the doneness of the meat - giving you well done when you ask for medium

So, dear reader, given that you cannot go into a restaurant kitchen and make the steak yourself (or call me to do it), here are some tips for you to get the best out of your steak dining experience in Bangalore:

1. Do not get it on a damn sizzler. It splatters shit all over your clothes and makes a mockery of cooking time. Anything you get on a sizzler is always extra well-done. You want the steak, not the sizzle!
2. Ask for a medium or medium-well steak and tell the waiter you want it cooked for exactly 3 minutes on each side.
3. If the steak is flavoured, ask for the sauce on the side and not spread like mayonnaise all over your steak or else there goes the meat flavour. :(
4. When it arrives all hot, don't cut it open immediately. Let it sit for about a minute. This gives it the "resting" period that the kitchen hasn't given it. You'll have a better steak after that because it allows the juices to be distributed properly.
5. Don't let it go cold.

Bon appetit!

PS: If you want to try something different from steak, try Shiok Far-eastern Cuisine, my restaurant on CMH Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore. We serve food from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore.