Western Steak, Chinese Style

Taiwanese multi-millionaire Wang Yung-ching often treated his guests to a meal at his home, always a grand occasion because, as a great fan of Chinese cuisines, he ensured that his chef, a maestro in his own right, always prepared top-notch dishes. When Wang found he had to host some foreign guests, he asked his chef to create western dishes to honour their presence.

 

The chef was baffled. He had no experience of western cuisines, let alone dishes for western guests who were also enthusiasts of Chinese food. All the chef could do was experiment, an uphill battle because he hardly knew where to start. So he tentatively dipped a steak into a series of sauces whose bases were tens of condiments. Then he toasted the steak for almost two hours, pleased to find that the meat absorbed the sauces’ fragrances while becoming fully cooked.

 

The dish was nothing less than innovative – something of a happy accident, let’s say. But it won great acclaim as it was quickly devoured by Wang and his guests from overseas. One guest obtained Wang’s approval to open a restaurant called Wang Steak, and took a short cut to a fortune. This first Wang Steak outlet grew into a chain of 52 around Taiwan and other parts of the world, including Los Angeles. The group’s latest branch is now open at Miyang Tower, Beijing.

 

In Chinese, “Wang” means king, and all the group’s restaurant designs follow this theme. The Beijing outlet is on two spacious floors, thus providing diners with as much privacy as they require. The chairs here seem to have been inspired by “thrones” found in fairytales, so the waiters are quick to remind guests that they are at Wang’s to “dine like a king”. The tableware is equally royal in appearance, and an extra personal touch is provided when the waiters instruct diners how to properly cut the famous Wang Steak. They don’t give up until they are satisfied that you have mastered it correctly.

 

Wang Steak Restaurant works from a set menu, with your meal priced at 198 yuan per person, plus 10 percent surcharge. Whatever the price, it is a meal that food lovers are quickly finding they cannot afford to miss. A 16oz Wang Steak is very special indeed, as regular diners testify.

 

It has been refined somewhat from its original recipe back in Taiwan; an example being that it is cut from between the sixth and eighth ribs of an ox. It is then marinated for two days, and cooked for 90 minutes at a temperature of 250 degrees C. The plate it is served on is heated to 120 degrees C, so be careful with your fingers.

 

Inevitably, Wang dishes vary a little from place to place to meet local tastes. In the Beijing branch in Spring and Summer, for instance, you can enjoy steak-accompanying Chinese-style plum juice, a dressing you would never find at, say, Wang’s Los Angeles branch.

 

There are two Wang Steak restaurants in Shanghai, so regular diners there are delighted that there is now a Beijing counterpart for them to visit when in the capital. The new outlet here is already making its mark, so it is wise to make a reservation before you visit.

 

Wang Steak’s menu follows well-trodden paths when it comes to choices, but there is considerable innovation in the style and taste of individual items. German bread and croissants both go well with the centerpiece steak, while salads range from French smoked salmon roll to shrimp cocktail with a fruit salad.

 

Soups include pumpkin with abalone, a seafood consommé with pastry, and a corn version in a bread container. When it comes to the Wang Steak, or other mains, there is superb plum juice and good choices of side vegetables and seasonal fruits.

 

Some desserts are a bit different too, but no less delectable in quality. Try the chocolate lava, the shelled crème renversee, or the blueberry cottage pudding made superb by its orange sauce. There is the usual range of non-alcoholic drinks, though do try the iced apple vinegar or grapefruit tea.

 

Wang’s Steak Restaurant

Open: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., 5-9 p.m.

Tel: +86 10 6568 0180, 6566 9228

Ground floor, Miyang Tower, Yong’an Donglu (Opposite Guiyou Shopping Centre)

建外大街永安东路米阳大厦首层