When you visit a restaurant, what’s the first thing you judge it on? Is it the staff, the drinks, the decor – the exterior? Personally I CAN be sympathetic towards certain things, but when it comes down to the basic interior of a place, which I have to sit in for the next few hours – some things just can’t be excused. The Meat Co. in Westfield is a little in between that line because downstairs in the bar area its tired and glass-washer smelly. But upstairs it’s well-kept, clean and extremely cosy. The Meat Co. needs to strike a balance and quickly – because after all first impressions count most. What I love most about this place is the open kitchen, gazing across the room at the flame grilled chunks of steak spitting and crackling. Unlike downstairs, it smells of heaven upstairs.
If you hadn’t already guessed by the name, The Meat Co. specialises in meat – particularly steak and lots of it. Located just at the entrance of Westfield shopping centre in Shepherd’s Bush, these guys have been serving up London since the huge mall first opened its doors, drawing influence from the brands roots in South Africa. They don’t heavily drown you in unusual South African delights either, so no crocodile or Zebra here – though there is Kangaroo!? The Meat Co. isn’t just London-based either, but have multiple outlets across the Middle East and South Africa – that may explain the reason why they serve a full halal menu alongside the regular a la carte. Cocktails here were by no means amazing but they were solid. A well constructed espresso martini went down a treat, as did my dining companions porn star martini – practically inhaled if I remember rightly.
Food wise the menu is big and a little expensive – but at the end of the day the quality is here, particularly if we’re talking about the steak. To start our heart attack of a journey was a plate of braised rib meat cigars served alongside a balsamic mayo. I’ve had these “cigars” before at Shaka Zulu in Camden (another South African restaurant) and were then filled with crocodile. Here it’s a million times better, stuffed to the brim with lots of rib meat and a rich, slightly sweet gravy. A little gimmicky, perhaps – but very satisfying. Salt and pepper calamari came in the form of large, scored chunks of squid covered in a rather unusual batter which I wasn’t sure about at first, but later went on to love. A homemade Nam Jim dipping sauce was also rather addictive and if I could have spooned the stuff straight into my mouth, I would have – instead I went down the route of practically pouring our easy drinking Pinot Noir down it.
I must admit, we had a bit of a hard task choosing what to order for our main course. But in the end it was all down to one thing only – the steak. We both decided to choose the same cut – but from two very different age categories and continents. First up was the 300g New-Yorker from North American Black Angus cattle, grain fed for 120 days & wet aged for 35+ days. I’d actually not had wet aged steak before or at least not knowingly, but learnt how it gives it such a fantastic texture, meaning it cuts through like butter and chews through like fluffy, meaty clouds of goodness. The flavour of the meat was incredibly rich, full and cooked a pristine perfect medium-rare as requested. Onion rigs were served thin, with very little oil and had a light batter coating. What more could I ask for in a Monday evening?
Next up for the taste test was a second slab of New-Yorker, but this time dry aged first for up to 30 days & then wet aged. The whole point of the two different aging methods is to create a truly succulent piece of meat and while it was still very good, something about that Black Angus just had a little more edge over this cut – yet it was all very marginal which made for a very interesting meal. Next time I visit The Meat Co. it will be all about ordering the steak tasting platter – the only way for a true meaty experience. We were already cringing at the thought of eating any more food by this point – yet we still managed buckets of chips, juicy asparagus and a lovely blue cheese with vodka dipping sauce.
All in the name of research. That’s always my excuse for dessert when I’ve got no room, managing to find that last possible space to squeeze in what turned out to probably be the most calorific thing I’ve eaten all year. Similar to a sticky toffee pudding, this Madiba Charity Malva Pudding was incredibly rich, soaked in syrup all the way through to the middle, doused with apricot jam and served with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. The ice cream was nothing to write home about, but that sponge was on another flavour scale. No wonder its Nelson Mandela’s favourite pudding.
The Meat & Co. restaurant isn’t going to be the best meal you’ve ever eaten – but neither will it be the worst. The place has so much potential. This isn’t no stuffy Hawksmoor or modern MASH Steakhouse, instead it’s a very accomplished South African steak haven nestled away in West London. Prices are on the steep side, yes – but if an excellent piece of steak, legendary onion rings and mouth-watering Malva pudding are what you’re after, then I couldn’t think of a single reason (apart from perhaps the decor) why you wouldn’t every want to come here.
7.5/10
