Keens Steakhouse Lunch

Keens Steakhouse kinda feels like it’s the ‘Ship Restaurant’ of NYC. Got the Prime Rib, English cut 11Oz as I’m dining alone. For starters, lobster salad and 1/2 dozen East & West Coast oysters.

The power lunch, business lunch, midday feast — it's a meal by many names. And as dining trends shift over the years, one thing that's stayed constant is the symbiotic relationship between a corporate card and a steak house. In my case today, let’s call it the jet-lag meal. Fresh of the flying boat - I made it to Keens Steakhouse.

This is one of New York City's most iconic meat huts, with a history that stretches back to the 1880s. Although it's got all the classics like prime rib and porterhouse, this midtown spot is known for its mutton.

The East coast oysters (closer to me) were anaemic but briny still. The West coasties were larger, plumper. Didn’t expect much.

The lobster salad though was quite the eye opener. Refreshing, zesty and spiritedly garnished with garden vegetables like rocket, drizzled with spicy garlic aioli. The grapefruit slices were a perfect condiment adding good citrusy balance. The Boston (Maine) lobster was springy to the bite and was buttery-smooth. This is a 7.25/10 starter for me.

Then came the piece de resistance. The slab of meat. Now we’re talking! In what can only be described as charbroiled heaven - the medium rare or a beauty was pure elegance. The purity and sincerity of the meat (and cooking) is rare indeed. Perfectly cooked and I’m glad I chose medium rare for this piece of English rose. The fat and marbling just oozes into the yin yang inspired horseradish sauce.

This piece of meat underscores the word juicy a few times over. Forget about the crusty, crispy outside, succulent inside zeitgeist. This is juicy, juice all in itself! This is a 8/10 for me.

The sides are simple - market vegetables and for this English cut the server suggested string beans. Perfect choice. Yes, this isn’t as crusty and uppity as Hawksmoor, but one can obviously appreciate why Keens Steakhouse has been around since the 1880s!

Not to be missed - in your NYC steak 101 journey. Suggest Keens and American Cut as your starters before moving on to the fancier Hawksmoor, Peter Luger and Gallaghers of NY. Don’t let the ‘Ship Restaurant’ and family style dining vibes distract you from savouring and dancing with the classic American steakhouse fire that has been burning bright for over a century!

What’s interesting is that Keens is most well known for their mutton chops! Definitely worth a try. Total damage USD140 including gratuities. Not too bad.