There are certain things you just shouldn’t mess with; a good piece of meat is one of them. Treat it with respect, and it’ll warm the cockles of your heart.
The team behind Butcha Steakhouse & Butcher Shop understands this. The seventh branch of this popular Turkish chain — and its first international outpost, although more are planned for the UAE — takes its meat seriously. US prime black Angus and Australian Wagyu is dry-aged and smoked in-house, prepared sans frills to let the meat speak for itself, and served in classic steakhouse fashion. You can even pick up a chop or three to throw on the grill at home.
Lokum illustrates this philosophy perfectly. The tenderloin strips are so soft, it’s clear why this dish is named after Turkish delight sweets. Good produce doesn’t need much, and the chefs know when to leave it well alone — perfectly and simply seasoned, the meat is skilfully grilled to leave the centre still beautifully red.
I would, however, substitute the mustard mash for a plain version.
Being South African, I’m quite partial to Karoo lamb and its distinctive taste derived from the shrubs the flocks graze on. But the rack of lamb carved tableside with great pomp and ceremony earned my respect — I can’t explain how refreshing it was to tuck into meat that actually tastes like meat again. Of Iranian origin, it was prepared by a similarly expert hand, although our waiter could have exercised some restraint sprinkling oregano and crushed Turkish chilli over the buttered finished product.
Among the starters, the beef bresaola stands out.
A fragrant perfume engulfs your mouth in the gentlest way, before you get a pungent kick from its blue cheese pairing. The burrata, a personal favourite, was disappointingly the least successful dish of the night. While the cheese is decent enough and goes well with the cherry tomatoes and balsamic glaze, the lightly grilled peach addition was still slightly hard. A mere hint of the fruit could have worked better.
For dessert, go with the Chef’s Special — künefe dough is toasted, then combined tableside with sugar syrup, pistachios and vanilla ice cream. Smokey, nutty and sweet, this is as comforting as food gets.
Butcha doesn’t do traditional cuisine — they will run out for lokum, though, if you ask nicely. It takes a more modern approach, stripping down the dishes to their core elements. And it works all the better for it.
The Beach, JBR in Dubai; Butcha.com
