[Shanghai] THE CUT | Steak & Fries

THE CUT Steak & Fries | thecut-shanghai.com | Dianping
Address: 淮海中路999号环贸广场L6&L7(陕西南路) – L6 & L7/IAPM, 999 Huaihai Zhong Lu (徐汇区 Xuhui District)
Date visited: 2014.06 for dinner
Price: RMB¥218/258/358/558 steak sets
Will return: Yes

Please note:
This is an incorporation of part invited tasting the first time / part coming back on my own the second time

Steak and fries is a classic meat and potatoes combination, which is one of the main staples to my diet way of eating. THE CUT is here to fill the steak and fries niche in Shanghai, offering more affordable alternatives to the RMB¥800-1000 steaks (good and bad) that seem to be the normal pricing nowadays in Shanghai. It’s simple: all sets include steak, unlimited salad bar and fries galore; just choose your steak. This concept is similar to La Vache! in Hong Kong, which also specializes in steak and fries except with one cut of steak.

THE CUT is brought to you by VOL Group, who is responsible for Mr and Mrs Bund, Ultraviolet, Bar Rouge and more. They know a thing or two about marketing and decor.

An upside down cow? I would like to know why myself as well.

Oh, how did you know? What a perfect description of me (and everyone who walks in through the door).

Dinner with my fellow Wolverine/Michigan alum! School is a powerful common denominator that has the ability to bring people together and I am glad I went to one that has such a large alumni network. I am sure alumni of many schools feel the similarly when they find other alumni no matter from whatever year and in whichever part of the world. Halfway around the world from Ann Arbor and here we are talking about nights on South U and our favorite restaurant Pacific Rim. There’s no feeling like being able to recall some of the best years of your life with someone without having to introduce the context or preface it with what anything is. They already know. Of course, we have to end this paragraph with Go Blue!

This strange Chinese person trapped in a white man’s body ordered a well done steak.

There are four steak options on the menu that you can choose from that come with unlimited salad and fries. Alternatively, if you just want salad (although I would question why you walked into a steak & fries place to begin with), you can pay RMB¥98 for unlimited salad. Don’t be that person.

You get a salad plate and you can go back to the salad bar to load up on as many different salads as many times as you like. It’s like a buffet of healthy food.

My favorite is the quinoa salad, which has shrimp, avocado, cucumber, and tomato. The Vietnamese salad is also very good with chicken and bits of grapefruit.

My one concern over the salad bar, which has also been voiced by other friends who have dined here, is that it is out in the open. Perhaps a translucent lid over each bowl may sooth our concerns.

We can’t forget about the wine and as I am a Malbec-aholic, we got a bottle, which I recognized as the same one from my birthday dinner at Mr and Mrs Bund. It is a great Malbec.

The Cut
180g Canadian Prime + Secret Sauce (RMB¥218 set)
Recommend: yes
“The Cut” is a Canadian prime on a white plate set at a base price of RMB¥218. Good value for the price.

You also get some delicious mustards and salts for your steak.

I recommend the mustard with the visible seeds on the left and white salt on the right.

The Board
RMB¥258 for 280g Qingdao Grain Fed
RMB¥358 for 280g Australian 300 days Grain Fed
RMB¥558 for 280g Wagyu Australian 400 days Grain Fed 6 Score
Recommend: Australian 300 days

If you want to go for a higher priced steak, you have the option of three steaks on “The Board,” which is literally a steak served on a board with the addition of potato carrot gratin, roasted garlic, and choice of two sauces (black truffle hollandaise and sweet bacon barbecue are the best). My preference is mustard and salt for the steak and sauce for the fries.

I tried both the Qingdao and Australian 300 days and the Australian tastes better. Let me put it this way: the Australian beef tastes like a pampered cow and the Qingdao beef tastes like it’s had a rougher life. I am not impressed with the Qingdao but the Australian is good and will be my default when I come here. If I feel like splurging, perhaps the Wagyu Australian 400 days next time.

Fries are an important food group (as is wine) for me. These fries are thin and crispy, exactly how I like them. With the black truffle hollandaise and sweet bacon barbecue sauces? I can’t stop eating these. I am always the person who gorges on fries while everyone else is concentrating on their steaks.

Dessert is not included in the dinner set but Shanghai Girl’s gotta to eat something sweet.

Again, perhaps some glass covers for these.

“Rosie” Raspberry Éclair (RMB¥35)
Recommend: this raspberry eclair, which I do not like since I hate raspberries and everything raspberry-flavored, tastes like candy. Not for me but for you if you like raspberries and candy. My friend does. He has gotten this both times he was here and I don’t doubt that he will get this again next time.

Tart “Du Jour” (RMB¥38)
Recommend: yes
Fresh strawberries atop a sweet crust. This is more my dessert.

The main dining area is on the 6th floor of IAPM but the restaurant also goes up to the 7th floor where this very nice terrace is. We definitely want to sit here next time if we get a chance.

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