Afterthoughts – Meat Sweats & 90-Day Aged Steak at Butchers Club Deli

The sky’s the limit:  A lack of space is clearly not an issue when it comes to the new Butchers Club Deli.  Residing on the top “penthouse” floor of an industrial building on Wong Chuk Hang road in Aberdeen, the vast space houses a deli, full kitchen, amble seating for 120 people, and a rooftop capable of hosting parties for up to 500!  For us space-strapped Hong Kongers, the vastness of the restaurant just makes us want to run around, and rejoice!  For the first time ever, the Butchers Club has teamed up with ED1TUS, and the dining space also houses a stunning clothing and lifestyle showroom.  But ladies, don’t get too excited, as ED1TUS only caters to men’s fashion.  Although, it might actually be a good thing, as a size 2 might be gut-renchingly hard to fit into after a meal here.  Washed in soft wood tones, the dining room is in sharp contrast to the glass and steel minimalism of the showroom, making the space one stylish showcase.  And kudos to the sexy Harley Davidson parked alongside one wall!

*Please note, the menu described below (with the exception of the steak) are only for the Deli’s lunch menu.  The dinner menu will be a set menu similar to that offered at the Butchers Club.  

Let the feasting begin:  For the tasting, we were seated at a rustic communal table, and began our dinner with generous platters of Caesar salad.  Salad, for meativores?  The Butchers Club salad ($70) is stacked with enough thick-cut grilled bacon, crunchy cubes of rye croutons and mineralised slivers of parmesan to appease any carnivore.

The Butchers Board ($200), loaded with gelatinous pork hock terrine, briny salami, home-made sausages, tender shavings of corned beef, plus all the condiments to smear over fluffy bread, had us chortling with delight.

Fat is best friends with carbs, and the poutine with thick cut fries fried in duck fat ($80), topped with pastrami, aged cheddar and homestyle gravy was good enough to earn the respect of any Canadians.

The NY-style corned beef sandwich ($120) came with a bag of potato chips and was stacked so high with layers upon layers of succulent meat we almost had to unhook our jaws like a snake to take a bite.

Paying homage to British classics, the dry-aged steak, ale and wild mushroom pie ($120), served of course, with a generous heaping of duck fat fries was the perfect comfort food, while the fish and chips with mushy peas ($140) was a satisfying guilty indulgence.

The crowning jewel of the evening was the 90day dry-aged Australian steak, which isn’t on the Deli’s standard lunch menu, but is available for dinner with special request upon advanced booking.  The aged cut was incredibly concentrated in beefy flavours, and cooked to a blushing rose with a perfect, savoury crust.  I also loved the wide selection of homemade condiments that came with the steak, out of which my favourite has to be the chimichurri sauce.  (Please note:  the beef are sold in primal, and not as individual steaks, so the price will depend on the weight of the primal)

We calmed our meat sweats with velvety chocolate brownies ($70) and the most curious apple crumble ($70) – topped with cubes of cheddar cheese!  The contrast between sweet and savoury, as well as the flakiness of the crumble and the gooeyness of the apple against the chewy stringiness of the cheese, was definitely a treat for curious palates.

Verdict:  A celebration of good taste – the new Butchers Deli is the perfect venue for large gatherings or extravagant private dinners.  The unique space can play host to a wide range of events, from corporate parties to product launches, to birthday dinners or private get-togethers.  The menu, under the guidance of Chef David, will surly guarantee euphoria for any carnivore.