Daily Times

Restaurants serving steaks are a dime a dozen in Karachi and Lahore but what makes for a good steak may stir anger, resentment and even confusion among people here.

It is nigh impossible to have an authentic experience of the steak here that one has in say the finest steak houses in the states.

Patrons have to either settle for mini portions of locally sourced meat to the expensive prime cuts flown in from New Zealand or Australia costing upwards of Rs 5,000 for the privilege.

Enter Prime 109, a steakhouse that aims to shake up the local food scene and elevate the steak experience in Karachi. The restaurant is the brainchild of an expat chef from Los Angeles returning to Pakistan and setting up shop here. According to him, all the meat is locally sourced citing the good quality of meat that is in abundance here. And while the steak cuts may not be USDA approved quality that one may find in the US, they are still in his expert opinion pretty good quality. So what is our verdict?

The first thing that may strike you upon entering is the open kitchen with a clear view on the busy cooks moving back and forth in their hurried pace. Open kitchens denote a sense of confidence on the restaurants’ part on maintaining hygiene and the well-lit and clean environment of the open kitchen doesn’t disappoint

The first thing that may strike you upon entering is the open kitchen with a clear view on the busy cooks moving back and forth in their hurried pace. Open kitchens denote a sense of confidence on the restaurants part on maintaining hygiene and the well lit and clean environment of the open kitchen doesn’t disappoint.

Even in soft launch mode there are still quite a few patrons for a Wednesday afternoon. The ambiance is nice, with spacious, well ventilated surroundings- something very useful when you are eating a big wad of beef. Forgoing their specialty of the 60 oz. tomahawk steak, I go for the prime 109- that being a prime rib eye cut medium rare so it’s not overcooked. For the uninitiated this cut has the most marbling and hence stay tender when grilled.

I was served a portion that came as a pleasant surprise from those smaller servings that I have been accustomed to here. Portion is half the story, the medium rare steak was soft as I cut the meat without having to battle it. Interestingly enough I was served a side bone marrow mash potato which was a refreshing change from the cream filled mash potato being served in other establishments. None of the sauces tasted like they came from a bottle. There is an assortment of sauces to pair with your lean cut which include chimichurri, demi glaze and veloute sauce. The chimichurri with its sour taste paired very nicely with my meal. Scarfing down the enormous taste left little room for anything else.

If you are looking for a premium steak experience on par with the best steak houses in United States, you might be disappointed because Prime109 may not live up to that lofty expectation. Having said that, comparing Prime 109 to gourmet steakhouses abroad may not be the ideal reference point since good steakhouses are so few and far between here. Prime 109 may not get all the things right, but one could chalk them up to teething problems that new restaurants may face in this highly competitive market. Yes the steak maybe priced on the higher side considering the meat is locally sourced. All things considered, Prime109 is a worthy addition to the Karachi culinary map and the place to go if you are looking for enormous, tasty and succulent steaks here.

The writer is a freelancer and can be reached at raheel_@outlook.com