[Shanghai] Roosevelt Prime Steakhouse

Roosevelt Prime Steakhouse | rooseveltsteakhouse.com | Dianping
Address:  太原路160号太原别墅瑞金宾馆内(近永嘉路) – 160 Taiyuan Rd near Yongjia Rd inside Ruijin InterContinental (徐汇区 Xuhui District)
Date visited: 2013.12
Total bill: RMB¥2,759 for three people (including 10% service charge)
Will return: Definitely
What to get:
– Ribeye Prime “The Delmonico”
– Black truffle mac & cheese

Roosevelt Prime does steaks. They are good at it. Really good.

I did my steak research and all signs pointed here. Roosevelt Prime, not to be confused with House of Roosevelt on the Bund, is a steakhouse located in the Ruijin InterContinental that serves up USDA Prime steaks.

I expected and it delivered (if only all restaurants did). No sauces, no salts, no gimmicks, just steak on a plate. While CHAR‘s specialty is the all-around experience and not necessarily mind-blowing steaks, Roosevelt Prime makes it purely on its steaks. You go to CHAR to impress someone with flashy presentation; you go to Roosevelt Prime to enjoy a fine piece of cow. It’s a different 风格. This place has one of the best steaks I have had so far in Shanghai. I actually think the steaks here are impressive by universal standards and not just Shanghai standards. Excellent, excellent steaks.

This place is expensive. Very expensive. I could have bought 800 shengjianbaos instead for the cost of just one of our steaks. The sacrificial shengjianbaos were worth it. Of all the overpriced restaurants in Shanghai, I wouldn’t blink twice before coming back here again for the steak and the truffle mac & cheese. Please note there is a 10% service charge on top of the bill.

Bread (complimentary) with a vat of super soft butter is always a promising start.

Hearty amuse-bouche of warm carrot soup and marinated meatball to start.

Lobster Bisque with Black Truffle Foam (RMB¥110)
Recommend: yes
Lobster bisque, the truffle was strong in smell but flavor was not too distinct in taste. Although not completely necessary, a nice prelude to warm up the stomach.

Foie Gras Torchon, Aged Balsamic, Mango Chutney, Brioche Toasts (RMB¥135)
Recommend: no
Nothing too out of the ordinary but we always like to get foie gras if it’s on the menu. It was average and not melt-in-your-mouth worthy. Foie gras torchons/terrines usually have a sweet element to balance the savory foie gras and the mango chutney serves that purpose in this dish. The toast was very basic white bread and they didn’t charge us when we asked for more so that’s always good when the restaurant isn’t petty.

After you order, a server will bring out pure, unadulterated raw steaks for your viewing pleasure before cooking. Ribeye on the left and porterhouse on the right. Then the server takes them back to the kitchen for the chef to perform his sorcery.

Classic Bacon Creamed Spinach (RMB¥65)
Recommend: no
We did not like this at all. I thought it was way too creamy, which masked the taste of the spinach.

Roosevelt’s Famous Black Truffle Mac & Cheese (RMB¥80)
Recommend: yes
I can forgive the botched creamed spinach because this mac & cheese was the bomb. One for each person next time because I am not sharing. This mac & cheese was buttery and truffley yet not too heavy on the cheese. Amazing.

Now we are ready for our steaks. Nothing too ornate, just simple steak knives that do the job.

Ribeye Prime 16 oz (454 g) 1.5″ thick “The Delmonico” (RMB¥650)
Recommend: yes

Raw: beautiful marbling on the ribeye for a bit of fat in every bite.

Cooked: the steak was crusted on the outside and juicy on the inside. We asked for medium rare and it was cooked with the perfect amount of pink inside. The steak was really well seasoned and neither came with nor needed any sauces (which is usually the case with good steaks). Both the ribeye and porterhouse were served alone on white plates and while I was taking photos, juice started seeping out of the steaks.

JUICE.

You think you are hungry reading this? Think about how I feel trying to relive this without the actual steaks.

28 Day Aged Porterhouse Prime 24 oz (680 g) 1.5″ thick (RMB¥1,250)
Recommend: yes
Since it was a monumental birthday and our three’s last meal together until next year, we went all out and picked the most expensive steak on the menu, which was the porterhouse prime.

Raw: bone in and enormous. By the way, two steaks for three people (two of which were guys) was plenty.

Cooked: again, emphasis on the perfect crust and touch of seasoning on the outside. The porterhouse was an excellent steak in all aspects, but we liked the the ribeye better as it was slightly more tender by our own preferences.

Between the ribeye and porterhouse, Ribeye Prime “Delmonico” was the clear winner in taste, not to mention half the price. I know they are different cuts but for me, the ribeye hit the spot. The ribeye was really excellent and fulfilled the ideal steak all of us have been looking for.

Chocolate fondant (RMB¥80)
Lastly, we had a birthday dessert on the house complete with candles and wishes. Happy birthday, mister.

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