Ruth's Chris [茹絲葵]

Visit: Feb. 5, 2012
Address: 台北市松山區民生東路三段 135 號 2 F
Number: (02) 2545-8888
Website: http://www.ruthschris.com/Steak-House/10037/Taipei (Not Taiwan)

For me, the most desirable steakhouses have always been: Prime 168, A-Cut (I have yet to go) and Ruth's Chris, so when my parents announced that we will be dining at the restaurant of my choice, Ruth's Chris was my first option. Although I liked Ruth's Chris the first time I was there, I secretly dreaded my second visit, fearing that I wouldn't enjoy it as much. But I was wrong.

Bread Basket (麵包籃)

Bread Basket and Olive Oil & Vinegar

 I really liked the warm crispiness of the bread but I felt like it lacked moisture. Instead of a crispy outside but a warm, moist inside, the bread was just a bit too dry. To spare ourselves from ultimate unhealthiness, I requested olive oil and vinegar instead of the butter. The vinegar ended up tasted so bad and cheap :/.

For the dishes, they set everything up by your table, then serve the food.

The setup Clockwise from the right: Ribeye (12oz), Ahi-Tuna Stack, Cowboy Ribeye, Creamed Spinach, Hollandaise Sauce, Mashed Potato and Asparagus

Mashed Potato (馬鈴薯泥) $230 NT, Creamed Spinach (奶油波菜) $230 NT and Fresh Asparagus and Hollandaise (新鮮蘆筍配荷蘭醬) $250 NT

Mashed Potato, Creamed Spinach, Fresh Asparagus & Hollandaise

The mashed potato was awesome with its creaminess, silkiness, smoothness and its buttery taste. It was just awesome. As for the spinach, I still like Lawry's Creamed Spinach more where the spinach is denser and completely chopped up, but I guess the two aren't the same kinds. The Asparagus by itself was good since it's just a bit seasoned and it tasted really fresh. The hollandaise sauce wasn't so great though, it felt too much like mayo.

Ahi-Tuna Stack (香煎鮪魚) $890 NT

Ahi-Tuna Stack

Unfortunately, I don't remember what the sauce tastes like. All I remember is that the crab meat went nicely with the tuna. The crab was cooked and salted without being too dry. The tuna was seared just right. While the outside layer was cooked, the inside still retained the texture.  

Cowboy Ribeye (帶骨助眼牛排) $1890 NT

Cowboy Ribeye (Half)

They serve all their steaks on a sizzling hot plate with butter. I got mine medium rare, but maybe I should have had it done a little more rare because the plate actually cooked it a little more. The cowboy ribeye is just a little thicker than the normal ribeye. Personally, I liked the cowboy one more, but unlike my portion, my sister's half of the cowboy ribeye had a lot of tendon.

Ribeye 12-Ounce (助眼牛排) $1290 NT

Ribeye 12-Ounce

 The ribeye wasn't bad compared to the cowboy ribeye, it just wasn't as good. But a real turnoff was that there was so much fat in the meat that you weren't able to enjoy the whole or most of the 12 ounces.

Warm Apple Crumb Tart (蘋果派) $280 NT

Warm Apple Crumb Tart

The dessert altered my perception of Ruth's Chris from amazing to extraordinary. The apple tart was served warm topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. Within the tart, there was a faint cinnamon as well as tangy apple taste. The shell was so crumbly that it complemented the crumbly bits on top. Definitely a must order!

Complimentary Birthday Cheesecake (招待的起司蛋糕)

Complimentary Cheesecake

The cheesecake they surprised me for my birthday was amazing as well. The body was rich and creamy with cookie-like crust that just held the creaminess together. I don't actually remember what the white sauce was though.

 I went on a busy Sunday night, so the waitress wasn't able to give us her all attention, but the service was still okay. Other than that...well, it's obvious that I'll definitely go back again! So far, Ruth's Chris is my favorite restaurant. When you want to celebrate, or have the opportunity to splurge (: go try Ruth's Chris!