Ruth's Chris [茹絲葵] (Visit #2)

Visit: April 30, 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)

When people are asked what their comfort foods are, usually something like casseroles or some family style food is brought up. Mine though... is steak. I love steak, and so due to transitive property (yes I was concentrating in middle school math), I love Ruth's Chris.

Menu


Complimentary Bread

Complimentary Bread

 The bread at Ruth's Chris isn't very special, but the fact that they never fail to serve it warm just makes it so much better. I also love the butter they serve. It's so easy to spread, and so fluffy and light to eat.

Foie Gras with Mashed Potatoes

Foie Gras with Mashed Potatoes

 The foie gras wasn't on the menu, but when the waitress introduced it, I was automatically drawn to it. I'm not going to deny, the foie gras was pretty oily... but isn't that the whole point? The foie gras was cooked just right, and oh my gosh, I just love the mashed potatoes at Ruth's Chris. I'm not even going to imagine how much butter they put into the mashed potatoes...but hey, all that matters is that it's pretty awesome.

Sizzlin' Blue Crab Cakes (紐奧良蟹肉糕) $450 NT

Sizzlin' Blue Crab Cakes

The crab cakes were awesome too! I'm not usually a big fan of crabs, but the crab cake didn't have the disgusting fishy taste, nor did it result in a mouthful of oil when I bit into it as I would've expected. The outsides were a bit crispy, while the insides weren't dried up, but instead retained most of its moisture.

Petite Fillet - 8 Ounce (小菲力牛排 - 8 ounce) $1350 NT

Petite Fillet

 My sister and I originally wanted to cowboy ribeye since we enjoyed it so much last time, but due to some recent beef issues in Taiwan, Ruth's Chris no longer serves bone-in steaks for now.

Insides of the Petite Fillet

I got mine medium rare, but told them that I'd rather have it a little more on the rare side since the sizzlin' plates usually cook the beef a little bit more. As you can see, they did a pretty good job at it. Last time, when I had the Fillet at Robin's Grill, I thought that it was the best I've ever had, but after a bite of Ruth's Chris' Petite Fillet, Robin's Grill falls to a very close second. The fillet wasn't tough to chew on at all, and it was just so tender. Cowboy ribeye is still my favorite though :D

Ribeye - 16 Ounce (肋眼牛排 - 16 Ounce) $1850 NT

16 Ounce Ribeye

 Once again, Ruth's Chris didn't disappoint with a piece of meat that was cooked just right. The ribeye was good compared to other restaurants, except personally, I don't think I enjoy the ribeye as much as the other portions. The ribeye was a little more fibrous compared to the fillet, and was also a little chewer compared to the cowboy ribeye.

Dessert Selection

Clockwise form the Creme Brulee: Cheesecake, Chocolate Molten Cake and Chocolate Sin Cake

 The dessert selection just looked so yummy! Don't be fooled though, these weren't all the desserts that they were serving that night, these were simply the ones they were showcasing.

Chocolate Sin Cake (巧克力蛋糕) $260 NT

Chocolate Sin Cake

 Man, this dessert was so appropriately named. The cake is completely made of chocolate fudge with no flour whatsoever, so it guarantees a full-blown chocolate experience. The chocolate sin cake was just so rich and fudgey that I couldn't resist it... eating it was just such a guilty pleasure.

Caramelized Banana Cream Pie (香蕉奶油派) $350 NT

Caramelized Banana Cream Pie

 I remember hesitating a bit when I was going to order the banana cream pie because I was so worried that under the bananas would be whipped cream or something really lame. Ordering it was an awesome idea. I, being forever obsessed with pie crusts, was very much satisfied with the crust of the banana cream pie. The banana was also caramelized nicely while the cream wasn't whipped cream, but a more custard-like dairy-rich cream. It went so well with the banana while contrasting nicely with the pie crust.

Honestly, after having been to Ruth's Chris three times (I've only documented it twice), Ruth's Chris has continued to impress me each time. I'm not the kind of person who picks out favorites, but I think that if I really had to choose, Ruth's Chris would be my favorite restaurant. The thing with Ruth's Chris is that it's not just one dish that's good, or one course that's well thought out, but it's just such a well-rounded restaurant. So far, everything I've tasted have just been either good or amazing, and the service there is also exceptional, while the atmosphere just makes you feel right at home. For the average Taiwanese, the presentation of the food might not be as appealing as other restaurants, but the quality is definitely worth the price. Although the steaks are somewhat expensive, I think that overall, nothing is outrageously priced at all, I mean look at the size and quality of the desserts compared to those at Pratisserie Sadaharu Aoki or at Salon de the de Joel Robuchon. Definitely visit Ruth's Chris if you get the chance!