REVIEW (OPENING DAY): MASH Steakhouse (41 Pictures)

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MASH – Modern American Steak House
81 Brewer Street, London, W1F 0RH

Danish Steakhouse MASH – Modern American Steak House opened on Saturday evening in Piccadilly. As expected many of the art deco interior features from the former Titanic Restaurant site have been retained in the 300 seater venue. With a solid reputation from its homeland of Denmark, it promise to bring top quality steaks from around the world, rather than focusing on one specific region.

From what I can gather, it appears that the last few nights of parties were mainly drinks receptions and canopés – Saturday was the first true service day.

I arrived early at 17h00. From my seat next to the bar, I watched the venue steady fill up in over the next two hours. Unsurprisingly, many of the clientele seemed to be Danish who were familiar with the original MASH venues from home. Notably I met several staff members who had been brought over from the Denmark so I expect that they are trying to recreate the same look-and-feel in London.

BAR & COCKTAILS
The bar is the first area which greets you when descend the staircase to the dining area. As expected it is the same art deco style bar as Bar Américain at Zédel. However it is a larger island bar with 5 bartender stations surrounding a solid range of spirits including some great ryes and bourbons.

The cocktail menu is presented in a binder with logically named sections like ‘Long Drinks’ and ‘Short Drinks’, plus some fascinating ‘After Dinner & Hot Drinks’ offerings. I particularly enjoyed the ‘Lakri-licious‘ (Lakrids by Bulow, El Dorado 3 yrs rum, Heering Coffee, Galliano L’Autentico, Elderflower & Chilli) and the ‘JT Manhattan‘ (Rittenhouse Rye 100, Sweet Vermouth, Gran Marnier and bitters). The Lakri-licious is an smooth coffee predominant cocktail with an interesting hint of liquorice on the finish. The JT Manhattan has an initial sweetness which is followed by the development of rye flavours.

STEAK MENU
I was offered a single large thick card menu which outlined steaks from Uruguay (corn fed Hereford), Danish (Dry Aged up to 70 days), USA (Greater Omaha, Nebraska) and a sirloin of wagyu Beef from Australia (Jack’s Creek). Each listed with the cut an approximate set weight and price. For non-beef eaters Guinea Fowl, Rack of Lamb, and a Mash Burger with chilli fries are offered as alternative meats. For seafood lovers, Fillet of Turbot, Whole Grilled Seabass or Whole Grilled lobster is available.

SIDES & SAUCES
All the sides and vegetable dishes are set at £4.50 including the usual fries and creamy spinach. More exotic selections include Bone Marrow, Fried Jalapeños and Corn Sauté with Bacon. Four sauces are offered with your steak, Bearnaise, Pepper, Red Wine, Garlic & Thyme Jus. One sauce is included, extras are £3.50.

FOOD REVIEW
I opted for an American Steak, the New York Strip (300g) cooked medium-rare with Garlic & Thyme sauce, and a single side of ‘Spicy Jalapeños’. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with American steak. Historically, I’ve found that many venues ‘over-salt’ american steak, whether in the USA or not. Fortunately doesn’t appear to be the case at MASH as it was delicately seasoned with a hint of salt on the crust and simply served with a sprig of fresh rosemary along its length. The Mash steak knives are suitably heavy and fantastically sharp. They make short work of the beef. The Garlic & Thyme sauce was pleasant, however the steak was so tasty that I decided it deserved to be eaten in its pure unadulterated form.

The ‘Spicy Jalapeños’ side was great. I was given multiple warnings that it is “very spicy” by my waiter Jacob. However, spice is always relative! They are nothing like the Chiles Toreados I had earlier this week at the opening of Lupita East. But for those who like a nice bit of heat it was an interesting dish. The spice is strong but doesn’t distract from the meat. Awesome.

Overall Impression
My conclusion is… I will definitely be back within the week. The prices seem to be roughly on par with Hawksmoor, which I expect to be their main competitor. I’ve already received several “Is it better than Hawksmoor/Goodmans” messages. Since I haven’t eaten extensively at either, I am not the right person to comment. So if you like your steak, and know Hawksmoor/Goodmans well, try them it out and let me know what you think.