"When tasting the dishes it was evident that the Buffalo Steak House takes their meat seriously. The filet was cooked to perfection, medium, just as we like, a touch of pepper and salt and we were good to go…" Yonatan Sternberg's mission for a Mehadrin kosher steak is fulfilled at Buffalo Steak House in Jerusalem.
I thought this would be a tough one. Where could I find a high quality, strictly kosher (mehadrin) steak? Is there even such a thing?
Until not to long ago (I think sometime in the 90’s), finding a good kosher steak in the Jerusalem was relatively impossible. Sure one could head over to 1868 or the celebrated “Cow on the Roof” and indulge in excellent food, but at those prices, these restaurants were only reserved for special occasions. The predominant option was to order a simply titled 'beef steak' at one of the many Middle Eastern grill houses. But lets be honest, those grilled rough cuts, cooked an eon past well done are light years away from a decent steak.
After spending sometime online, reviewing my various kosher steak options, I decided to check out a relatively new restaurant, the Buffalo steak House. Situated on the southern side of the upscale Emek Refaim road (near the Oranim gas station), the Buffalo Steak House offers a pared down menu starring steaks. One can also choose from various salads, starters, homemade burgers and more. But since my partner and I both consider ourselves as devout carnivores, we decided that tonight would be dedicated exclusively to meat.
We started off with the beef filet carpaccio and the liver pate. Both portions were generous and tasty. The carpaccio was delicately seasoned with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and thyme (of course due to kashrut restriction, the chef was forced to hold the parmesan). At first the pate seamed a bit anemic (again, I understand that making pate without using butter or cream is a challenge), but when topped with delicious cherry tomato preserves, the problem was solved. The fact that the mini toasts, which were served with both dishes, were cold was a bit disappointing, but than again tonight was all about meat.
For mains, I decided to go for the rib-eye steak which is definitely one of my favorite cuts, while my companion opted for the leaner filet steak. When tasting the dishes it was evident that the Buffalo Steak House takes their meat seriously. The filet was cooked to perfection, medium, just as we like, a touch of pepper and salt and we were good to go. As for the rib-eye, I was having some mixed feelings, while half of the steak was superb, consisting of perfect grill marks on the outside and red and juicy within, the steak was not cooked evenly, hence the second half was closer on to well done.
Don’t pass on the excellent steak fries and the homemade onion rings - finally a place that takes the time to prepare their own rings. After receiving warm recommendations regarding the parve chocolate soufflé, we just had to taste one. Prepared fresh upon ordering, this warm chocolate treat is well worth the wait. We also sampled a refreshing 'fruit soup' – rich, sweet and topped with fresh fruits and cream, I'm not sure if I would be able to finish a whole bowl of it, but I have to agree that this was a fine way to end the meal.
Buffalo Steak House
54 Emek Refaim, German Colony, Jerusalem
Tel: 02-5611325
