NEED TO KNOW
- New Idea tries out the one-dish dining trend – one item on the menu only.
- The Shangri-la Hotel in Sydney offers a Signature Steak Frites experience.
- It’s one dish, done well -but you get a choice of sauce!
- Perfect for an after-work bite, or date night!
Choice is a good thing, but sometimes, choice, when it comes to a menu, can be overwhelming.
And now that menus in some restaurants are as big as a small cinema screen, choosing what to order can be…a lot.
So when New Idea was invited to try the one-dish dining trend, I was intrigued to test out the trend that’s popping up in bars and restaurants around Australia.
Basically, think one classic dish and sides – done well.
You sit, you skip the menu beyond choosing your accompaniments – and drinks of course – and then voila!
A few relaxing minutes later, your meal arrives.
What’s not to like?
Curious to see what all the fuss was about, I headed to Blu Bar on 36 at Sydney’s Shangri-La Hotel, which has just launched its new Signature Steak Frites experience.
This is the only spot in Sydney where you can enjoy steak frites with front-row views of both the Opera House AND the Harbour Bridge, 36 floors above the glittering harbour.
Arriving on a blustery Friday evening, the rain outside barely mattered – inside, the atmosphere was warm, the service was attentive, and a cocktail was in hand almost immediately.
The only decisions required for the entire evening?
How we’d like our steaks cooked, and which of the three sauces to go with.
And then — just as our dinner arrived — the clouds parted and that famous Sydney skyline appeared in all its glory right outside our window.
You couldn’t script it better!
The steak frites themselves — served with a lightly dressed green salad — were exceptional. Juicy, flavourful steak paired with piping hot, perfectly salted frites.
This experience totally works as an after-work bite, a quick pre-show meal, or is fancy enough to be done for date night. At $45 per plate, it’s competitively priced for the quality.
Given that we’re at a rooftop bar, it is tempting to stay on for another sundown cocktail, but happily full from some of the best steak frites I’ve eaten, I opt to descend back to ground level and head home.
But I will be back. One dish doesn’t mean boring, and the freedom to simply switch off was welcome.
Now about those too-large menus? Time to start a downsizing campaign?!
