Pisco likes steak but rarely visits traditional steakhouses, finding them rather pretentious, overpriced, and rammed with expense-account clientele and their high-tone hangers-on. But as he’s in Seattle Bellevue and fancied something he couldn’t easily get in Hong Kong, John Howie it was.
After sitting in the bar area, tucked away from the other patrons and hopefully hidden from office passers-by, he was informed that as the clock had just struck 9 o’clock, it was happy hour once again. Lovely. I ordered the cocktail special (too sweet, and too tart, I wished for a gin and tonic immediately) and the hanger steak frites. “On the rare side of rare, please,” I begged.
The steak came and it looked good. It was a sizable cut, 6-8 ounces, and juicy; the red wine marinade oozing out with every touch. The marinade, along with a bit of salt on the surface, made for a rich, savory flavor that complimented the velvety texture. It only got better as I finished the entire steak, only occasionally dipping into the accompanying aioli.
The frites were a frightening disappointment. Soft and oily, they covered half the plate in an unspeakable mess, a depressing symbol of the inconsistent standards and general lack of attention to detail so common in America (yes, I just returned from Tokyo). I weep for the potatoes that were sacrificed this day; they deserved better. On reflection, the plate should have been sent back on the frites failure alone, but I was just too famished to fight the good fight.
Most of the reviews on John Howie comment on the astonishing prices, and indeed, looking at their menu, it’s easy to see how you can spend an iPod Nano’s worth of silver for your meal. That said, the happy hour is great value; Pisco spent $22 (before tip) for an excellent steak with one drink, though you should order the tempranillo or a cocktail of choice, and ask for your frites to be fresh and crispy.
Hanger Steak: A-
Frites: D
Service: B+
Value: B+
John Howie Steak
11111 Northeast 8th Street
Bellevue, WA
[map]
