A reel from Marco Pierre White lamenting the absence of romance in modern fine dining has gone viral this week . It’s not something I have considered, but would have to agree . The throwback style and luxury of SW steakhouse is certainly the antidote .

Chef @heljoamaral generously previewed a new dish from his upcoming menu and it’s a home run . Gnocchi is filled with artichoke emulsion and topped with black truffle , this is giving Alinea black truffle explosion vibes and honestly a little modern retro is a great fit for a restaurant menu which delivers a classic experience . What really sets this dish apart is it’s accompanied by grilled bone marrow . The interplay of emulsion and marrow is a terrific mind meld and the marrow itself wasn’t overtly fatty .

First up was a half dozen Gillardeau oysters served with a banquet of options ( hot sauce , mignonette, Worcestershire , lemon and lime ) . FWIW I am team mignonette .

I chose the Margaret river Wagyu New York strip for steak and happily received another WIP from the kitchen . This beef had been washed with bourbon and maple before being encased in wax and dry aged for 21-28 days . Both the bourbon and maple notes do hit the palate but don’t detract or distract from the beef . The particularly charred ends of the steak were particularly satisfying , love Burnt Ends! Also a coming attraction on the upcoming new menu .

The steak came with 5 sauces , I’m usually prone to chimichurri or bearnaise but I really enjoyed the port bordelaise on this occasion .
Sides were potato confit/ fondant and white asparagus with Yunnan morels .

Desperately full but still committed to dessert , and a nice take on pina colada , which gave the fresh coconut hit I was looking for .

Service was great and they “talked” me into booking in for the upcoming 4 hand dinner with Born and Bred , looking forward to a nose to tail beef extravaganza . Less