Every so often, an eatery pops up and creates an immediate uproar with an influx of reviews on social media labeling it as God's gift to mankind. Steak_CFU has recently been just one such place, with a negative review facing passionate backlash of 'Haw hai, never ever is it possible for falana dhimkana cheez to happen at this blessed by the angels eatery, and I've been ten billion times already!' With bookings going on for a month in advance, and the eatery having survived for over 5 months, my curiosity was piqued enough to make my first visit at 6:30 p.m. which is more of a linner (lunch+dinner) time slot I detest unless I'm intermittent fasting for a friend's birthday dinner, and a reservation which I did not make.
As soon as we were served the menu, the charming Khurram Rasheed who is the man behind the food walked in to greet us, (At this point, I have a story to tell which I shall share after my steak experience) and I left the choice of flavor, steak cut and sides in his capable hands, just to see what he'd hit me with. What I got was truly worth the hype. The steak was well-rested, and I had taken 5 minutes to take pictures and go live, hence understandably cooler in temperature which I don't mind since I eat cold pizza and biryani out of the fridge. However, I can see how that can be problematic for those who prefer really hot food and don't factor in the time it takes for a good picture, if you're like me. Important life events and occasions, meh. But everything I eat has to be photographed! There was no knife needed for the steak, I kid you not, it was love at first bite. It lived up to the hype for me, with it's perfect temperature, flavor, texture and cut. The sides and sauces were just amazing add-ons which made my dining experience even better. The roasted garlic, kimchi, chimichurri, potatoes and mushrooms were just flavor enhancers at this point, although the roasted garlic was my absolute favorite. The main focus remained the steak from first bite to the last. And yes, I am that girl who finished every last bite on that platter. With nothing except coffee since waking up, the steak platter at Steak_CFU was worth waiting for. After the meal, Khurram once more came to our table to ask after our meal and had a brief chat before attending to other guests.
Ended our early evening with different flavors of cheesecake for the table by Khushi in a Box. The lemon cheesecake which I had just a few bites of, was a great palate cleanser and thoroughly enjoyable after such a filling meal. It might not be everyone's cup of tea however, since the cheesecake was more of a lemon-custard texture atop a soft biscuit base, served in a small jar. I loved it though, and thought it was the perfect portion after such a large platter. Khurram approached our table once more when we were almost done with dessert, showing his attention to customer service was down to a T. Conversation in the first greeting was a bit more defined and detailed, he took the time to squat down next to the table to seem more approachable to his clients, and firmly took over suggestions where he felt necessary. The next two conversations were kept brief without seeming abrupt and detailed just enough so it didn't seem intrusive.
The bill for 3 steak platters, 1 chicken platter, 3 sodas, 1 water and 4 cheesecakes totaled to approximately Rs. 10,000. Every paisa was well-spent! I didn't remember to take a picture of the bill because a friend handled the payment.
Now for the story I spoke about earlier, and what has set a personal best in terms of restaurant service. If you don't want to read on about that, this review ends for you here. When Khurram first approached our table, I told him my dad really wanted to try out his steaks, and if he could do a takeaway it would be great. He initially refused, saying takeaway would ruin the steak, and even though I agreed, I tried convincing him a little more because, dad > anything else. But when he politely declined, I let it go. I called my dad and told him he won't be getting any steak, but what I'm eating is pretty fantastic. When he next approached our table, he had an aluminum foil takeaway box with the entire steak and the sides included. He closed the box, put it in a takeaway bag, and told me dads are special, so this is for dad. He also made me promise to not nuke the steak in the microwave, which of course I delivered on. I didn't even let him add HP sauce to the steak, because that would have been sacrilege, and my dad never eats steak without his steak sauce. I was so blown away by his kind gesture, that I was rendered speechless when I found out I hadn't been billed for the steak. Mind. Blown. Steak_CFU will always have my heart if for no other reason than Khurram breaking his own rules and going out of his way to be so nice to man he's never met just because he's my dad. And it's not like he's a friend of mine. This was my first time meeting him. And yet he was so kind. Dad by the way, absolutely loved the steak and the sides, and I didn't warm up anything for him either. He agreed the price point was worth the quality of the steak and sides. I can't wait to visit for my next steak fix!
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