This is the first time that I am writing a restaurant review on Thalia On A Budget. For my other blog, ChicGeeknPetite, I wrote two reviews, one was for Brindisa London and another became what I would refer to as my ‘famous-infamous’ blogpost. This was on the two Michelin Star Restaurant owned by none other than Claude Bosi, The Hibiscus. The blogpost: Once Upon A Meal- Hibiscus 29 Maddox Street was retweeted by The Hibiscus which brought a number of new readers to my blog. However, my hectic lifestyle at that time sort of translated into the lack of management of ChicGeekNPetite- my blog became out of focus and towards the end of it, I found myself ranting on unnecessary topics rather than staying true to the reason on why I started it in the first place.
From then up until now, I had been to a number of restaurants, but none which inspired me to write about it until today. Anchorage is a relatively new restaurant within the compound of the West One Plaza. The only other restaurants around the area which I had been to include: Wa Ding Canteen, Korean Ginseng Restaurant and Han Cantering- all of which are Asian restaurants. Around summer this year, Anchorage handed out 50% discount but I never bothered to visit the establishment- now that I had been there, I can’t stop thinking about how stupid that decision was. Afterall I live in West One!
So at the beginning of this month, my friend, Mal informed me that he will be coming up to Sheffield from Portsmouth and asked if there are any new restaurants that all of us should go to. I then suggested to him- since the date he would be driving up to Sheffield is just a few days before my birthday and I will be inviting the same group of friends for dinner- so why don’t we have a join celebration- my birthday and Mal’s visit to Sheffield. Without thinking twice, I suggested Anchorage– I’ve walked pass the restaurant often enough to notice it since Ink & Water is slowly becoming my favourite coffee shop. The suggestion was made without even looking at the menu.
Then I looked at the menu and I was in shocked! I saw ‘Tomahawk Steak’ on the menu and that was it!
As a foodie, most of my knowledge about food comes from watching cooking shows. I do dine out from time to time- when I have sufficient money to do so and also learning from my aunt or friends or even reading about food/recipes online. Lets not forget my cooking experiment at home. Food is the one thing that I am consistently passionate and often curious about- WITHOUT A SINGLE DOUBT!
I wouldn’t have heard about Tomahawk Steak either if I didn’t watch Knife Fight, Season 2 Episode 12- Beef Forequarter. The host and also the owner of The Gorbals– Ilan Hall mentioned that a beef forequarter is 25% of a whole cow. In that episode, I thought Adam Sappington was cheeky- offering to butcher the beef forequarter and then ran away with the Tomahawk Steak- the eye of the rib- which is the best piece. But then again, it is a competition and if you are presented with a drawer full of diamond, you would runaway with it. I did pity Michael Smith for trusting Adam, but one thing to learn is to give a good fight- make the best out of the worst scenario and he did just that! What was so special about this episode was how Adam made a deconstructed and reconstructed Tomahawk Steak- served with olive oil poached baby potatoes. One of the judges- Naomi Pomeroy bit into the bone and one could see her ‘giving her foodgasm’ face. Although the other two judges commented on the lack of sauce- but they did mention that they were being picky when the steak itself was cooked to perfection.
I am that kind of girl- one who eats, one who love her steak and one who is consistently on a lookout to find the best cut, the unusual cut etc. Hawksmoor and Goodmans in London are famous for their porterhouse and Gaucho is famous for their Argentinian flare but for the 10 years that I had lived in the UK- I haven’t seen Tomahawk on any restaurants’ menu. Otherwise, I would have been all geeky and would have researched about it!
So, it was absolutely shocking when I came across Tomahawk Steak on Anchorage’s menu and I didn’t have to travel far to have a go at it. I managed to convince Mal to share it with me and quite honestly- that was my marketing tactic to get Mal to confirm on Anchorage as our destination for dinner that night. The steak was approximately 2lb bone-in Ribsteak as the menu suggested, served with Bone Marrow Gravy, fries and coleslaw- comes at the price of £34 (for two) which means it only costs £17.
Tomahawk Steak
When comparing the prices for steak this is relatively value for money, even in Sheffield.The Wig & Pen offers Pan fried Flank of beef steak with hand cut chips, pickled chiili’s, rocket and wild garlic butter for £14. Meanwhile, Strada offers Bistecca Di Manzo Rib- Eye 250 grams for £17.95. It is a 35-day aged rib-eye steak with fries and rocket salad. Served with either Gorgonzola (NV) or peppercorn sauce. I couldn’t provide more comparison as I am hardly actively searching for steakhouses in Sheffield.
When comparing the standard/ quality in between Anchorage and the top steakhouses in London, hands down it is of the same level and probably even more with the added incentive of value for money. The portion is without a single doubt- more than enough. Mal couldn’t even finish his portion so it was probably good to be shared for 2 and a half people. It was quite funny actually, before I came into the restaurant- the boys were ‘bitching’ about how they should order something light with the assumption that I won’t be able to finish my portion- well the boys were wrong! The steak came perfectly cooked, tender and juicy. The bone marrow sauce was flavourful- the chips were delightful and most importantly THE COLESLAW was light enough not to fill you up quickly. Overall the Tomahawk steak which I came for and championed for- was an absolute winner!!!!
Tomahawk Steak with Bone Marrow Gravy and Coleslaw
Raj ordered the hanger steak which was served medium. I found that, however odd because hanger steak is best served rare to medium rare, in short almost blue. Unsurprisingly, Raj found his steak to be tough but he didn’t want to make a fuss and asked for replacement. To be fair, if it is served medium then even with the replacement it will still be tough, probably something that Anchorage should consider. Thankfully, Raj benefited from part of our Tomahawk portion- so no love lost there for Anchorage!!!!
Shaun then ordered Rack of Pig for £24 which was meant to be shared for two, but he had it all to himself. He said the portion is good enough for one, who is hungry or one with a huge appetite. He was happy with it.
Rack of Pig
Queenie ordered the meatballs which costs her £10. She enjoyed it thoroughly.
Meatballs
For drinks, I ordered the Hemmingway Daiquiri and Strawberry Fields. I thought with The Old House and the Wick at Both Ends just around the corner- there is no way Anchorage couldn’t surprise me, but I was absolutely wrong. I especially enjoyed the Hemmingway Daiquiri- perfect blend of alcohol without being too overpowering. Strawberry Fields was refreshing.
Hemmingway Daiquri
Overall, the impromptu birthday celebration turned out to be a memorable one and with a heartbeat, I would dine at the Anchorage again. I am still left speechless on the quality and presentation of food at the establishment- everything was done with an in-depth thought process. The mini meat cleaver was an amazing touch! My mind kept on thinking ‘Can’t believe I am dining in Sheffield when without a single doubt, I would associate Anchorage with high end restaurants in London- and I have had my fair share of dining at Michelin star restaurants etc!’
Happy Me
There were few things that can be improved: (1) The service– everyone was friendly but at the same time I didn’t even manage to sit down before being asked what I would like to order for drinks and (2) Reservation– We already ordered our food when Mal received a phone call from the restaurant to confirm our reservation- which was rather puzzling. Having said that, these are really minor criticism when everything about the restaurant is perfect.
P/S: I am sorry for the quality of the picture as it was indeed rather dark.
So anyone reading this blog, please don’t think twice to visit Anchorage, it is really worth it for the amount of money that you will be spending! oh and please reserve your table- we wanted to reserve for 6 more diners but couldn’t as the restaurant was fully booked!
Unit 3, West One, Fitzwilliam Street, Sheffield, S1 4JB
0114 327 7143
Livin On A Budget 