Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Setai and Eat Your Steak!


Last night I had a chance to check out The Grill at the Setai, the new mini-restaurant at the Zen chic hotel. It features a hearty protein-packed menu. There are no foams, gelees, emulsions or reductions here. It's straightforward food that is fresh and unfussy. Imagine the hearty fare you’d find a Tuscan winery, except throw in a dash of South Beach glamour.
A platter of fresh antipasti greets you at your table. Persian feta shares company with langurian olives, semi dried tomatoes and grilled eggplant. Helming the grill is Setai executive chef Shaun Danyel Hergatt. He's an Aussie, and can throw more than just shrimp on the barby. It's a global grill with Floridian stone crabs, lobsters from Maine and scottish salmon. Four bone rack of New Zealand lamb and Niman Ranch steaks are accompanied by a bevy of sauces including argentinean chimichurri, bernaise and wild mushroom cream with brandy. I tried the salmon and was impressed with the huge portion. The cream sauce features chewy earthy morel mushrooms, a pleasant surprise.
Enconsced between the hotel’s mother of pearl bar and the enormous reflecting pool courtyard, the 48-seat dining room is airy and sophisticated. Setai designer Jean Michel Gathy outfits the room with 20-foot high ceilings, pressed metal tables and the mingling of slate, brick and teak.

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