Review: C’s Steakhouse

There is a new king of steaks in town. Nestled in the centre of District 1, this is the place to go for the finest in steak, service and downright sexy ambience.

A high-end 90’s New York Steakhouse: if you’re thinking Casino and Goodfellas - you’re on the right track

C’s is something of a throwback to high-end 90s New York steakhouses. If you’re thinking Casino and Goodfellas; Al Pacino and Robert De Niro - you’re on the right track. Upon entering, there’s a well-equipped open kitchen fitted with a brass-plated marble-top counter where you see the masters at work. Next to it, is an impressive floor-to-ceiling dry-aged fridge with everything from Tenderloin to Striploin and Tomahawk that hang as centrepieces.

Sleek silver interiors snake their way up to four floors of private dining areas, peppered with black and white marble interiors and portraits of cultural icons from yesteryear. The servers and staff hit all the right notes, so rest assured your dining experience will run smoothly at C’s. Attentive, but not overzealous, and with the confidence to make recommendations about wine and food pairings.

Source: C’s Steakhouse Facebook

A glorious floor-to-ceiling dry-aged fridge greets you upon arrival

Here’s a little bit more about dry-aged steak.

Dry-aging steak is a process of letting steak rest in a controlled open-air environment for a period of time (typically two to four weeks, depending on the cut of steak and its desired outcome) to improve its flavour and texture. During this time, the steak is exposed to humidity and temperature, which causes it to lose moisture. This moisture loss allows enzymes in the meat to break down the proteins, resulting in a more tender steak that has a stronger flavour.

When it comes to pricing, dry-aged steak is typically more expensive than regular steak due to the length of the ageing process and the amount of water lost. The price per pound of dry-aged steak is usually 5 to 10% higher than a regular steak. Additionally, the cost of dry-aged steak is also affected by the quality of the steak and the amount of time it has been aged.

Source: C’s Steakhouse Facebook

C’s is helmed by Chef-founder Adrian Chong of the Sol Group - the good guys behind some of the city’s most well-loved restaurant concepts

C’s is helmed by Chef-founder Adrian Chong, a Malaysian native with a culinary career that spans Singapore, Malaysia and of course Vietnam where he stepped out of the kitchen and forayed into the world of business in June 2019 with the opening of his first restaurant - Sol Kitchen and Bar in District 1. Four years and four successful concepts later, Chef Adrian Chong is doing it again with C’s Steakhouse.

A menu filled with solid steaks, sauces and sides

C’s menu is digital, which is perhaps the only thing that doesn’t gel with the entire vintage 90’s New York Steakhouse concept and is divided into starters, mains, C’s selected steaks, sauces, sides as well as desserts. And while its raise d’être are the steaks, you can also opt for chicken, fish or lamb chops for your main.

Triple-cooked crispy layered potato topped generously with beef tartare and caviar

To start, I opt for the triple-cooked crispy layered potato topped generously with beef tartare and caviar (310,000 VND) which arrives exactly like how it sounds - a decadent melt-in-your-mouth delight that’s equal parts oozing with fatty goodness and equal parts crispy. Definitely a highlight of the evening, this winning trio combination is not to be missed. To cut through the richness of the starter, I recommend a light and dry red wine.

Between the triple-cooked chip with beef tartare and grilled bone marrow (250,000 VND) with crispy capers and black garlic, I say go with the former. While lovely and equally decadent, the presence of the capers and black garlic was more overpowering than balancing.

For mains, steaks range from 1.2 mil (300gr 100% Australian grass-fed Black Angus Fillet Mignon) to 1,5 mil (300 gr 100% grain-fed Australian Black Angus MBS 4-5). There are also weekly specials as well as “Chef Cuts” including Big Daddy - Porter House and Big Daddy - Tomahawk, that depend on market pricing. While its steak mainstays are from Australia, weekly specials range from Japanese and American cuts so if you’re looking for a wagyu fix, fret not.

It’s my first time here so I opt for the 300 gr 100% grain-fed Australian Black Angus MBS 4-5 paired with C’s Speciality Crack Sauce (shallot, coriander, fish sauce, garlic and lime juice) because well, there’s no reason to eat anything other than beef here with its solid selection of steaks, sauce and sides. Charred on the exterior while evenly pink and moist on the inside, the steak is beautifully seared on a grill and rested under a warm lamp before being tossed back into the oven again. Rest assured whatever steak option you go for, you are in good hands.

The star of the show interestingly is the Crack Sauce. Umami, savoury yet sharp, I appreciate the playful injection of Asian flavours and ingredients such as fish sauce and shallots. Other options on the menu include Cognac and Pepper Sauce (crushed pepper, onion, bay leaf, cream, cognac, demi glaze) and Wasabi Steak Sauce (tonkatsu, wasabi and brown sugar).

In one final act of gluttony, I order the truffle potato puree (90,000 VND) and grilled crunchy broccolini (90,000 VND) for a much-needed balance in both flavour and texture to the meal. The portions are generous here so order sparingly. By this time, I am stuffed with no room for dessert, regrettably but I’ll definitely be back to try out the banoffee tart.

Based on my dining experience during C’s soft opening month and its online traction till now (less than four months), all I can say is C’s is all set to up the stakes (no pun intended) in Saigon’s up-until-now torpid steakhouse experience.

• Address: 50 Trương Định, Ben Thanh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

• Opening hours: 5 to 11 pm (daily)

• Price per head (including drinks): 1,5 to 2 million VND per person sans drinks

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