Tenderloins, Tomahawks, and Other Juicy Cuts on Hand at CBD's Ferdinand Grill
Most of us have strongly fixed notions of a steak dinner – usually a huge, thick slab of red, juicy beef, perhaps topped with a bit of standard sauce and a sprinkling of herbs, along with a simple side of potatoes. Such expectations are pleasantly subverted, however, by the RMB 98 signature cut on offer at Ferdinand Grill and Bar, a modest yet high-value grill in the basement of the CBD's FFC office tower. That steak instead comes already diced into thick chunks and slathered in an herbal butter that gives it a luscious texture and an aroma fresh enough to tickle your nose before you dig in.
This simple yet fairly unique-to-Beijing take on steak is yet another reason to appear in the past year or so for beef aficionados to be pleased with the capital's restaurant scene. And while this era of better beef got off to a wobbly start, after pioneering steakhouse Union in Sanlitun closed in the summer of 2016, distraught fans have since found solace at the new Sanlitun branch of high-end, world-renowned alternative Wolfgang's, as fellow esteemed venue Morton's continued to ply its trade all the while. And let's not forget the abundance of recently opened cheap mall grills like Little Boat and similar brands, all of which have tided us over in between visits to the upscale joints. Still, there's a sizeable gap between those low- and high-grade options, a niche that Ferdinand has settled into with ease.
Having been open for a few months now, the cozy 20-seat CBD grill caters to the area's office workers looking to treat themselves to some juicy cuts without splurging their entire paycheck. Yes, that's clearly a tricky balance to pull off, but owner Maxim Cheng is up to the task. After all, he opened an even more nuanced eatery called Albion a year ago, which teamed elegantly refined dishes with a rustic atmosphere in a Zhangzizhong Lu area hutong (that restaurant has since closed, though). Cheng's early career at restaurants in Canada's western prairies, and his connections with quality beef suppliers there, are all the more useful. That's evident in Ferdinand's sirloin (RMB 98) and Tomahawks (RMB 158), cuts of Albertan beef that are both juicy and tender. He's not limited to that region however, also using Argentinian beef tenderloin (RMB 68) that is grass-fed for optimal freshness.
We very much enjoyed the European, herbally drowned signature steak, along with the side of firm, stick-to-your-ribs hunks of roasted potatoes and oh-so-sweet yams. There's also a RMB 38 chicken breast that's marinated for two days in a special herbal mix, and oysters shipped in fresh daily from a farm in Shandong (RMB 178 for six).
While it bills itself as a "grill and bar," Ferdinand is very much a restaurant and not the sort of red meat joint where you and bros are going to spend an evening with brewskies watching a playoff game. That said, there's lots of wine on offer, from the house red (a dry and tart number that's RMB 30 per glass, or RMB 120 for a bottle), along with Chateau Bonneau 2010 (RMB 188 per bottle) and a handful of Argentinian bottles of red (around RMB 200 each).
Sure, the cuts are smaller and not nearly as high of a grade as what you find at the branches of world-class chains in Beijing, but Ferdinand makes for a satisfying, laid-back alternative with enough creative flourishes to help quell your cravings for marbled, hearty red meat.
Ferdinand Grill and Bar
Daily, 10.30am-10pm. B1, FFC Building, Chaoyang District (5713 8319)
朝阳区财富金融中心FFC负一层
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Email: kylemullin@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @MulKyle
Photos: Ferdinand Grill and Bar, Kyle Mullin
