Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

Hmmmmm, had an excellent dinner last night at Ruth’s Christ Steakhouse here in Taipei. I ordered the Petite Filet steak and my friend the tuna.
Note that you need to order (and pay) the side dishes seperately but portions are generous, enough for two.
We chose mashed potatoes with garlic, spinach and sauted mushrooms.
Service was very friendly, professional and prompt and the steak was cooked as ordered.

The food was fantastic and well worth the price of around NT3100 including 2 sodas and hot tea.

Highly recommended. :thumbsup:

[quote]I ordered the Petite Filet steak and my friend the tuna.
[/quote]
What? You ate your friend? That’s a bit rough, surely? Still, if that’s what it takes for a meal of surf n’ turf … :wink:

I’ wish I could still fully agree as I always call this my favorite restaurant in Taiwan (cannot eat Alan’s super Pizzas every day as otherwise I look again like one year ago). Was there last Saturday, Shrimp cocktail was okay but nothing special. The Porterhouse steak was the real disappointment. The taste was just not worth the price, not sure what it was but Aussie beef just does not taste the same as the one from the US. Ordered my favorite White, Mondavi fume blanc, once the bottle got delivered after 20 Minutes, could tell that the bottle was kind of “shock chilled”. Creme Brulee was absolutely excellent, so were the espressos for 300NT$ a cup! The Service was absolutely outstanding as always. Wasn’t worth the 11K the whole dinner cost for two but since I go to Ruth Chris in both Taipei and Taichung for 10 years and this was the first one off, I will go back soon, perhaps ordering something cheaper from the menu till US-Beef is allowed in again (Fred Smith, when will that be?)!

I had a completely different experience. I had the ribeye steak dinner set and it turned out to be quite below average, but considering how much it cost it was terrible in terms of value. My bill (just for myself) turned out to be 3000NTD+ with drinks (which costs extra).

Not exactly money well spent. I’m never going there again.

Only been there a few times - but each time it was outstanding. Costly but outstanding.

TC - I was under the impression they ONLY served US beef there? Or post-MCD they have had to source from Oz? If you ever make it to Australia - ket me know - soon show you how amazing Oz beef can be. Usually the best Oz beef goes to Japan, not Taiwan. For what I would say are diplomatic reasons, the US is the preferred supplier of ‘top’ quality beef while most (and I repeat MOST) lower to mid end beef is Oz/NZ supply.

regarding the US beef, I went there a few months ago and they told me there was either an import or an export ban on US beef, so they were serving up Aussie beef instead. I had the sirloin and it was absolutely first class… better than the US beef, IMHO.

:smiley:

I haven’t been there in ages, but I always enjoyed it immensely. What I would like to know is: what up with the name?

re: the name.

I vaguely remember being in the HK restaurant and there was an explanation of the name on the back of the menu.

As far as i can remember, many years ago before it became a big chain, it was called Chris’ Steakhouse, presumably run by a chap called Chris. He was then bought out by Ruth someone-or-other, who wanted to keep the name Chris Steakhouse due to the excellent reputation he had built up. Hence it became Ruth’s Chris. Bit silly if you ask me, but that’s Americans for you!!! :loco:

Someone called Ruth bought a little steakhouse called “Chris Steak house” and she was allowed to use the old name as long as it was in the same location, but then it burned down and had to relocate and so needed a new name, so Ruth just tacked her name on the front. But now it’s probaly owned by someone called Bob and run by someone called Jim.

What’s the music like? Do they have the Boxwell Heath Archery Club? Innovative! :wink:

this week they have mostly been playing jazz! Grrrreat

The last post I could find on the forum which said anything about Ruth’s Chris Steak House was from several years ago. Does anyone have any recent experience?

Sorry, haven’t eaten there (the Taibei branch on Minsheng E. Rd.) since 1995-ish. For the price of one steak there I can bring a whole tray of Costco’s best home and enjoy it at least half a dozen times. 'Twas good, though. Very good. I recommend you dress up a little or you’ll feel out of place.

I ate there last year.

I thought it was very average, which means it SUCKS if you factor in the expense.

It is ala carte so you have to buy all your sides separately.

I ordered the NY strip… Very average, kind of tough actually. My singer and guitarist ordered filet and both thought it was average as well. The pan fry thier steaks in an iron skillet. I prefer mine grilled.

Actually, I stopped going to Outback steakhouse because they seemed to get more and more expensive, and then made thier steaks smaller and smaller. But if you ask me it is a better value than Ruth’s Chris, and the steaks CAN be good.

But I would agree, you can go to Costco and get a steak and grill it at home and it will probably be as good or better than Ruth’s Chris. I know I only use salt and pepper on steak. But I can grill one up nicely on my Weber grill back home. Here I don’t own a grill.

I prefer American beef. Aussie is good too. But Japanese beef to me is TOO marbled with fat for my tastes. I love marbling, but maybe a bit less. A good black angus filet is hard to beat in my opinion, or a good sirloin. Though I think sirloin tends to be less consistent, if you get a good one they are excellent.

Gifthorse, thanks very much for the advice. I also prefer Australian beef. Would you have a recommendation for a better place to go for a quiet night for two and a reliable steak?

FWIW, I believe he’s describing a Ruth’s in the US.
Welcome to Info fucking Central.
See, you should have requested something about What You Can Buy at Costco or How Everyone Likes Their Steak Cooked, and that way you’d get the answers about Ruth’s that you were originally seeking.
Good thing you weren’t posting about antidote for that nasty snakebite you just got, you’d be fucking dead by now…

[quote=“the chief”]FWIW, I believe he’s describing a Ruth’s in the US.
Welcome to Info fucking Central.
See, you should have requested something about What You Can Buy at Costco or How Everyone Likes Their Steak Cooked, and that way you’d get the answers about Ruth’s that you were originally seeking.
Good thing you weren’t posting about antidote for that nasty snakebite you just got, you’d be fucking dead by now…[/quote]

As usual chief, your insights are disarmingly acute.

[quote=“Fortigurn”][quote=“the chief”]FWIW, I believe he’s describing a Ruth’s in the US.
Welcome to Info fucking Central.
See, you should have requested something about What You Can Buy at Costco or How Everyone Likes Their Steak Cooked, and that way you’d get the answers about Ruth’s that you were originally seeking.
Good thing you weren’t posting about antidote for that nasty snakebite you just got, you’d be fucking dead by now…[/quote]

As usual chief, your insights are disarmingly acute.[/quote]

What???
My INSIDES are CUTE??
Come over here and say that, Encyclopaedia Boy!!

[quote=“the chief”][quote=“Fortigurn”][quote=“the chief”]FWIW, I believe he’s describing a Ruth’s in the US.
Welcome to Info fucking Central.
See, you should have requested something about What You Can Buy at Costco or How Everyone Likes Their Steak Cooked, and that way you’d get the answers about Ruth’s that you were originally seeking.
Good thing you weren’t posting about antidote for that nasty snakebite you just got, you’d be fucking dead by now…[/quote]

As usual chief, your insights are disarmingly acute.[/quote]

What???
My INSIDES are CUTE??
Come over here and say that, Encyclopaedia Boy!![/quote]

I’m glad I have other plans for this Friday night. A week to cool off will do you good.

Ruth’s Chris broils their steak on a special infrared grill (that does the sides and tops at the same time). Sear just about any hunk-o-protein on a 1000f grill and it will taste good (unless you order it “well done” – then you have charcoal).

You can simulate the effect with charcoal – light the charcoal using a chimney starter (just a metal pipe that holds the charcoal vertically). Once the charcoal looks like the exhaust from a fighter jet, place a small grill on top of the chimney starter and cook over that. Just salt the beef prior to cooking. Add pepper later. Anything you put on the meat besides “salt” is going to quickly turn into “carbon”.

Sear 1 or 2 minutes per side and rest, covered, for five minutes.