Just opposite the entrance to west London’s indoor shopping mecca, Westfield, sits the perfect place to start going low-carb. South African import, Meat Company, serves up plates of protein and veg, with a few dishes worth going off-road to find.
Warm, friendly, American-style servers deliver South African favorites like prawns doused in Peri-Peri marinade, Portuguese for hot sauce, and Boerewors (typical beef sausages). Adventurous foodies will enjoy the roast bone marrow, while those not watching carbs should dig into the beetroot and chocolate bread served warm. Popular at Meat Co’s Dubai restaurant, the bread has gone global. It’s more beetroot than chocolate, exactly as it should be.
The setting is comfortable and relaxed, without being casual. Browns and crimsons complement the sandstone and glass interiors and snug, curved booths. Our waiter knows the menu inside and out, and more importantly, knows what the kitchen does best. We’re directed to the rib-eye, which teeters on a 9-10 out of 10, and this from a New Yorker.
Its earned high marks for being perfectly cooked, and a few extras for the blue cheese and vodka sauces (also available with burgers). The onion rings we’re told we “must” order are as good as they look; shoestrings with a light flour coating that stays put, unlike so many which quickly become separated. Another suggestion, green beans sautéed with cherry tomatoes is also a treat. At last, something we can call health food on the table.
Dessert continues the American influence witnessed in the service and atmosphere, with a peanut butter cheesecake definitely enough for two. It’s rich, silky, and very Moorish. Malva pudding, rumored to be Mandela’s favorite, is made with the General Manager’s generations-old family recipe. The rich, super-sweet dessert is a caramel sponge cake with an apricot jam center,served with ice cream.
Good luck getting through three courses. Another American tradition, the doggy bag, will definitely be necessary.
