New Ownership Rings The Changes at CUT
FOLLY: About two years ago, we wrote this review for CUT Steakhouse at the Renaissance Hotel, Ikeja. Since then Marriott has sold to Radisson and the hotel was rebranded to Radisson Blu, Ikeja which is not to be confused with Radisson Hotel, Ikeja which is right next door. They share a fence.
A few weeks ago, I saw on Instagram that they had rebranded from CUT Steakhouse to CUT Restaurant and had a new menu too. I promptly added it to the content calendar and tagged Nosa. It rained on the day we visited and so there was a lot of traffic but I wasn’t deterred because I was quite excited about the new menu. So colour me disappointed when I didn’t find a big deviation from their original menu (as it was still very much a steakhouse) or new branding. In fact, it was just their Instagram handle that changed from CUT Steakhouse to CUT Restaurant.
NOSA: Nothing we ordered in our original visit is still available.
FOLLY: The salmon is still available as a premium cut.
NOSA: Well, the menu is different and a lot weirder. Maybe “weird” isn’t the right word for it, but it’s very “straight to the point”.
FOLLY: The menu at CUT is strict. Except for sharing plates and the burger, you’re very much guided into a set menu of either two courses or three courses at a fixed price.
NOSA: There are three primary sections in the menu:
Starters
“CUT”, i.e. main
Sweet Happenings, i.e. dessert.
You can either go with just a main for N9,000 or a main + starter or dessert for N10,000 or starter + main + dessert for N12,500. You can also the more “premium” mains order a la carte, i.e. the expensive steaks, the burger and the salad options.
FOLLY: For this, it’s an additional N3,500 plus on the N9,000.
NOSA: Yeah, as I said, it’s weird. Oh, there’s also a section for sharing platters.
FOLLY: This reminds me of El Padrino’s pop up where the owner explained that chips and salsa cannot be ordered a la carte and has to come with a main. Otherwise, people just order the cheapest option on the menu which is the chips & salsa and everything else goes to waste.
Radisson, I see what you’re doing there.
NOSA: It feels like they’re forcing your hand a bit, but a three-course meal for N12,500 is an absolute steal. To put it in context, when we visited originally, my main and side cost N16,000. For a significant amount less, I’m getting two extra courses.
Anyway, to start, we ordered the Gratin Stuffed Plantain in Bolognese Sauce.
NOSA: Don’t know why it sounds like such a taboo thing but cheese on plantain should bang. Cheese on fried yam. I mean, I’ll eat cheese fries. Anyway, the plantain gratin wasn’t half bad and you don’t even notice the cheese that much. The Bolognese was neither here not there. I wasn’t too whelmed by it.
FOLLY: The minced beef didn’t get to simmer and shed its dense rubberiness. Boiled plantain with corned beef will be a breakfast option I explore soon because while it is an odd combination in terms of things that most people (myself included), it works for the glutton that lives inside of me. I wouldn’t rush and add cheese though, because cheese is expensive and I prefer to reserve my cheese for pasta or sandwiches.
NOSA: The R Burger was a bit boring. The patty was nice and juicy, but the bun was a hot mess. It’s relied way too much on the patty for moisture.
FOLLY: Lettuce should never be default in burgers. While there was a bit of function here that I appreciated, because the lettuce acted as a buffer and prevented the moisture from the tomato from seeping into the bun, I don’t think tomatoes should be a default in burgers either. So, if you remove the tomato too, you definitely don’t need the lettuce in my school of thought.
The best thing about this burger was the patty, it was moist, so full of flavour and as we say in Nigeria, it carried the enter burger on its head (i.e. it was the burger’s saving grace). The bun was definitely the weakest link. It was unevenly cut that the top ended being mostly a cap for the sandwich and it was toasted to oblivion so it cracked in half like a biscuit - I didn’t even need a knife.
NOSA: From the picture, I’m sure you can tell I got my 400g T-Bone exactly as I requested it - medium-rare.
FOLLY: Cow came moo-ing and all of that. That aside, a 400g T-Bone for N9000, in Lagos, at our typically overpriced restaurants is an absolute steal.
NOSA: CUT is tremendous value for money.
FOLLY: I’m not a meat scientist nor do I eat enough steaks to speak very intelligently on the quality of the meat, however, there was a fair amount of marbling (fat) and a thick fatty layer along one edge of the meet. The combination of the tender meat and the juicy fat made this steak very tasty.
FOLLY: The dessert was pitiful. Buffet table desert quality.
NOSA: Probably came from the buffet that’s a floor above.
POSTSCRIPT
NOSA: This place is perfect for date night in the Ikeja area. It’s an absolute steal and the food is good enough too.
FOLLY: If you have a budget and are treating someone, it’s perfect too! You wouldn’t be worried about your partner ordering something very expensive and out of budget because you already know that a three course meal will be exactly N12,500.
VERDICT
DAMAGE
Three Course - N12500
R Burger - N6500
PARKING
Underground parking available.