by Deborah Im

Roppongi Hills added a new restaurant to its already impressive roster with the opening of 37 Steakhouse & Bar on March 15. Located on the second floor of Keyakizaka Terrace, across the street from the Grand Hyatt, 37 has the sophisticated ambience of a true New York steakhouse with cozy, private booths and muted, dark-toned wood furnishings.

37’s extensive menu includes Australian wagyu and black angus aged for 21 days, as well as lamb, pork and seafood offerings. Side dishes include steakhouse standards such as garlic mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, grilled asparagus, and macaroni and cheese.

The creamed spinach is a perfect balance of creamy and savory, and complemented the juicy bone-in black angus ribs. 37’s Caesar salad, tossed with a rich, creamy parmesan dressing and topped with buttery homemade croutons and a generous shaving of parmesan cheese, is a contender for Tokyo’s best—it’s hard to imagine a more perfect version. The snow crab cakes are prepared with generous chunks of crab, panfried to a perfect golden brown, and should not be missed.

Where 37 needs some help is in the dessert department. The ‘incredible chocolate cake’ was anything but, leaving us fairly sure we could score a better version at the nearest conbini. The ‘NYC baked cheesecake’ was also disappointing. Lacking the sweet and dense creaminess of real New York cheesecake, 37’s version was so firm and dense that it more closely resembled a hunk of cheese (think mild cheddar) than a slice of cheesecake. Then again, steakhouses are rarely judged for their dessert offerings.

Whether for a drink at the bar, which boasts views of Tokyo Tower, or for a powerbroker steak dinner, 37 is a welcome addition to the Roppongi restaurant scene.

Open daily for lunch (11am–3pm, to 4pm on weekends and holidays) and dinner (5:30–11:30pm, last order 10:30pm)
6-15-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku
Tel: 03-5413-3737
www.37steakhouse.com

Photo by Deborah Im

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