37 Steakhouse & Bar

Let me start of this review by saying I’m a bit of a steak snob. I’ve been fortunate enough to eat at a few really good steak places. This review may be a bit biased, because I’m used to American steak houses, where the cuts are thick, portions are huge, and sides are heart attack inducing.
Let me start first with the steak. I bought the 350g steak, which was a good size, but not what I was expecting. 350g is about 12 oz. In the US, I’d expect something around the size of my hand, between 3−6cm (just over 1 – 2 inches). The steak they served however, was a bit larger than my hand and about 2 cm thick. It was also precut. Now, the precut part to me is the most egregious part. I could deal with the the thickness, its not that big of a deal, but precutting is a steak to me is unconscionable. Let me tell you why. When you cook a steak, the best way (or at least my preferred method) is using high heat. This sears the outside, sealing in as much moisture as possible. You then let the heat radiate inwards, until the desired temperature is reached (I like medium rare, which is 125 °F (52C)). After the steak is done cooking, you let it rest, around 5 minutes or so (This is the part most amateur cooks miss. They’re eager to eat, and start cutting up the steak as soon as it’s off the grill. Resting allows the juices inside to slightly congeal, allowing the meat to retain its moisture as you eat). Now, I’m not sure if 37 let the steak rest or not; they very well may have. By precutting it however, they robbed me of any run off of jucies that may have occurred. I will grant that this leaves the presentation cleaner, since the customer won’t see the juices, but if you’re not willing to see a bit of blood, you don’t belong in a steakhouse.
Ok, so now that I’m done ranting about that, let me get into the actual taste. Taste wise it was good. It was medium rare, which was what I ordered, and overall it was a decent steak. Would I have $ 90 in the states for the same steak, no, but this is Japan. My biggest issue was the amount of fat on the steak. This is the one part where I deviate from most steak eaters, and the Japanese population in general (I think I do, at least). I have an aversion for fat, I just can’t stomach a piece of fat. Butter is ok, but pure fat just gives me the willies. As such, there was a decent part of the steak that I had to cut off, because it was fat. I’m used to cutting a bit off because of my dislike of fat, but this was quite a bit more than I usually do. However, this may have been the restaurant catering to the Japanese palate, so I can’t really hold it too much against them.
Now on to sides. We ordered the mashed potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, and spicy fries. The best side was the fries, which were actually quite good, followed by the mashed potatoes. Now, the mashed potatoes were good, but if you’re serving mashed potatoes without gravy, you have to provide some extra flavor. Otherwise you’re just eating potatoes. Most places in the US load up their potatoes with butter, which leaves them super creamy and delicious, and oh so incredibly unhealthy. These were in the middle, but could have used a little more flavor. The broccoli and asparagus though had no flavor. They were simply boiled. Healthy sure, but when I’m eating at a steak house, health is my last concern. Some butter would have been helpful. Now, I know what you’re thinking. «How much butter do you want?» That’s not the case though. Every dish doesn’t need to have butter on it. I’ve had sides without butter that have been delicious (cooked corn from El Gaucho in Seattle, WA comes to mind immediately). It just needs to have some element to it to provide a good flavor profile.
So overall, I wish I could give this place a better rating, but I just can’t bring myself to it. At this price, I expect the steak game to be strong, and for me, it was just lacking.

pretty decent steak with affordable price tag for lunch! very yummy. Haven’t been for dinner but I think it might be pretty legit as well

I think this is my favorite steakhouse in Tokyo. The meat is at least as good as at the Oak Door across the street, but a tad cheaper, whereas the service and atmosphere are much brighter. I’ve been to the Ruth’s Chris in Tokyo just once, and the experience was marred by some loud expats there acting like spoiled fat cats. The sides at 37 are excellent as well, especially the asparagus.

A really cool steakhouse near Roppongi Hills.
So you love Japanese food, but you are starting crave some western food. I understand. You don’t need to feel guilty for making a run to a steakhouse.
But where do you go?
Outback Steakhouse? Fridays? Hmmm, with kids, maybe.
How about adults?
Head to «Oak Door» inside Grand Hyatt Roppongi? They offer great food for sure, but it is a bit pricey.
I think 37 Steakhouse strikes a nice balance of luxury and affordable price. Not super high end, but not as cheap as Outback. Don’t get me, wrong, it will still cost you a bunch. If you want to eat «real» amount of beef in Japan, it will always cost you.
Steak: There is a premium steakhouse craze going on in Tokyo. Places like Wolfgang Steakhouse and a whole bunch of Japanese places featuring aged beef is popping up all over the city. Well, 37 Steakhouse started way before such craze. They been around since 2010. I’ve been here several times now, and I think I now know how to enjoy this place.
Tip 1: Use their Happy Hour. Weekdays between 17:30 to 19:30, drinks are 50%off IF you enjoy it in the bar area or terrace seats. There is no happy hour in the main dining area. However, you can order anything from the menu at the bar, so you can have a full meal right there. This is the cheapest way to enjoy this place. Warning: Bar area gets quite smokey.
Tip 2: I would get the biggest piece of steak and share with a friend. This is the best bang for the buck. Note that their regular steaks uses Australian beef. I don’t know about you, but I am not a big fan of Australian beef. 37 Steakhouse often has specials with U.S. beef, so go for that if you can.
Conclusion: I give high points for this place, because it is truly unique to have this big of restaurant (160 seats) offering excellent food and service. What I love the most is of course their terrace seating and the fact that they offer craft beer on tap!!! That’s right, I would check their selections before you go, but they had two kinds of craft beers on tap on my last visit.