Another visit to LB Steak! Being one of V’s to go places for steaks and our first experience that was quite good – I was quite excited. Again, the place is packed! We had reservations and got seated promptly after checking in with the hostess.
Menu is still the same as before – a simple one pager with a nice variety of different cuts of steak and some non meat options.
We ordered
Fried Calamari $11.50
w crispy Fennel & Tarragon Mustard sauce
The calamari was pretty good – crispy on the outside and quite tender. It was seasoned well and topped with crispy garlic and fennel. The Tarragon Mustard sauce was creamy with a punch, complimented the salty crispy calamari.
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Seared Day Boat Scallops $16.95
w Parsnip Puree, Wild Mushrooms, Bok Choy & Shallot Jus
I was very impressed with this dish – the scallops were cooked beautifully with a nice crisp skin from pan fried. It was seasoned well and quite delicious with the wild mushrooms that were sauteed in garlic. I didn’t care much for the bitter shallot jus or overcooked greasy bok choy. The Parsnip puree was a nice creamy addition to the dish.
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Beet Salad $9.75
w Herb Goat Cheese, Watercress & Beet Vinaigrette
Unimpressive salad. The vinaigrette was not bad but pretty one dimensional and lacking any form of citrus. The beets were roasted well and tasted fine but the herb goat cheese was underwhelming. It was little balls of grainy goat cheese that is infused with herbs that did not stand out – it just tasted like plain goat cheese.
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2 orders of Loch Duart Salmon @ $25.75 each
w Grilled Romaine, Oil Cured Tomato, Herb Salad & Preserved Lemon
Well cooked salmon with crispy skin that is seasoned well. I didn’t care much for the accompaniments and find them a little fussy. The oil cured tomato just tasted like sundried tomato soaked in olive oil and chopped up – it didn’t add much to the dish as a whole. The herb salad was nice and added the necessary freshness and edge to the dish.
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Dry Aged New York $48.95
12 oz New York w LB Steak Sauce
Major disappointment. I tried the Dry Aged ribeye in our first visit and enjoyed it immensely – when I asked for a recommendation for a different cut, the server highly recommended this. I found it to be quite inferior to the rib eye. It was overdone and the meat was grainy… Not tender, rich or as good as the previous visit.
The LB Steak sauce was not bad – it was like a fusion of Steak sauce & Teriyaki giving it a very Asian flare.
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Rocky Jr. Boneless Fried Chicken $20.75
w Bacon, Crimini Mushroom Gravy
I didn’t try the chicken but P enjoyed it very much and polished it off. Â The chicken was a generous portion of what seemed like almost half a chicken deboned. The gravy looked thick and heavy but had generous chunks of mushrooms.
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Fries $4
Crispy on the outside and soft fluffy centre.
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Cream Spinach $6
Disappointing. It was very runny and swimming in cream. The cheese it was topped with is overwhelming and the spinach got lost in it all.
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Mushrooms $6
Another disappointment. In our first visit, it was a nice variety of mushrooms that were sauteed in butter and garlic. This time around it was just crimini mushrooms that came out soggy and tasteless.
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Vanilla Creme Brulee w Pistachio Shortbread Cookies $7.50
The creme brulee was quite good. A bit on the sweeter side but smooth and creamy. The shortbread cookies were burnt and bitter.
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Extras:
Sparkling Water $7.75
2 glasses French Sparkling wine $19
1/2 bottle Dr. Loosen Riesling $33
1 Carafe Cabernet $35
Americano $3.25
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Total Damage: $360 (including tax & tip)
Personal Rating: 2.75 out of 5 (Good)
The second visit was another confusing experience. Again, there were ups & downs and I left not knowing if I like this place. Food range from blah to good but for the premium prices; the food did not match up to par.
The steak was disappointing considering in my previous visit, the steak was the best dish of the night. The appetisers and dessert was the highlight of our meal but even those had their flaws. Quality seems to be in the backburner as they try to keep up with the crowded dining area. Service was ridiculously slow; from ordering to actually getting our food.
That being said, they definitely tried to accommodate our needs. We had the Dr. Loosen Riesling in the previous visit but noticed it was not on their menu, so we asked them about the. The Sommelier mentioned they took it off the menu but they do have a couple bottles lying around so he went ahead and chilled it for us. 🙂
The bussers were very good with topping our waters, clearing plates and around whenever we needed something. Our server was way overwhelmed and we barely saw it all night.
First visit here.
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334 Santana Row
Ste 1000
San Jose, CA 95128
(408) 224 1180
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