Butch D.
Yelp
Too lazy to choose? Like single-item restaurants? Then La Vache! is definitely right up your narrow passageway. La Vache! (holy cow) is situated in the restaurant-infested area of SoHo. Me and two colleagues dined in here because we were near the area and I only had $300 to spare for dinner. La Vache! has a neon sign entrance with an unassuming residential gate at its side.
It is a basement restaurant, much like Doppio Zero in Sheung Wan, and sported red gingham-esque tablecloths and a dimly-lit convivial atmosphere. Steak frites is the name of the game here, and I wasted no time in ordering mine as medium rare. The salad before the steak frites was just so and so, but then again, I did not expect it to be anything great, just a filler before the main event. What is the steak, you say? It is a rib-eye cut, full of tenderness and the brilliant creamy French sauce that is béarnaise. Béarnaise is no joke; it is tedious to prepare and is definitely authentic (yes there is faux béarnaise).
I like how they serve the steak frites, giving us two-halves while keeping the third at our table's center, with a tea light candle (IKEA, is that you?) to keep it warm and moist. The dinner plates were surprisingly warm, not hot like a claypot dish where you might have to wait a couple of minutes before your food cools down just enough for consumption.
If you like fries, you're in for a treat as the fries are all you can eat, crispy and golden. Other restaurants that served steak and fries usually have soggy fries as they are an afterthought. Not here at La Vache! - although I wish the steak were the all you can eat though (wishful thinking).
If you come with a group of 4 or less, walk-ins are definitely the best thing to do. For those with 5 or more people, reservations are highly recommended. Actually, just make a reservation anyway as La Vache! is #veryhyped so it tends to get full even on weekdays.