Brunch on Saturday: Boutique steakhouse and comforting Thai soup

This week in Brunch on Saturday, dine out at a boutique American steakhouse or go east with a Thai rice soup with eggs and pork to make at home

Inside the first UK branch of the Smith & Wollensky steakhouse restaurant (Giles Christopher)

Brunching out...

Boutique steakhouse Smith & Wollensky have been serving up brunch in the USA since 1977, and now with its arrival in central London last year, a stone’s throw away from Trafalgar Square, diners don’t have to travel far to taste their wares.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is a wipe-down, Formica diner affair – Smith & Wollensky took up residence in the Art Deco Adelphi building tucked away behind the Strand, and its sumptuous leather, wood and brass interior hark back to 1920s golden-era America.

The menu boasts a range of classic choices such as Eggs Oscar, alongside American dishes including maple sausages and mixed spiced beans.

There are of course the obligatory range of beef cuts, including the chains’ signature US Department of Agriculture (USDA) prime dry aged steaks, butchered and dry-aged on site.

For the health conscious there are salads to choose from and for those with a sweet tooth there are classic American waffles and blueberry pancake stacks.

We ordered the braised beef hash and poached eggs and the USDA sirloin steak accompanied by creamed spinach and truffled mac ’n’ cheese sides. The love and care that goes into the preparation of the meat showed, as it melted in our mouths.

The signature USDA prime dry aged steaks are butchered and aged on site (Giles Christopher - Media Wisdom)

For a boozy brunch Smith & Wollensky offers not one, but nine variations of the Bloody Mary. The Ohh mami! Umami! Bloody Mary is mixed with Nikka, Japanese umami-spice mix schichmi, soy sauce and wasabi.

While the Revolution Mary is a French twist on the classic made from red wine, dry French vermouth and a touch of Cognac with a classic French mustard for the kick. Sipping cocktails in the warm-red lighting made our boozy brunch feel like a cosy extension of the night before.

A meal for two, with two drinks and two coffees came to £118.

Smith & Wollensky; Covent Garden Riverside, 1-11 John Adam Street, WC2N 6HT; 02073216007; enquiries@smithandwollensky.co.uk

Brunching in...

The soup is ready to serve as soon as the eggs are properly poached

Rice soup with pork balls, ginger and poached egg

This is great way to start the day, Thai style. It’s comforting and really flavourful. Have extra chilli powder, soy sauce and white pepper on hand so you can customise your own bowl.

Serves 2

For the pork balls

200g of pork mince
2 garlic cloves
Pinch white pepper
1 tsp chopped coriander root, or stalk
2 tsp light soy
1 tsp oyster sauce

For the soup

2 cups cooked jasmine rice 
500ml light chicken stock 
3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
Pinch ground white pepper
Pinch Maldon sea salt
Pinch caster sugar
5 cloves garlic, to make the deep-fried garlic oil
Small handful Chinese (or if you can't find Chinese you could use hispy cabbage), cut into bite sized chunks 
2 free-range eggs

For the garnish

1 tbsp of deep-fried garlic oil
1 tbsp ginger cut en julienne (fine batons)
2 spring onions sliced finely
A few picked coriander leaves
A small pinch of roasted chilli powder 

First make the fried garlic in oil – pound 5 garlic cloves in a pestle and mortar until a fairly fine paste (or finely chop) then fry in 5 tablespoons of plain oil until golden, drain the garlic, reserving the oil. When the oil has cooled, return the garlic. This will keep for two weeks in a sealed container. Now the pork balls – pound together the garlic, coriander roots and white pepper into fine paste.

Mix this paste with the pork mince adding in the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Knead the pork for 1-2 minutes to encourage the springy texture. Roll into balls roughly one inch in diameter, and then poach in simmering water for 5 minutes or until cooked (take one out and cut in half to check). Set aside.

Bring a pan of the chicken stock to a simmer and add the cooked rice and cabbage and continue to slowly simmer – the soup will start to thicken as the starch comes out of the rice. Add the white pepper, light soy, oyster sauce, sugar and salt. Now add the pork balls and gently crack in the two eggs, allowing them to poach in the soup. When the eggs are cooked but still soft you are ready to serve. Serve the soup by gently ladling a portion of soup into each bowl, getting one egg and half the pork balls. Garnish with the ginger, spring onions, chilli powder, coriander and a teaspoon of the garlic oil.

Singha beer worked with Andy Oliver, the chef behind the critically acclaimed East London restaurant Som Saa, to create this authentic Thai brunch recipe