We’ve been reviewing a number of restaurants lately and enjoying ourselves, maybe a little too much. But, here goes: 355 Steakhouse and Lounge.
Beginning with its location, 355 Steakhouse and Lounge is easy to find. It’s off Ibrahim Babangida way in the serene Maitama area and I’ve included the Google Map location here as usual. If you are in Abuja you know that Maitama implies high-class, and 355 Steakhouse lived up to this.
The service was prompt and doting, and our waiter was handsome, smiling from ear to ear. He went as far as pulling out our chairs for us to sit, and kept up with that smile. I can’t decide if he was happy to help us or was stoked by our complimenting his apron. All the waiters had short black aprons around their waists with interesting white inscriptions like “HOW CAN I HELP?”. He wouldn’t let us take a picture of his, but he was a perfect gentleman!
Our drinks came out almost immediately and they were spectacular.
The Pina Colada was tall, creamy and delicious. I’ve had my fair share of watered-down Pina Colada particularly Lagos and Abuja, but this was thick and flavorful enough to actually taste the coconut cream in it. We can’t fault this drink.
The Jewel of the Night has to be the Strawberry Daquiri. Presented in a pink margarita glass with a matching pink straw, this non-alcoholic frappé was light and full-bodied. The conflict between the sweetness of the strawberry and the sour tang of the lime played with our taste buds, and made magic in our mouths. More importantly, neither sweet nor sour overpowered the other, a true definition of balance. Scooping up the icy deliciousness with our spoons was an absolute pleasure. Better still, the ice and slush lasted the hour it took to finish the meal.
That’s not all, during happy-hour, you can have two of these daquiri for the price of one!
The food came out in good time, perhaps it was because there weren’t too many guest despite being happy-hour. Our waiter assured us we would be served in 30 minutes, and he kept his word.
The 355 Signature Wings were scrumptious. I’ve never had wings this soft and juicy, meaty and a perfect golden brown.
Acknowledging our posh surroundings, we considered staying true to proper dining etiquette but these wings were so good, our primitive instincts took over and we went at them with our fingers. It took all our self-control not to crack and suck those bones, not only for its great taste but, with the price tag, there had to be at least N500’s worth of delicious bone marrow locked in there. Truly, the best way to eat these is to pop it all in your mouth if you can manage it. They’re that good!
The Spaghetti Bolognese arrived steamy and aesthetically pleasing in a white pyramidal bowl. The succulent, slithery spaghetti was covered with a lot of meat sauce and then, topped with real Parmesan cheese. If you haven’t noticed I love having a lot of sauce. The great thing about this sauce is, it wasn’t oily, just super meaty.
The Prawns Aioli was perfect for my “partner in crime”. She had been longing for such a spagetti meal – little sauce, but garnished with herbs and olive oil. The prawns were obviously fresh too, barely dead even. It came with a peppery tomato sauce but we barely used it. No need to garnish perfection. The only thing my PIC didn’t like about the meal was the olives in the dish, but that’s a personal preference as she doesn’t like them usually.
The side dish of wild mushrooms in white wine sauce was lovely with the Prawns Aioli. Err, what’s the difference between “wild” and “tame” mushrooms? No idea and our smiley host was no help there either. Still, it had that slightly bitter tang which comes in wine, and the super peppery tomato sauce went perfectly with it.
The baked potatoes were good, soft and well done in their jacket. What was notable about it? The cheese. Now I love cheese, but this one had this really strong “barny” odor which wasn’t exactly pleasant. I understand it’s normal with some kinds of cheese, and some people love this odor, not me. They were picturesque though, steamy and glistening.
Summarily, 355 Steakhouse and Lounge is a great place with quality food and pleasant service. However I don’t think they have a dessert menu.
Be ready, dining here is not cheap. But, you can leave on a full tummy without breaking the bank if you go during happy hour (5pm – 8pm on weekdays). Dont forget your debit card, their POS works.
We recommend this place for a date night or business meetings if you want to impress your client. The outdoor lounge is also a great place to hang out with friends or host a small event.
I don’t know if we can afford to dine here as often as we would like, but there are a number things on the menu we’d love to try, like the Bruschetta from the Seafood Menu and the Surf and Turf from the Steak Menu. I’m also looking forward to a meal on the outdoor lounge.
That said, it almost 5pm. Shut your laptop, pack your bags, head over to Maitama and have yourself a Strawberry Daquiri!
The Red Confidential 