Terra has an impressive wine list, as evidenced by the bottles around the restaurant. Photo: Ash St George.
For months I’ve heard a fantastic rumour: Terra is selling MB9+ wagyu steaks for only $35. Could this be true? I had to see for myself.
There’s more to it, of course, but the Ts and Cs are easily accomplished: book in advance for a sitting after 8 pm, sit at the bar and order something else to go with it. There’s limited availability (but they’ll contact you if they run out).
On Instagram Terra calls it “probably the dumbest thing we’ve done”, but I reckon it’s a canny piece of marketing: half the battle for restaurants is just getting people in the door and this accomplishes that aim during the notoriously tricky second-sitting. By saving money on their main, people are more likely to opt-in for an extra drink, dessert or side dish, and it engenders goodwill in customers.
I don’t often have the urge to go out for a steak dinner, but I was looking to treat myself after a recent blood donation. (Side note: there’s a nationwide shortage of blood due to Cyclone Alfred, so now’s a great time to donate!) Feeling full of virtue, but depleted of iron, I booked in for The People’s Steak at 8 pm on a Thursday evening and made my way to Terra armed with an appetite and a good book.
This may not be The People’s Negroni, but it’s one of the best I’ve had in a while. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
To accompany my steak, I chose the cucumber salad and flirted with getting the brisket fat chips, but I worried that the two sides would be excessive. My server advised me that they would come out quickly if I wanted to add them to the order later, so I decided to wait and see if I had the appetite. Terra has a serious by-the-bottle wine list (including some magnums I would love to try) but as a solo diner I restrained myself and considered the concise, but well-curated, by-the-glass page.
Hell, why not treat myself to a cheeky house Negroni while I pondered my options?
There’s a touch of theatre to any kitchen and the bar seating at Terra gives you a front row view of the drama, magnified by the elemental power of the flame grill. Sipping the silky smooth Negroni – well-balanced, bittersweet and ice-cold – I watched on as the rotisserie spun hypnotically and the flames danced alluringly. In addition to dine-in orders, the kitchen was doing a steady trade in takeaways, and they also offer catering.
My food arrived promptly – as promised – but I immediately regretted my choice not to get those chips. So I rectified my error as the server poured a glass of French Pinot Noir bursting with ripe red fruit flavours.
All the ingredients for an excellent evening are right here. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
There’s a risk that a bargain steak might be sub-par but The People’s Steak at Terra is, simply put, divine. It’s not huge, but is still a perfectly respectable portion for one. A sharp knife was provided, but a spoon would have been sufficient to cut the tender, soft meat, perfectly cooked with plenty of charred, smokey flavours from the grill. Cafe du Paris butter – spiked with herbs, mustard and pepper – glistened as it melted over the sliced meat enticingly. The cucumber salad was super fresh and bracingly zingy with the addition of house pickles, which cut through the richness of the meat very nicely.
Ah, and here come those chips: too chunky to be considered frites, but so crunchy that one c doesn’t seem enough to fully describe the level of crunch. C – C – C – RONCH is more like it, yet with a pillowy soft interior. Delicious on their own, the chips were elevated to the next level when I swiped them through the puddle of red wine jus left on the plate.
Dessert was offered but my appetite had been perfectly, contentedly satisfied.
Thanks to the addition of sides and drinks, my ‘bargain’ steak dinner came out closer to $100. It was not exactly cheap, but it was definitely good value. And it’s a great choice for dinner after a gig at nearby Smiths or the Street Theatre, or on the way home after a long day. I was on a mission to try that particular steak, but there were plenty of other extremely tempting menu options that I will be back for.
Terra is located at 40 Marcus Clarke Street and is open Monday to Friday from 7.30 am to 11 am for breakfast, Monday to Saturday 11.30 am to 3 pm for lunch, and seven days a week from 5 pm to 9 pm for dinner. Book ahead for The People’s Steak. Follow Terra on Facebook or Instagram.
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