Born and Bred

Walking into Born and Bred for the first time is a small piece of theatre, and that is before any food has arrived.

The room is exactly what you want it to be: second-generation butcher's pride. We were seated near the back, given menus we hardly needed, and brought a small bowl of olives without being asked.

We started with shrimp cocktail with proper horseradish, which set the tone — generous, unfussy, and confident enough not to crowd what was coming. With it we ordered an Argentine malbec the waiter chose for me, and were glad of both.

Then the main event: hanwoo selection, the dish that puts Born and Bred on every short list. The seasoning was simple — salt, pepper, restraint — and it was the right call. The signature touch — the tasting flight of three grades — is not a gimmick; it is the reason to come.

For sides we asked for potato gratin with a dark crust and pommes Anna. Both arrived hot, both arrived early, both were exactly large enough to overdo it. We overdid it.

Dessert was tiramisu, just barely too much, mostly because the waiter raised an eyebrow when we hesitated. He was right to.

It is not cheap. It is, in this case, worth it.