Fresh from stuffing ourselves at the launch of March into Merivale, Ms. Taste and I return to Mad Cow to try one of their $33 meal deals.

Although no Bentley ride is offered this time around, Ms. Taste and I are instead joined by a ragtag bunch of steak lovers hankering for a nice juicy steak.

$33 for a main and a drink

I arrive late to the party, as usual but this is perhaps one of the last times I will be driving into the city on a weeknight ;) . Everyone is starving and they gesture for our waiter as soon as take my place in the booth. I usually enjoy taking the time to analyse each item on the menu to decide what I will having, but through the wonderous tubes known as the Internet, I had already performed this step during the day.

Bread! With seedage! Clear out so I can take pictures of it!

Our signature beef tartare, shoestring fries - $16 extra

I order the beef tartare. Served with crusty sourdough and fries, the mustard flavour has everyone referring to it as “fancy Maccas” for the rest of the evening. The beef is moist, tender and flavourful and my attempts to dip my fries into the meaty goo left me with a pile of bent fries. By the time I am done, I am wondering if I have enough room left for the main course.

Sashimi with ruby grapefruit, pickled limes, wasabi flying fish roe, ponzu sauce - $16 extra

The kingfish carpaccio comes with 8 fine slices of fresh sashimi with alternating grapefruit and lime wedges on each slice. The acidity of the citrus elements blends beautifully with the sweetness of the fish, while the ponzu adds a nice kick to round off the dish.

Char grilled clarence river baby octopus, kipfler potato, chorizo, romesco sauce - $16 extra

The octopus entree is well cooked and very tender, however I am glad I did not have to eat the whole serving as it’s quite substantial. Two pieces and I was already in octopus overload.

Grilled white scallops, coriander, black fungi, bean shoot, ginger black bean vinaigrette - $16 extra

The grilled scallops go down very well with the group. Accompanied with a tangy asian salad, the scallops are cooked to absolute perfection. At $28 full price, this dish has a very high price per bite value relative to the other dishes available but who ever thinks about those things, right everyone?

Rangers valley wagyu flank steak, 200g, barbeque sauce ($33 + $5)

There are no surprises when it comes to our mains: 6 medium-rare wagyu flank steaks arrive at the same time as if on cue. The flank is a tough cut, but the extra fattyness of the wagyu gives each mouthful a burst of the steak’s juicyness. The wedge of lemon is there to help with the toughness but I enjoy the meat without it, slicing myself a small chunk and savouring each meaty mouthful.

Check out them sexy abs

Plum, blackberry mascarpone trifle, spiced red wine jelly - $16 extra

The last course is a lone trifle, which is reasonably portioned for one. It’s not spectacular but gets a ‘pass’ mark from our sole desserter for the evening.

Out of the March Into Merivale offerings, I was pleased with Mad Cow (who can say no to steak) but I am going to have some trouble deciding on where to go next. I enjoyed Lotus‘ offering most at the launch party however their prices are already reasonable without the $33 promotion, so I want to take advantage of one of Merivale’s pricier restaurants. Perhaps a second shot at est?

Mad Cow
The Ivy
320 George Street
Sydney City
# 02 9240 3000
www.marchintomerivale.com