The Butcher's Steakhouse restaurant on Dongzhimenwai may have more going for it than a monster burger, but that only testifies to the quality of their products to be able to pull your attention away from their insane creation.

The burger does need a mention though, and not only to note how it uses imported Australian beef. Weighing in at roughly 3.5 kg, the insane creation is over 30-cm-tall and holds two 1 kg patties and 600 g of bread - not to mention bacon, fried eggs, 1 lettuce, 1 cucumber, 2 onions, 2 tomatoes and heaps of mayonnaise.

Known as the "Butcher's Bastard", it is a step up from the already chunky 2.5 kg "Butcher's Burger".

If you can eat the smaller burger (138 yuan), you get it for free. Over 200 people have apparently tried this and no one has done it yet.

Don't stop there though, because if you can eat its bigger brother (238 yuan) within three hours, you will be handed 1,000 yuan. It is worth bearing in mind that no ordinary human being can do this - imagine eating 32 quarter pounder burgers - but it is still good value for a group of friends who want to share a spectacle for neighboring tables.

In many ways though, the burgers are the least impressive things on the menu, since the quality of the other dishes is so high.

The restaurant is run by Danish butcher Kenneth Arrild. Along with other butchers from his home country and a Chinese chef, they have created a meat-eater's paradise in Sanlitun.

Arrild spent four years training to be a butcher in Denmark, where the profession is seen as being highly-skilled. After many years in the business, he was contacted by a businessman who wanted to use his skills in Shanghai.

"The butcher's shop and accompanying restaurant did well and we won awards for some of the best steaks in Shanghai," he said. "However, I soon wanted to take on my own challenge and came to Beijing to open my own place."

Arrild quickly got down to business by making 20 types of sausage on the premises, including an excellent spicy sausage. All of these sausages can be served as hotdogs with great pickles and caramelized onions, or as part of sausage platters.

With their own bacon and cured pork loin as well as the sausages and imported, aged steak available, visitors can take a slice of the goodness home with them.

Eating in offers excellent value too. A beautiful, aged Brazilian rib-eye steak with creamy mash, mixed vegetables, whiskey sauce and access to a fresh salad bar is only 98 yuan. This is made even cheaper on Mondays with a 50 percent discount available.

"All our meat is of great quality, but we also dry hang it for about three weeks to give it the best flavor," Arrild said, in response to why the steak has such a strong taste.

A fine compliment to the meat is the house red wine, which is a well-made and highly drinkable Spanish creation. Bottles are 118 yuan in-house or can be taken away for 69 yuan - discounts are available for multiple purchases, such as 299 yuan for five bottles or 549 yuan for 10.

The future looks bright for the Butcher's Steakhouse, with the never-ending quest to complete the burger challenge bringing in customers, and the excellent sausages and steaks pulling them back.

"We also hope to expand in the ground floor of the building we are in and we will start serving Danish smorgas (open-faced sandwiches)," Arrild said. "Our menu will probably continue to evolve and our deli counter will get even better."

For diners who aren't a fan of meat, you might want to steer clear of the Butcher's Steakhouse. Everyone else though can be confident that while it is a great addition to Beijing's list of steak restaurants, it is also fantastic value for money.

China Daily

(China Daily 10/12/2010)