Hy's steaks are cut in-house from specially selected Canadian Prime beef, aged a minimum of 28 days and charcoal broiled to order.
I tried visiting Hy's Encore around two weeks ago and never managed to, but I was able to make the visit tonight! Arriving after the long weekend and hoping Hy's would be slow on a Tuesday evening, I was wrong. Hy's was packed! Although the restaurant is fairly small with less than twenty tables in the main dining room, Hy's had more diners compared to Gotham on a weeknight. 
The dining room is dimly lit and the seating arrangements are a bit tight. Since the dining room was pretty much full and being seated in the middle was quite loud, we asked if it was possible to move to the other room. After our server confirmed with the hostess, we made our way to the other dining room. I felt a lot more comfortable being the only diners in the room, since I could take photos with flash without bother anyone.
Meh, just because I took a photo of Gotham's napkin. The font and color is the same too, it is probably from the same supplier.
CAESAR ($7.50).
The clamato tastes fairly weak and the drink could have been more flavourful.
The garlic bread is nicely toasted and exhibits a slightly crunchy exterior, along with a soft crumb. I still prefer the traditional bread and butter, but BF likes the garlic bread.
BLACK AND BLUE AHI TUNA, WITH SOYA SAUCE AND WASABI MUSTARD ($16.95).
The tuna is evenly seared and tastes tender, fresh and not mushy. But despite the properly executed tuna, I enjoy Gotham's steak seasoning more than Hy's cajun.
MUSSELS NORMANDY, STEAMED WITH APPLE AND CALVADOS ($15.95).
Every time BF and I order mussels, he always occasionally comments on an unpleasant "seafood taste". It is really rare for me to taste that unpleasant flavour, but I was able to tonight. The mussels taste fairly fishy and despite that the mussels are fresh, plump and large, that seafood ocean taste is really strong. Some restaurants decide or can get rid of that unpleasant seafood flavour, but others cannot. The only restaurant that has perfected mussels this year is Kamei Baru. As for the broth, the flavour is very light and there is not much. No spoon was provided too, so we could not scoop some broth onto the mussels.
FILET MIGNON SERVED WITH BRAISED LOBSTER TAIL AND LEMON BUTTER WITH A SIDE OF TWICE BAKED POTATO ($58.95).
The lobster tail tastes extremely flavourful, tender, not overcooked and exhibits a nice bounce. It is pretty darn good. For my choice of side, I ordered the twice baked potato which tastes pretty good as well. Loaded with butter, bacon bits and chive, I also poured plenty of lemon butter on for good measure.
As for the highlight of the entree, the filet is cooked perfectly medium rare as I requested. The steak also has a nice crust and the quality seems a bit better than Gotham's. There is that natural beefy flavour with very little seasoning and despite that the steak does not taste the or the juiciest, it is tender. Did I enjoy the lobster tail and twice baked potato more than the steak? Yes, but I still enjoyed the steak. I probably should have ordered the porterhouse so I could have compared it to Gotham's though, hehe.
16OZ BONE-IN RIB STEAK WITH A BAKED POTATO ($46.95).
The rib steak is cooked perfectly to a medium rare as requested, exhibits good looking grill marks, has a great crust, and tastes tender along with very juicy. BF agrees that the quality of steaks at Hy's does seem better compared to Gotham's, and he likes that natural beefy flavour as well. Plus, the bone-in steak actually comes with a bone this time (Gotham's and Sandbar's never did)! For his side, he added butter, sour cream and bacon bits to his baked potato. The twice baked potato is way better in my opinion, easier to eat and requires no effort!
KEY LIME PIE ($10.95).
The key lime pie is made in-house and the crust has a good texture, despite the crack at the back. As for the filling, there is plenty of lime zest, a smooth along with creamy consistency, and a mild tart and sweet flavour. But this is not the type of key lime pie that I prefer. Perhaps because the pie tastes more "real" than generic, but I personally like Cactus Club's more for that sweeter and very tart lime flavour. I do enjoy the fresh dollop of whipped cream which is always a winter. If comparing Hy's key lime pie to Gotham's, I prefer Hy's more.
Hy's cheesecake tastes very traditional, simple, basic and delicious. A rich and creamy cheesecake with a good ratio of a butter to cracker crust. I hate it when restaurants make tiny tweaks here and there and ruin a good plain ol' cheesecake. BF is not a big dessert fan too and he even enjoyed the cheesecake. Hy's cheesecake is a must order for dessert in my opinion, especially for those who love cheesecake.
POSITIVES
- Above average service
- Well executed and good quality steaks- That lobster tail, twice baked potato and cheesecake!
NEGATIVES
- Fine dining prices
- Valet parking gets full fast
- Seating arrangements are a bit cramped
LITTLE THINGS
- I like Gotham's appetizers more
Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
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