Restaurant: Mastro’s Ocean Club Malibu
Location: 18412 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265. (310) 454-4357
Date: February 19, 2015
Cuisine: Steakhouse
Rating: Exactly like the other Mastro’s, but closer and with a better view!
I’ve been meaning to try the new Mastro’s Ocean Club since it opened as it’s all of about 10 minutes from my house. My brother’s birthday provided an excellent opportunity!
As you can see, the view is awesome — and despite Charthouse deja vu, it’s a lovely location. As usual, it’s pretty sealed up, which seems to be oddly typical on the Pacific coast (probably because of the chilly afternoon/evening breezes).
1983 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Parker 94. A stunning wine, Pichon-Lalande’s 1983 has been gorgeous to drink for a number of years. It is one of the finest 1983s, especially for a northern Medoc. The color remains a dark ruby/purple, with slight lightening at the edge. The knock-out nose of roasted herbs, sweet, jammy black currants, and pain grille is followed by a full-bodied, gorgeously concentrated and well-proportioned wine with low acidity, plenty of glycerin, and a savory, highly extracted, fleshy mouthfeel. This has always been one of the stars of the vintage.
The yummy breads.
Three of us ordered the seafood tower. The quality of the seafood here is impeccable. There were amazing shrimp, lobsters, claws, dungeness crab (in the top, shelled), and oysters.
One of the things that really makes the Mastro’s seafood tower are the sauces. We have cocktail, a spicy mustard, and the Atomic Horseradish. They use this particular magic brand (you can buy it here). The stuff is — pardon my French — fucking awesomely potent. I’ve taken to buying it myself for home. No other horseradish is this punishing. It has a nice flavor too. I particularly like it mixed in with the cocktail sauce. It can have you literally pounding the table in pain — ahem pleasure.
Caesar salad.
1978 Château Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape. VC 95. Gorgeous brick red with tawny rim. Sweet rich fruit, plummy, earthy, rich blackberry compote, tar and licorice spice, but fruit dominant.
Fresh and smooth, superb balance and length, finishing with a deep long resonating kiss. Loving this. Hints of sherbet zest but mostly a rich earthy compote of plummy fruit with a lightly spicy edge. Amazingly fresh and crisp for its considerable age, better than many 15 years it’s junior. I have another and will happily lay to rest for another 5-10. Drinking beautifully.
Chilean sea bass, looking forlorn by itself on the plate.
Grilled salmon.
8 oz filet.
8 oz filet oscar style. Yeah, it’s obscene. I know.
Grilled brussels sprouts. Not as good as Gjelina (with the pancetta).
Creamed corn.
This is “Gorgonzola mac & cheese!” Oh so light, oh so yummy.
And even better, the evil “king crab truffle gnocchi.” Yes that’s right. Cream, cheese, truffles, crab, potato. What could be better?
See the evil damage.
For dessert, birthday profiteroles with ice cream and whipped cream.
Chocolate covered strawberries with whipped cream.
And the super evil butter cake. About 3 sticks of butter in this baby.
Amazingly, there was still room for dessert
Overall, a great experience. I’m not sure what is Ocean Club about the ocean part other than actually being BY the ocean. Which makes it all the odder that there is an Ocean Club in Scottsdale (no ocean there). This place is pretty much a clone of the other Mastro’s foodwise, which isn’t exactly a bad thing.