The H Cuisine opens on Restaurant Row

Steak lovers in Dr. Phillips have a new place to go for a prime cut of beef.

The H Cuisine held its grand opening Wednesday, Sept. 12. The Mediterranean steakhouse is located on Restaurant Row within the Marketplace at Dr. Phillips Shopping Center, 7512 Dr. Phillips Blvd., Suite 80.

Restaurant Row’s newest casual, fine-dining restaurant offers a diverse menu created by chefs with international culinary experience. The restaurant has an open kitchen that allows guests to see their food being prepared and feel the warmth of the fire from the different fire-cooking techniques the chefs use to prepare the meals.

“Our cooking style is different than regular steakhouses,” said owner Fuat Hasoglu, adding that one thing that sets them apart is how the restaurant dry ages its steaks. “The (dry-aging) refrigerator is filled with Himalayan salt blocks, so the salt is always running in the air (in the refrigerator). … When you taste them, you can tell, easily, the difference between regular dry-aged (steak) and our dry-age (steak).”

Hasoglu added the restaurant was inspired partially by the steakhouses in his home country of Turkey. He said another aspect that makes his restaurant unique are its “show plates,” which are partly prepared in the kitchen and then finished off tableside in front of the guest.

Additionally, The H offers “reserve dishes” that guests have to order in advance, because the dishes take a lot of preparation. One of those is the Osso Bucco, a veal shank that has been braised for hours with root vegetables and red wine.

“It takes eight hours to 12 hours (to prepare),” Hasoglu said. “It depends on the (size of the) meat.”

In addition to steaks, the menu also offers salads, burgers, seafood and pasta dishes. The H Cuisine places an emphasis on freshness. Meals are made from scratch, and nothing is kept frozen. Additionally, many of the restaurant’s spices and desserts are imported from Turkey, Hasoglu said.

“There’s nothing frozen here — except ice cream,” Hasoglu said with a laugh. “Our (ingredients) are very fresh. … Everything is (made) from scratch in this restaurant.”

The restaurant’s bar offers a wide selection of domestic and imported beers, wine and spirits. Additionally, the bar offers Turkish coffee, which is another signature item at The H. Happy hours are held 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays. The H also offers a late-night happy hour from 10 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays.