Chocolate steak

I like chocolate, and I love steak. Therefore this combination should technically be a match made in culinary heaven. It’s there, definitely. Maybe not stood welcoming people through the golden gates, but it certainly has a firm place in food paradise.

This dish was one of a variety of options at Madame Zingara. For those that didn’t get involved with the hype, it’s a travelling spiegeltent – also known as The Theatre of Dreams – which claims to be ‘the most intimate dinner cirque experience on Earth’.

That, it most probably is. It’s got all the skill and flair of Cirque du Soleil (but on an even smaller stage), mixed with waiters/actors who remain in a sensationalised character throughout the night. Courses are served between a series of breath-taking gymnastic performances and the whole evening is designed to be an experience for the senses. It’s executed to perfection, and even the waiting staff – who at times do become a little too much to bear – can’t distract my attention from the meaty-chocolate fusion.

The chocolate sauce is rich, but not too overpowering. As a fan of dark chocolate this is actually pretty perfect for me. It was runnier than I would have expected, but then again, I certainly didn’t want to see a solid Cadbury’s chocolate bar sat on top of my meal. The consistency of the sauce, mixed with the subtle yet rich flavour worked well with the tenderness of the meat and surprisingly they complemented each other very well. It would have been nice to see what it would have tasted like if the steak was actually cooked with the sauce but nonetheless, at the end of the night when everyone started dancing, I knew what I was celebrating.

www.madamezingara.com