Rare 125 Has Steaks Cooked Right and a Must-Try Pastrami Rub
It was the 4th of July, a Sunday, and to our dismay the major restaurants in the San Juan metro area were closed, which is not unusual for a Sunday in Puerto Rico. Rare 125, located on Ponce de León Avenue in Miramar, popped up as highly rated on Tripadvisor.
A staff member picked up the phone quickly, had some personality, and said we could walk in without a reservation because there would be plenty of space around 2 p.m.
There was indoor and outdoor sitting, and I chose to sit outside with a dining partner. There was a black Arabesque wall separator between tables that struck me as graphic-looking.
I still respect Rare 125 for trying. It’s a medium-size space in a quiet residential neighborhood with many other restaurants nearby. The waiter was very friendly and allowed us to bring in our own wine, and charged a corkage fee. We ordered a few appetizers, entrees and desserts: lobster and crab bisque, beef carpaccio and halibut aguachile, and ribeye and filet mignon.
I have standards in food so I expect every restaurant to be bad or mediocre. Many places in Puerto Rico do not use fresh ingredients, but rely on imported and frozen food instead, and do not make things from scratch.
As a restaurant that markets itself as a steakhouse, Rare 125 delivers on the doneness of its steaks pretty well. The portions are substantial and the restaurant offers a pastrami rub on the steaks that you have to try.
The diner has to choose among various styles of sauces, including the pastrami rub, a coffee rub, green peppercorn, and others.
I liked the pastrami rub for the novelty of it. Locals here are big on pastrami sandwiches, and at Rare 125 you get the pastrami seasoning elevated onto a steak.
The lobster and crab bisque, as well as the beef carpaccio, are likewise essential to try. The beef carpaccio was very thinly sliced, which brought out its delicate flavors and textures.
The crudo halibut aguachile, one of my favorites when prepared right, was fresh.
The portions are small enough to allow you to have several courses so you can experience the whole sequence: appetizer, pasta, main fish, main red meat, and dessert.
Here are some other thoughts about the menu:
Halibut aguachile: The fish tasted very fresh, was very thinly sliced, and delicious. I had to scrape the hot sauce aside because it was overwhelming.
Beef carpaccio: It was very delicate and thinly sliced, pairing well with the arugula. Again, the sauces were good but I had to scrape some off because it was bordering on sloppy, and too much.
Lobster ravioli: I do not recommend this. It tasted artificially flavored inside. There were no pieces or textures that I could identify as lobster. It was more of a paste with lobster flavor.
Cazuela de mejillones (mussels casserole): Some diners would be satisfied with this, but to me it was unspectacular as there was nothing lively about the dish. The mussels tasted very fishy, the tomato base seemed like it was canned, and blended too easily with the chorizo (Spanish pork sausage).
Scallops with prosciutto croccante: The textures were perfect. Although the ingredients didn’t have the freshness I sought, the cooking technique was right.
Charred asparagus: Prepared as it is supposed to be.
Ribeye and filet mignon: You have to try the pastrami rub that comes with it.
The desserts I ordered were chocolate, and as can be the norm, they were too Nutella-esque for my taste.
Rare 125 is worth a visit. Come here if you need some privacy, don’t need to be seen, and want to escape Condado. Visit Rare 125 if you want some tasteful and delicate items to begin your meal, if you need a place that serves steaks cooked right, and offers a slight variation — the pastrami rub.
Let me know if you try the coffee rub, which I didn’t have a chance to sample.