A new steakhouse is set to open in the Roath area of Cardiff and it’s owned by the same team as one of the city’s most popular Japanese restaurants.
Da Iawn Steakhouse will open on Wellfield Road on the former site of acclaimed pizzeria Anatoni’s on Tuesday, February 15 and it will be located next door to its sister restaurant, Sushi Life .
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A fixture of Wellfield Road for the last six years, Sushi Life serves a colourful selection of maki rolls, ramen, katsu curries and noodle dishes.
Both restaurants are owned by husband and wife team Maria and Cornel Chiriac and it’s down to the success of their first restaurant that they’ve decided to open a second establishment.
“We were looking at the market and we’d actually been thinking for a while about opening another Sushi Life. But we were looking for spaces and we weren't very keen on the areas we found places to rent. And then the space where Anatoni's was came up on the market,” said Maria.
“I'm quite involved in the community here around Wellfield Road and I had a few chats with people saying there's no steakhouse around and if you want a decent steak, you have to travel all the way to Cardiff Bay or the city centre. That's how my idea came about."
Understandably, Da Iawn’s menu will focus on steak but it will cater to non-beef eaters too.
“It's quite a small menu. All the meats we're going to use are from local suppliers. As we are a small family business, most of our suppliers are just like us, small family businesses and they're trusted suppliers that are producing their meat locally.
"We'll have a beautiful T bone. That's one of those cuts I'm very enthusiastic about. And we'll have sirloin, ribeye and fillet.
"For those who don't like beef we are going to have a whole boneless chicken leg, lamb neck fillet, grilled salmon, grilled tiger prawns and pork shoulder.”
To go with the mains, side dishes will include hand cut chips, mashed potatoes, fresh salads and roasted vegetables.
The restaurant’s name, Da Iawn, means ‘very good’ or ‘well done’ in Welsh, and Maria’s more than aware of its link to how steak can be cooked.
"I was actually looking for a Welsh name. But obviously it's funny because I don't speak Welsh and I kept on looking and looking and doing a bit of research. And then I thought that ‘Da Iawn’ would be a great name for it. It's easy for those who can't speak Welsh to pronounce it and it's obviously related to steak being well done."
Fortunately, for fans of rare and medium steaks, Da Iawn won’t only serve their steaks well done.
"I think when it comes to steak everyone should have it cooked their own way," said Maria.
With their two businesses located next door to each other, it’ll certainly make things more manageable for the couple.
“It will be much easier because we won't have to travel long distances. At the moment my husband will look after Sushi Life and I'll be moving next door and looking after the steakhouse. But, we'll help each other out if needed.”
Da Iawn isn't the only new restaurant to be opening soon in the Wellfield Road area. A poster has recently gone up for The Little Kochi, a southern Indian restaurant, which will open on the former site of Bo Zan, a long standing Chinese restaurant on Albany Road that closed earlier this year.
Other recent foodie additions to Wellfield Road include Yamas, a Greek restaurant that sells massive meat platters, Salkaara, a popular southern Indian restaurant, and the acclaimed Tŷ Melin Bakery.
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