Going to a restaurant is expensive these days, so if you decide to shell out for a fancy restaurant, you’re probably expecting the best of the best.
That said, everyone knows that paying extra money at an eatery doesn’t always get you a high-quality experience. For example, some internet users have reported paying top dollar for a dessert, only to be disappointed by the portion size. One user also recounted paying a large amount for a “blindfolded dinner date” — then receiving a host of pathetic dishes.
Now, a user on TikTok says that they got a bad meal from a Michelin-starred restaurant that made them ill. Why are some viewers not buying it?
What Went Wrong With This Woman’s Meal?
In a video with over 1.1 million views, TikToker Ariana Donovan (@ariana.donovan) shows herself taking a bite of steak tartare. As she chews, she appears concerned.
“Why is it frozen?” she asks.
She then has her friend take a bite, confirming that the meat was, in fact, frozen.
“Went to a michelin star restaurant and got served a frozen steak tartare,” she writes in the text overlaying the video. In the caption, she adds, “So it’s safe to say that steak tartare is not meant to be frozen and I was up puking all night.”
Is This Video True?
There are a few things wrong with this video.
First, as many commenters pointed out, this wasn’t a Michelin-starred restaurant. In fact, there are no Michelin-starred restaurants in the city of Pittsburgh. This can easily be confirmed on the Michelin website.
The restaurant shown in the video is instead The Commoner. While the restaurant does not have a Michelin star, it is well-reviewed, averaging 4.4 out of 5 stars on Google.
Second, some commenters stated that steak tartare is supposed to be frozen. But is that correct?
Is Frozen Steak Tartare Bad?
Not necessarily.
There are a few reasons why one’s steak tartare may be colder than expected. To start, many steak and beef tartare recipes recommend briefly putting your beef in the freezer. This is not for health and safety, but because chilled beef is easier to slice into small pieces. From there, the beef is brought back up to a normal temperature.
It’s possible that the restaurant simply failed to bring the steak tartare back up to a consumable temperature before serving it. That said, this does not inherently pose a health and safety concern.
Any raw meat dish is going to come with the risk of pathogens. However, a steak tartare made of a single cut of high-quality beef is going to have a much lower risk of illness than one made of ground beef. McGill University notes that, so long as the dish has been properly prepared, dangers associated with steak tartare are minimal.
@ariana.donovan so it’s safe to say that steak tartare is not meant to be frozen and I was up puking all night ? #pittsburgh #michelinstar #michelinstarrestaurant #rawsteak #frozen ♬ original sound – Ariana Donovan
Commenters Aren’t Sure
In the comments section, users cast doubt on Donovan’s video.
“All Tartare is frozen,” said a user. As previously noted, this is not true. “Yes it should be thawed right before you eat it. You should’ve said something to the waiter and I’m sure they would have brought out a new appetizer. But this would not cause any stomach issues. You can eat frozen meat.”
“That is how you make beef tartar. You freeze (not fully just a little) the meat so the it cuts easier. Warmer meat is too soft to get the clean small diced cuts you want for tartar,” echoed another.
“The frozen tartar is the least wrong thing in this video,” declared a third commenter.
The Mary Sue reached out to The Commoner via email and Donovan via TikTok DM and comment and Instagram DM.
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