Taste Test: Raw Data
Carpaccio
Crimson-rare Wagyu beef is sliced razor-thin and fanned out on the plate at Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse, creating a delicate but densely flavored base for the capers, shaved pecorino, horseradish cream, and lightly dressed arugula salad precisely arranged on top. 51 N. Illinois St., 317-536-0270
Fresh Oysters
Amid the elaborate seafood house plates at Noah Grant’s Grill House & Oyster Bar, chilled bivalves bursting with the salty flavors of the sea get their own dedicated menu and daily half-price happy hour. Sauces range from the classic cocktail (but with a hit of tequila) to several booze-based granitas. 91 S. Main St., Zionsville, 317-732-2233
Ceviche
Scooped into the bottom of a tiny tortilla cup with cucumber slices and avocado, the bright citrus-finished seafood served as a starter at Salt on Mass gets a pop of heat from fresh jalapeño. 505 Massachusetts Ave., 317-638-6565
Steak Tartare
Provision’s Steakhouse Tartare arrives at the table a velvety puck of chopped sirloin topped with a farm egg yolk and pickled mustard seeds to be folded in, DIY-style, with the standard tartare accoutrement of diced onions and parsley. Slivers of frizzled garlic add an unexpected crunchy texture. 2721 E. 86th St., 317-843-6100
Poke
Purists prefer this Hawaiian delicacy of diced fresh fish with a minimum of add-ins—maybe just the standard bed of sushi rice and sesame. At the recently opened Ali’i Poke near the IUPUI campus, the now-trendy dish can be gussied up mainland-style with additions like seaweed salad, spicy crab, guacamole, and an essential sprinkle of seaweed-and-sesame furikake seasoning. 910 W. 10th St., 317-602-3632
Bo Tai Chanh
This artful arrangement of thin-sliced beef tenderized with lemon juice is among the more authentic Vietnamese dishes served at King Wok. It pairs surprisingly well with the Bud Light you will also find on the menu here. 4150 Lafayette Rd., 317-295 8090
Kitfo
Major Restaurant offers this traditional Ethiopian raw-beef dish infused with purified chili powder in three injera-ready temps: tere (raw), lublul (rare), and tibs (well done). 1150 S. Mickley Ave.,317-240-2700
