One of my all time favourite food is steak! I’m pretty particular about it.
*UPDATED 12/12/12*
I have added a new category: Concept, so that you get an idea of what style of cooking/serving to expect! As you know, different cultures of cuisine have their different take on executing the steak. Some is really different from the others so it is important to know whether they cook and serve it the way YOU like it, so you can select where to go and get the most enjoyable experience.
I’m not a trade professional or butchery trained person but from dining experience, there are 3 factors which contribute to good steak – how they cook it (to judge the doneness), the cut, and the type of cow the meat is from. Of course, other factors like how well they marinate it or what sauce accompanies it, contributes too. I usually have my steak (if it’s good steak), natural, without any sauce.
I only like steak done medium rare. If my steak was unevenly done or overcooked, I will taste a difference.
This happened once, at Fukuichi Japanese Dining. I tried their beef and it was fabulously cooked to perfection. I returned 2 days later and ordered the same thing, but the beef turned out to be overcooked! The waitress had the audacity to tell me that some other part of the steak was medium rare. I was thinking: “Your steak is not uniformly cooked throughout, and you mean that’s OKAY?” Well, with some parts medium and some parts medium rare, that’s definitely not the way it should be.
Other than the doneness, the cut is very important. I swear to avoid Sirloin at all cost. People who do not eat steak often won’t notice a difference, but there really is one. In sirloin, the fats are all at one side and not marbled into the meat, which results in the meat being less tender, much tougher, and doesn’t melt in your mouth. It is generally the cheaper too. The shape of sirloin steak is always oblong.
Rib eye is my favourite cut. Although it is very fatty, it is very tender and soft. It generally costs more than sirloin. It will be oval, with fats in the middle and everywhere, and sometimes it can be round. There was once when I ordered rib eye at Astons and the meat was virtually free of fat, very tough and rubbery and super hard to chew. It tasted like Sirloin to me but the waiter insisted it was rib eye. Hmm.
The other cut is tenderloin. It is the most expensive one and has less fat than rib eye. It is usually round and thick.
The third factor is the type of cow. I’m not very sure about how it works actually but what the cow fed on, how many days it was fed for, and how it was bred affects the meat. It affects the marbling of fats within the cow and how ‘sweet’ the meat will taste. Among the commonly found beef we get there, the high end beef would be Japanese Wagyu such as Kobe or Matsusaka beef. Next in line would be Australian Wagyu where it’s usually a cross breed between a Wagyu and an Angus. Then it would be Angus beef, and then just ‘normal’ beef. I’m not a butcher so I don’t exactly know all the different types but in summary that’s about it. Wagyu is always better than Angus, and Angus is always better than non Angus.
As there are many factors which contribute to how good the steak would taste, I wouldn’t try the steak at just any restaurant to settle my steak cravings. If I were to crave for steak, I wouldn’t just go to any restaurant which happens to have steak on their menu, and order it. Usually, it wouldn’t taste good. I would go to somewhere which specialises in steak, or somewhere which specifically uses a good cut of meat and states it on their menu.
Here’s a list of steakhouses in Singapore:
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Fat Cow {recommended} {my review}
Must Try: Charcoal Grilled Blackmore Wagyu Ribeye – $187.00++/ 220g
Concept: Japanese
Their other variation of wagyu should be great too, depending on how much marbling you like your beef to have. They only use ribeye at Fat Cow so no issues about giving you lousy cuts like rump or sirloin. For less fatty you can choose the hybrid wagyu which is a mixed blood with angus, for $52/100g ( $114.40++ for 220g, the minimum weight required).
To respect the wagyu, you MUST order medium rare, or below. Because wagyu do not benefit from cooking more than medium rare. The marbling will just melt off and you will only get the meat and no marbling. If you like your meat cooked medium and up, I suggest you save the money and get some normal beef instead.
This is officially the best steak I’ve eaten in my life.
1 Orchard Boulevard #01-01/02
Camden Medical Centre
Singapore 248649
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Morton’s The Steakhouse {recommended} {my review}
Must Try: Aged USDA Prime Ribeye $97.00++
Concept: American
Seems expensive but note that the size of the meat is more than enough for 2 and can even feed 3. The meat is of very good quality and the execution is the most perfect I’ve come across in Singapore. The service is good too. One of the best steaks in Singapore.
Mandarin Oriental
5 Raffles Avenue, 4F
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The Tavern {recommended} {my review}
Must try: Grilled Prime U.S.Rib-Eye Steak
Concept: Swiss
This was the BEST steak I ever had in Singapore. I ordered medium rare and it was cooked to perfection. The meat looked like this throughout. It was super tender and juicy.
The Tavern Restaurant
227 River Valley Road
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Hog’s breath (CHIJMES) {my review}
Must try: Prime Rib Steak 200g from $29.95++
Concept: Australian
I’ve had the steak here several times. Do not bother with the other outlet and ONLY try it at CHIJMES.
Their steak is sufficiently juicy and fatty. It is always evenly cooked. It tasted best when cooked medium rare.
Hog’s Breath Café
Chijmes, 30 Victoria Street, Block A,
#01-26/27,
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Les Bouchons Rive Gauche {recommended} {my review}
Must Try: U.S Grain Fed “XL” Rib Eye $48.00++
Concept: French
This is a French style bistro which specialises in steak frites. It comes with a free flow of fries and salad. The portion is good enough for 2 people so it’s quite worth it! The meat tastes good too.
41 Robertson Quay,
#01-01
Singapore Tyler Print Institute
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Concept: Australian
Like Hog’s Breath, Outback is an internationally acclaimed steak restaurant originating from Australia. However, it is pricier.
Millenia Walk
9 Raffles Boulevard,
#01-99
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Concept: Hainanese
Try their tenderloin steaks. It is good, contrary to popular belief. However, everything else on the menu is kind of bad, like their chicken or seafood. So please, if anyone in your group doesn’t take beef, do not consider Jack’s Place. The sirloin served during lunch is bad too.
Bras Basah Complex
Blk 231 Bain Street,
#01-01
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Concept: nil
I once tried their USDA aged beef after hearing how juicy and tender this treatment would make the beef, but it wasn’t good at all. Apparently, the cut was sirloin, and like other sirloin steaks it was tough.
Centrepoint
176 Orchard Road,
#03-45/47
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The Ship Restaurant {not recommended}
Concept: Hainanese/Malaysian
the concept is similar to Jack’s Place but it’s not nice and not cheap either.
NEX Mall
23 Serangoon Central
#01-61/62
Singapore 556083
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Angus house
Concept: Japanese
Not exactly very benchmark in price but quite value for money when you get the set meal, which is only $10.00++ more on top of the price of your steak. You will get bread, soup, salad, amuse bouche, and dessert. The best part is you get to choose which soup and dessert you want. Their steaks are quite tasty and definitely good cut and good beef. They have wagyu too which I would want to try next time.
Ngee Ann City
391 Orchard Road,
#04-25
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Concept: American
Mandarin Gallery
333A Orchard Road,
#04-01/31
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Concept: Latin American
Pan Pacific Serviced Suites
96 Somerset Road,
#01-05
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Concept: American
Orchard Parade Hotel
1 Tanglin Road,
#01-08
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10 Dempsey Road,
#01-20
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ION Orchard
2 Orchard Turn
#04-12
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Budget Steak (<$20.00++)
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Hot Tomato Cafe & Grill {recommended}
Must try: Ribeye Steak – $13.90++
for such price, this is one of the best you can get! do not compare to expensive places of course, as different sort of meat is used.
NEX Mall
23 Serangoon Central
#B1-47
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Wine Connection Tapas Bar & Bistro {recommended}
Must try: Ribeye Steak – $20.00++
There are 2 wine connection outlets at Robertson Walk so do not go to the wrong one! the steak was surprisingly juicy and flavourful. For such price it was a good try.
Robertson Walk
11 Unity Street
#01-19/20
Singapore 237995
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Ribeye Steak – $13.90 nett
Wagyu Sirlon MS 6 – $28.90 nett
This is definitely the lowest price ever for grade 6 Australian marbled beef.
Blk 681 Hougang Ave 8 #01-853 Singapore 530681
Blk 153 Serangoon North Ave 1 #01-512 Singapore 550153
Blk 449 Clementi Ave 3 #01-211 Singapore 120449
Blk 713 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6 #01-4032 Singapore 560713
Blk 147 Potong Pasir Ave 1 #01-93 Singapore 350147
Blk 530 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 #01-2379 Singapore 56053
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Ribeye Steak – $16.90nett
the concept here is a bit different. they give you a raw steak on a hot plate and you cook it yourself. the meat was alright but clearly it’s not very thawed as the fats remained kind of solid even after cooking.
Isetan Scotts
350 Orchard Road
Basement level Shaw House
Singapore 238868
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Mignon’s Steak & Grill {not recommended}
The ribeye cost around $20 but under the budget steak category, I’d choose Wine Connection or Hot Tomato anytime.
391A Orchard Road
Ngee Ann City
Takashimaya Shopping Centre,
B204-3,
Singapore 238872
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Astons{strongly not recommended}
Ribeye Steak – $13.90
I used to like Astons but the quality of steak they used lately has definitely changed. Try at your own risk.
119 East Coast Road
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200g Ribeye Steak – $14.90
Simon Plaza
2 Kovan Road,
#01-11
Singapore (548008)
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Hungry Bird 