MEAT lovers are spoilt for choice these days.
Called simply The Steakhouse, it specialises in Black Angus Beef
from Australia. Black Angus is a breed of cow that originated from
Scotland and is known for its tenderness and flavour.
The meat at The Steakhouse is certainly good. I would rate it above
that at The Prime Society, but not as great as what you get at
Morton's of Chicago, which uses USDA Prime from America.
But to be fair, average prices are lower than Morton's, as well as
Prime Society's.
Steakhouse's fillet mignon ($44 for 300g), which apparently comes
from a 200-day grain-fed cow, is appropriately tender and
juicy.
If you prefer a fatter cut like the New York striploin ($48 for
300g), as the well-distributed fat releases bursts of flavour when
you chew on the meat.
The only downside is that the cut sometimes comes with a fatty rind
attached to a sinewy stub that can be pretty tough on the
jaws.
All the steaks come with a choice of sauce, with flavours such as
pepper, mushroom, mustard or herb butter.
These are served on the side, so by all means pick one. But my
advice is to try your steak without the sauce. That way, you really
get to savour the beef.
A unique design concept for the restaurant is that the steaks are
grilled in the middle of the dimmed dining room. The grill is set
in a round stone island underneath a huge hood to suck up the
smells.
Your steak goes straight from the grill to the table once it is
done, staying nice and warm on the plate.
Steaks may be the focus here but non-beef eaters need not fight shy
of the place. There are other meats on the menu that are just as
good, such as the pan-roasted Australian pork chop ($26). It is a
chunky piece of meat that is delightfully tender. The marinade,
with its herb and honey flavours, gives it an aromatic top note,
but it is the flavourful juices of the pork that linger on the
palate.
The meat is served with brandy Pommery mustard cream sauce, but as
with the steaks, I like it better on its own.
The oven roasted lamb rack ($42) is nicely tender but I would
prefer it more seared. Sizzled fat always tastes good, and cooking
the meat a wee bit longer would, perhaps, have rid it of its
somewhat strong smell.
Among the non-meat offerings, I would suggest the watermelon salad
($12) as a starter.
It is a pretty dish with cubes of lightly pan-grilled watermelon
topped with a herb-tomato concasse. The sweet-savoury flavours are
interesting, and the dish makes a good precursor to the
meats.
Or, if you have less adventurous tastebuds, go for a more
traditional warm baby spinach salad ($16). The chef is a tad
over-generous with the olive oil, but the combination of greens,
sliced mushrooms and bacon bits is classic.
You can give the crab cakes ($22) a miss though, until the chef
finds a better recipe. What you get now are four small lumps
composed of dry flakes of crab with little flavour.
A good crab cake needs to be crisp on the outside and moist inside,
with the shellfish supported by a delicate blend of herbs and
seasonings as well as, perhaps, some chopped vegetables and a
dollop of mayonnaise.
Desserts here include perennial favourites such as tiramisu and
bread and butter pudding. But if you are feeling the weight of the
steaks after your main course, the prune sorbet ($12) is just the
thing to end the meal with.
It's only slightly sweetened and the tinge of tartness, coupled
with the icy sensation, are perfect for a clean finish.
The Steakhouse
3B River Valley Road, 01-14 Clarke Quay, Tel: 6332-1010
Open: 6 to 11pm Sundays to Wednesdays,
6pm to midnight Thursdays to Saturdays.
Price: Budget from $70 per person for a three-course dinner without
drinks