A High Steaks Game

@charliesgrill.com.sg evokes some long buried memories of old steakhouses of yesteryear like Ponderosa & Sizzler, and that’s mainly due to the gargantuan portions of food. For the rather reasonable price of $28.90++, you can order a protein party in the form of Charlie’s Steak & Chick’n. A humongous Angus ribeye steak is grilled to your desired doneness, and partnered with an equally sizeable slab of chicken.⠀
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As expected of any decent Angus steak, the ribeye was tastefully tender and decently marbled with fat. It was simply but splendidly seasoned with salt & freshly ground black pepper, and that all any stellar steak needs to shine. The humongous hunk of chicken was perfectly grilled, retaining all of its juices & moisture while being evenly cooked all throughout. The black pepper sauce inundating the meats wasn’t strictly necessary, but it’s peppery, rich & savoury qualities were definitely beneficial to both majestic meats.⠀
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Each massive main comes with a choice of two sides, and you can pick from eight different options. As you can clearly see, Charlie’s is equally generous with the sides as they are with the meats. The mashed potatoes were buttery, smooth and a delightful way to load up on carbs. The steamed seasonal veggies needed some loving care, like a herb butter or something, but there was a whole garden full of them on the plate.⠀
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Truth be told, Charlie’s Steak & Chick’n is large enough for two grown adults to share, and even big eaters will find this to be a mammoth undertaking. Thanks again for the invite, @charliesgrill.com.sg & @eatwithkeat!

I enjoyed @thekongsee.sg Charcoal Grilled Beef ($42++) despite it being the one thing that stuck out like a sore thumb on the otherwise well curated Mod-Sin menu. What can I say, I’m an average steak enjoyer. A hefty hunk of ribeye from the USA is grilled over charcoal to medium rare perfection, and is served with grilled button mushrooms, wakame (kelp) and a roasted garlic dip. The steak itself was perfect, with a felicitous fattiness marbling it, and the meat was tremendously tender. ⠀
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The extra richness of the garlic dip wasn’t strictly necessary, but the extra creamy smoothness & garlic flavours it added to the beef were undeniably delicious. The grilled shrooms were quite pleasant, but the wakame was hopelessly out of place on this plate. Instead, it would’ve been better replaced by something more uniquely Singaporean such as achar (Nyonya spicy pickled mixed fruits & vegetables), or perhaps something more daring such as a cold cubed cucumber salad tossed in a garlicky & gingery chili sauce to mimic the cucumbers you’d get with chicken rice.⠀
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Just to hammer home the Mod-Sin theme of The Kongsee with this succulent steak, perhaps a rendang or a spicy sauce of some kind could be whipped up to be spooned over the steak. I really, really relished this stellar steak, and I hope it stays on the menu albeit in a more refined form.⠀
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Thank you for inviting us to sample your delectable fare, @kevin._.ngan & @thekongsee.sg, and thanks for the invite @wobblethebui!

Fortunately for us, the final entrée in @newubinseafood wine paring session was decent enough to erase the memory of the lacklustre chicken. The Sous Vide Brazilian Zebu Cattle Hump was yet another interesting dish on the menu, and we learned that there’s a breed of cattle called Zebu, and they have a distinctive fatty hump on their necks.⠀
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Said hump stores fat, much like a camel, so it’s no surprise that the meat is well marbled with fat. However, it is still a cut that needs to be cooked low and slow for optimal tenderness, so it was never going to be done medium rare. I do feel that New Ubin scuffed a golden opportunity to make this Zebu hump meat a star, as the meat is just begging to be cooked in a redolent rendang or perhaps even a thick curry. The roasted vegetables that accompanied the Zebu meat were surprisingly sublime, and I found myself eagerly polishing them off.⠀
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While they missed the chance to put the Zebu hump meat into a sauce or stew of some kind, they didn’t miss when pairing it with this bottle of Brigaldara Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva 2012. This is probably the biggest and boldest wine I’ve ever sipped on in recent memory, surpassing even most Syrahs & Shiraz. The extremely heavy body was perfect with the light tannin here, and the bouquet was utterly sensational.⠀
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Scents of raisins, dark chocolates, blackberry & cherry preserves, oak and tobacco all coexisted in harmony on the nose. Taste wise, I got a lot of sweet, dried fruits like dried blackberries & raisins on my palate, and the aftertaste was definitely reminiscent of a rapturous port wine. Oddly enough, it’s noticeably sweet despite its whopping alcohol content of 16.5%, and it was the perfect pair with the Zebu hump meat.⠀
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Thank you for the cordial hospitality, @newubinseafood!

There’s been a whole lot of attention on @blackgoatburgers lately, so I simply had to go and see what all the fuss was about. They started out selling briyani in the daytime, and swopped to Western grilled meats & burgers in the evening. As expected, this proved a bit of a bridge too far, and the chef & proprietor of BlackGoat has decided to focus on burgers & grilled meats.⠀
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I was tempted by their breathtaking burgers, but when I got there, the allure of the Australian Grassfed Sirloin proved to be irresistible. At an astonishingly affordable $15.50 flat, the sirloin steak weighs approximately a hundred & ninety grams before grilling, and is served with shoestring fries, a simple shredded lettuce & spring onion salad and a dollop of housemade garlic aioli.⠀
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The sirloin was tremendously tender, with only a couple of chews required per slice to fully break it down. It’s seasoned simply but sufficiently with salt & pepper, amplifying the strong, satisfying natural beefy flavours of the steak. There isn’t a crust or prominent grill marks on this steak though, and the owner/head chef explained that he intended for his patrons to partake in a supremely soft & succulent steak. Also, the ridiculously rich garlic aioli is absolutely GOATed. Creamy, gloriously garlicky & fabulously flavourful, this garlic aioli is the GOAT of garlic aiolis. Put it in a bottle and sell it. Just shut up and take my damn money, man.⠀
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BlackGoat didn’t neglect the sides, as the crispy, superbly salted fries were a joy to devour, and the shredded lettuce & spring onion salad brightened up the palate between bites of the rich, salty steak & fries. Dressed simply in what appears to be olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar, the slightly acidic fresh, vegetal notes were perfect to rebalance the heavy flavours of steak & fries.⠀
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Getting a restaurant quality steak dinner at under fifteen bucks? That’s why BlackGoat is the GOAT. THE GOAT

Besides chirashi dons & sashimi, @kazoku_japanese_cuisine has quite the selection of beef dishes. They offer a half dozen beef with rice options, alongside a beef udon. The one we got here is the standalone option, the Sirloin Steak with five pieces of complimentary salmon sashimi for $19.90 flat.⠀
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The beef is probably not wagyu, but it is most definitely delicious, juicy and tremendously tender. It’s marvellously marbled with fat, and each slice of the medium rare steak required minimal mastication to fall apart. Have a slice of beef with a fried garlic chip to really accentuate the delightful beefy qualities of the steak, and to add to the sparse amount of soy sauce seasoning the meat. While I do wish that the steak was more strongly seasoned and that it had a more pronounced sear, it’s still darn decent for the price of admission.

Thanks for inviting us, @burpple & @kazoku_japanese_cuisine!

@blackcherrysg doesn’t just whip up piquant pizzas, redolent risottos and tantalising tapas, they’ve got options to satisfy the carnivorous caveman in you. Enter the Steak Florentine, or Bistecca alla Fiorentina as it is called in its native Italian, and is one of Tuscany’s most prominent culinary specialties. For $118++ at Black Cherry, you get a full kilo (before grilling) of prime T-bone steak done to your liking. Complemented by baked potato wedges, onion marmalade, pickled red cabbage, and carrot purée on the side, it’s a gargantuan meal.
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While this is definitely a T-bone steak, I reckon it could qualify as a porterhouse steak due to the girth of the filet (the right side of the steak). What I can certify is that this is a stellar steak. We ordered it medium due to fears that it would be raw closer to the bone, but those fears were unfounded as the Florentine was mostly evenly cooked. We found out later that the steak is sous vide before getting a scorching sear, which explains the edge to edge consistency. The beef is tender & well marbled with fat, yes, even the filet. Most crucially of all, it’s simply but sensationally seasoned.⠀
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The sides were decent enough, but should’ve been larger in serving considering that this steak could feed a party of four. The onion marmalade thrilled with its sweet & slightly sour flavours, the carrot purée pleased with its smoothness & sweetness, and the pickled cabbage was the ideal palate cleanser to curb the lavishness of the steak. However, the potato wedges were a bit of a dealbreaker, as they were dry, limp and bland. The wedges could & should be tossed in light olive oil, salt and herbs before baking one more time for a crispy crust, but oh well.⠀
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Still, for mammoth meats to feed you & your fellow savages, Black Cherry’s Steak Florentine is a sterling selection. Thank you for your generosity, @blackcherrysg!

The penultimate entrée served to us at @lumbre.sg was, without debate, the absolute best, blowing us all away with its ethereal excellence. The Beef Short Ribs with Smoked Cauliflower Purée and Broccoli ($36++) is the pièce de résistance of Lumbre’s wood fired grill, and showcases the chef’s mastery of the grill.⠀
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The short ribs are taken from an Angus cow, and the quality of the beef is evident at first glance. The meat is so majestically marbled with fat that it leaves no doubt as to the tenderness of the short ribs. And they were tremendously tender indeed, and I swear my slice of short rib melted in my mouth. On god man, I barely even had to chew before it fell apart on my tongue. It’s stunningly smoky from the grill, and seasoned sublimely. The rich demi-glacé enhanced & turbocharged the already sapid beef, and was a great binder to tie the short ribs to its accoutrements.⠀
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Speaking of the side pieces, the cauliflower purée was smooth as butter, creamy, and downright delicious. While it’s spectacular in its own right, it’s best enjoyed a little smear at a time atop a slice of that stellar short rib. All that richness may sound like too much of a good thing, the grilled broccolini on the side is there to rein the richness in and clear your palate. Smoky, a little bitter and vegetal, it’s the yin to the yang of the incredibly indulgent beef short ribs. Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.⠀
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While I do think that some items on Lumbre’s menu fail to live up to their price tag, the Beef Short Ribs are worth every single last penny you’ll splurge on it. It’s truly that transcendent.

I’ve always been an aficionado of affordable, succulent steaks, and @braseiro_sg is a purveyor of affordable & succulent steaks. It’s a match! Braseiro’s signature steak is the entrecôte ($23++ for 200 grams, $28++ for 300 grams), which is the French cut of beef from the intermediate rib area. Ribeyes are the American name for it, and both entrecôte & ribeye are basically the same thing: a cut of rib steak.⠀
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Technicalities aside, Braseiro’s steak is utterly sublime. As you might’ve expected, I ordered the larger three hundred gram steak and I’m mighty pleased I did. It’s grilled just barely to medium rare and seasoned very simply with sea salt and coarsely cracked black pepper. Each juicy, fabulously fatty & terrifically tender morsel was laden with primally satisfying beefy flavours. The salt, pepper and smoke from the grill accentuated the innate scrumptiousness of the steak, and each piece was a delight to devour.⠀
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Each order of entrecôte gets you free flow sides of steak frites & salad. The garden salad is simply a palate cleanser to dial back the richness of the steak, and it serves its role well with its simple balsamic dressing. The frites, as expected, were thin shoestring fries that do go cold pretty quickly. They start off adequately crunchy & pleasant, but they get awfully greasy & limp the minute they lose heat. Don’t neglect the fries like I did, and you’ll probably have a better frites experience than I did.⠀
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Wash it all down with the happy hour promo of 2 glasses of housepour merlot for $20++, and this scintillating steak dinner will rarely leave your memories. Honestly, not sampling Braseiro’s steaks is a huge missed steak.

@harryssingapore does a rather faithful rendition of the timeless brunch classic of Steak & Eggs. Other than the dish suffering from the same problem of being under salted as the rest during the Eatup, this was a beautiful beef & egg dish.⠀
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A thick, juicy slab of Angus sirloin is grilled to a picture perfect medium rare. Even though it’s not the most tender cut of steak (it’s a sirloin, duh), it’s tender enough while giving you that soul satisfying chew that screams ‘I’m eating a big ass hunk of meat, are you not entertained?!’ to the primal parts of your brain. The sear is spectacular, and the secret steak sauce spooned onto the sirloin ain’t too bad either.⠀
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The egg is fried absolutely perfectly, and the runny yolk lubricates the steak & fries with its creaminess. It’s not really necessary, but hey the more the merrier. While the dressing on the side salad was delish enough to made veggies edible, it was a tad too wet. Still an indispensable part of this succulent steak dish though. Pair this brunch classic with one of Harry’s brilliant beer cocktails for an ebullient start (or end) to your day.⠀
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Once again, thank you so much for hosting me @harryssingapore & @burpple!

Everyone sleeps on @hottomatosg due to them being a fast casual restaurant chain that caters to students and youth without much money to spend. However, that’s where you lot are robbing yourselves. You see, Hot Tomato is affordable, but the quality of the food is rather respectable.⠀
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This Ribeye Steak & Garlic Shrimps got my post gym bulking meal proper sorted for a whopping…$19.50++. That’s right, even with all taxes in, the damage wouldn’t even come close to twenty five bucks. While this succulent steak isn’t wagyu, Black Angus or anything remotely fancy, it is exceptionally well marbled with fat and is tremendously tender. It’s seasoned superbly and adeptly grilled to a marvellous medium rare, just the way god intended when he created the ribeye part of the cow.⠀
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While the steak was supremely stellar, the garlic shrimp were just as glorious. Yes, I know it’s probably frozen shrimp, but they were stunningly supple and delightfully snappy, almost like fresh shrimp. While I would’ve preferred that the shrimp were saltier, the garlicky roasted tomato oil mixture that the five shrimps swam in were delicious enough to pass.⠀
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However, as can be expected of the price point, the accoutrements were where Hot Tomato bottled it. The parmesan fries were effectively unseasoned, and grated parm has an adhesive rating of about zero so it was never gonna work out. The coleslaw, while acceptable, deserved more salt, and in an ironic twist, Hot Tomato’s grilled tomato ain’t too hot. You see, the main problem with a tomato is that watery, squishy seed part. Remove it, and tomatoes are actually not disgusting. As you can see, this one was still in and ruined the tomato.⠀
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Still, for under twenty five dollars, Hot Tomato is serving up some delectably hot stuff. Don’t pass on Hot Tomato like a hot potato, the food here is actually rather tasty.

@joshsgrill is yet another entrant into the battle royale that is the affordable, casual steakhouse market. Facing off against the big boys who’ve been established for far longer is already a daunting task, but to do that and consistently pull in colossal crowds? That’s pretty impressive for a steakhouse that’s only about a year old.⠀
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What Josh’s Grill nails on the head is the price versus quality ratio. A two hundred gram cut of Australian ribeye steak with two sides for $23.90++ is just slightly pricier than their competitors, but the superior quality of the steak is undeniable. While my particular cut of steak wasn’t trimmed as cleanly as it should’ve been, it was a tremendously tender steak with an awesome amount of fat marbling running through the beef. The odd spots of gristle aside, there’s no denying that this steak is stellar stuff.⠀
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Grilled to a majestic medium rare, this succulent steak is seasoned simply yet superbly. If the standard seasoning ain’t enough for you, there’s always the savoury brown sauce on the side for you to drench your beef in. You don’t really need it, but the sapid sauce is still decently delicious.⠀
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As for the sides, the slightly sweet, titillatingly tart & nutty green mango & pineapple Thai salad is a bonafide winner. It effectively counters the steak: the fatty, salty & tender steak is foiled by the sweet, sour & crunchy qualities of the salad. Of course, it wouldn’t be a steakhouse without a baked potato, so Josh’s beautiful baked tater is utterly laden with sour cream & butter for even more hedonism.⠀
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For under thirty dollars, this ‘Strayan ribeye is a ridiculously worthy investment. No dips, no crashes, only a bull market at Josh’s Grill with steaks this sterling.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, which calls for the most wonderful meat at @cavemen_sg. This is a USDA Grade ribeye that’s been dry aged for sixty days. Not gonna lie kids, this is my first time having dry aged steak after watching @sveverything dry age almost everything in his videos. And boy it is the most memorable steak I’ve ever had, believe me fellas.⠀
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Dry aging changes the texture of the steak noticeably. While it definitely stays tremendously tender, the ribeye got more rigid, giving more resistance & an increased satisfying chew. That only lasts for about two chews before it melts in your mouth from the marvellous fat marbling in the meat. As for the flavours, the heavy, meaty unctuousness of the beef increased exponentially, and each bite brought bountiful beefy bliss.⠀
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The steak is already splendidly seasoned, so the chimichurri that I chose did make it a bit too salty as it was also liberally salted. Still, the herbal & slightly spicy qualities were appreciated amongst the onslaught of divine bovine, and I interspersed dollops of chimichurri between bites of steak for a little variety. Needless to say, I washed it down with a majestic merlot from New Zealand that I got from @cavemen_sg bottle shop.⠀
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My dad picked out an 21 day dry aged in butter Aussie Wagyu Ribeye with a marbling score of 4-5, which is pretty average on paper. However, the Aussie steak was felicitously fatty, and it came damn close to melting on my tongue like a brilliantly beefy butter. The mushroom sauce ($2 extra) was really more mushroom cream. It was ultra creamy, with a generous amount of diced mushrooms, garlic & herbs flavouring the creamy concoction. This sauce is pure, unfettered hedonism, and by God it’s definitely going somewhere on the menu of my last meal.⠀
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Cavemen certainly ain’t new, but I finally made time to head down & experience their eats. Sure, my 300 gram steak cost $63++, and my dad’s 280 gram steak cost $51++, but it was completely worth the splurge. Cavemen’s concept of you picking out your meat and paying them an extra $15++ to cook it puts them in direct competition with Culina, but they execute it expertly enough to stand out on their own.

Just like Arnie, I’ll back.