Steaks

Fat Belly brands itself as an alternative steakhouse serving up cuts of beef you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere else. Located on the first floor of Serene Centre with both indoors and bistro seating, Fat Belly is a great place for convivial meals with friends and family, and a pretty great date spot (located 5min from Botanic Gardens).

My dining partner and I went on a Tuesday evening, and it was pretty crowded - reservations definitely recommended. We were seated at the bar, which gave us a great view of the steaks being grilled.

Fat Belly’s menu is pared down, but the dishes, from starters to sauces, bear evidence of thoughtful flavour pairings. Between the two of us, we got 2 medium-rare steaks, both 400 Day Grain Fed F1 Wagyu with a Marble Score of 4/5. One was the Deckle cut and the other, the Denver. According to our server, the Deckle is a brisket-like cut, and the Denver is from the shoulder. Both are supposed to have great marbling without being overly fatty.

Our steaks were grilled, lightly seasoned with coarse salt, and served with a single grilled vine tomato. Pinkish-red on the inside with an even grill on the outside, the steaks were a perfect medium-rare. Being slightly fattier and more tender, the Deckle was the clear favourite between the two. But that being said, the Denver was a deliciously chewy steak due to the proximity of the cut to the shoulder. At this point it’s down to a matter of personal preference.

We also got two sides to share: Truffle Fries and Sautéed Thyme Mushroom Medley. Sides here come in generous portions, so if you could only get one we’d recommend the mushroom medley - you can’t go wrong with thick-sliced mushrooms sautéed with garlic, onions, and thyme. The mushrooms were flavourful and a nice accompaniment to our steaks. The Truffle Fries came with a generous heaping of parmesan and a dash of fragrant truffle oil.

We finished off our meal with a dessert, Basque Burnt Cheesecake. It reminded us of our steaks, being “grilled” on the outside and creamy within. The cheesecake was drizzled over with tart passionfruit sauce, a tiny spoonful of strawberry preserves and some crumbled cookies. It didn’t have quite the oomph of the sides and mains but we enjoyed it nevertheless - great sweet end to a hearty meal.

Fat Belly is a steakhouse with alternative cuts that aren’t just a gimmick. A meal here will set you back about $100+ if you spring for the most expensive cuts paired with starters, sides and dessert, but the quality of the food is assured. Definitely one for the revisit list!