👎 Dining room is really dark, Food is really pricey.
Where's the best place to get a steak in Singapore? Well, if we go by the Michelin Guide, Cut by Wolfgang Puck's the only Steakhouse in the city with a Michelin star. The restaurant's got a little bit of a reputation for being pricey, though, which is why we've been putting off a visit ... until today!
You probably already know this by now from reading other reviews - or by having just walked past the restaurant - the dining area is really dark. Tables are also packed quite close together, resulting in noise levels that are surprisingly high. Not the best choice for a romantic dinner, then, unless you can get one of the more private, alcove tables set along the edges. Also, while sometime in the past waiters used to bring meats to your table to help you choose your steaks, it seems that doesn't happen any more.
The waiters do at least bring the bread selection to your table, though. We especially liked the sourdough and the onion bread. The pretzel was pretty good, too!
For starters we had the Maryland Blue Crab Cake (s$38) with Heirloom Tomato Relish and Basil Aioli. The crab cake didn't disappoint: Almost all crabmeat and no filler. perfectly seasoned, delicious. Would totally order this again when/if we return.
We also tried the Maple Glazed Pork Belly (s$33) with Fuji Apple & Yali Pear Salad, and Sesame-Orange dressing. This appetizer was also amazing, the pork belly being cooked to tender, melt-in-your-mouth perfection. The acidity from the julienne'd apple & pear and citrus dressing was marvelous in preventing fat overload. Definitely a must-order.
On to the main star: The Steaks! Cut stocks and serves up a relatively high variety of cows: USDA Prime, Australian Angus and Wagyu, American Wagyu, and Japanese Wagyus from Hokkaido and Sendai. The cuts are priced from a very reasonable s$92 for 340gm of USDA Prime NY Strip/Sirloin all the way up to $330 for 170gm of Hokkaido "Snow" 45-days Dry-Aged Wagyu Rib Eye.
We decided to share something more mid-range: The Tasting of New York Sirloin (s$255), which comes with:
• 120gm of USDA Prime Illinois Corn-Fed beef,
• 120gm of American Wagyu from Snake River Farms, and
• 90gm of Japanese Wagyu from Sendai prefecture.
Each steak came cooked beautifully: A perfect medium-rare (as we requested) almost from edge to edge, and yet having a terrific crust on the top and bottom. These are simply the most well cooked (technically) steaks we've ever had in Singapore.
With regards to the meat, well, it goes somewhat as you might expect. The USDA Prime has the most chew and is the most stringy, and the Wagyu was so tender and fatty it almost felt like eating foie gras. The Snake River Farms wagyu - our favorite, by the way - was somewhere in between (slower to the USDA Prime than the Sendai cow, though).
To accompany our steaks we added on half a 400g Maine Lobster (s$25) and Foie Gras (s$45) - both of which were well cooked but overshadowed by the meat. We also had Tempura Onion Rings (s$18) and Brussels Sprouts (s$18) with Sesame Yuzu Aioli and Glazed Shallots. Ultimately we felt that the flavour of the Brussels Sprouts was too intense, and didn't enjoy how it tended to overpower everything else.
Being too stuffed after starters and mains we declined to order anything off the dessert menu ... but still got a (surprisingly delicious) mini carrot birthday cake anyway!
Before we left we also got some petit fours, the best of which had to be the black sesame macaron; it's earthy flavour blending beautifully with the sugar and ground almonds.
So there you have it! In our opinions Cut does live up to its' reputation as Singapore's best steakhouse. The way they char their meats while yet maintaining perfect edge-to-edge temperature is sublime; and their starters and sides are also very solid. The price tag is pretty steep, though, so it'll remain firmly in our "special occasions only" bucket (unless we get lucky with an upcoming toto jackpot).
Cut by Wolfgang Puck is in the Marina Bay Sands Shoppes, right next to the Sands Theatre. Reservations highly recommended; Non-Halal.
