A review of Aura, National Gallery Singapore (4 Hands Kitchen)

👍 Imaginative Dishes, well-balanced flavours and textures. Gorgeous dining area.
👎 Nothing much ... except maybe for the fish.

Last week the darling and I spent a few hours in Aura's super gorgeous dining room, stuffing ourselves on terrific Italian fare from both resident chef Beppe de Vito, and visiting chef Luigi Taglienti (who hails from one-Michelin-starred Lume Restaurant in Milan). Although Aura itself isn't Michelin-starred (yet?), Chef Beppe's other Singapore restaurant - Braci - is also one-starred, so we go in with pretty high expectations!


To start - warm, buttered foccacia bread, served with a delightfully fragrant extra virgin olive oil (though strangely, no balsamic vinegar).


The dinner then properly starts with the first amuse bouche: Chef Luigi's White on White (Passion fruit cream sandwiched by rice crackers & topped with edible flowers). Flowers, as always, are really just for show (they're pretty much tasteless), but the airy, light, crisp rice crackers & just-the-right-hint-of-sour passion fruit cream really do whet the appetite.


Chef Beppe's amuse bouche is the Uni and Scallop, which - as you may have guessed - is Uni and a Hokkaido Scallop. Topped with caviar and wrapped in a shiso leaf. I'm not really sure that Italians traditionally eat uni and scallop like this, but there's no need to complain when the bite tastes this good: Creamy, briny, sweet, salty ... and that nice ever-so-slight pungent flavours from the shiso leaf.


We move on to the first of the hot dishes then, with Chef Luigi serving up a Squid Scampi in Black and White: Tender, juicy scampi with mushroom, sunchoke (jerusalem artichoke) puree and a pork jus. Probably the standout plate of the night for us.


Chef Beppe then serves up his Coho Salmon, White Asparagus and Wild Garlic. The salmon was cooked ever so slightly to a 'barely rare' temperature, which was amazing texture-wise. The asparagus was likewise also delicious. We didn't like the crisp skin, though. It seemed to have been cooked and then flattened in the dehydrator, which did result in it being terrifically crispy, but also tasting too much like scales.


We continue again with Chef Beppe's dish: Lobster Tortelli, Fava Beans, and Yuzu Salmoriglio. This was another terrific hit. Perfectly portioned and textured tortelli with just the right amount of well cooked lobster meat. The accompanying lobster broth was perhaps just a tad bit salty, but nevertheless had an amazing depth of (lobster) flavour.


Chef Luigi's Seabass and Celeriac, however, was a little anti-climactic. The fish itself was juicy and at just the right temperature, but seabass is a very mild tasting fish, and its flavours were totally overpowered here by the strong tanginess of the celariac.


The final hot plate of the night ended with Chef Beppe's Kagoshima Wagyu, Kale and Wasabi Oil. As you'd expect from a proper wagyu steak, it was juicy and sinfully oily, and seasoned with just the right hint of salt. The accompanying kale (crispy and light: probably deep fried) and kale puree were nice, but really our opinions are that good steaks are perfectly able to hold the stage alone without needing any supporting cast at all.


For dessert, chef Luigi's rendition of a Black Truffle Tiramisu was a revelation. The truffle-laced mascarpone cream was came in a chocolate / fingers / biscuit-like casing, sprinkled with chocolate powder and topped with more truffle. Utterly delicious.


And finally to end the night: Chamomile Tea (complimentary) and Petit Fours of Olive Oil macaron, chocolate tart, and limoncello-laced strawberry.


For just under a hundred (nett) per person, we thought that the dinner was good value, and thoroughly enjoyed all the dishes (except for the seabass)!

Aura is on the fifth floor of the National Gallery Singapore (which, by the way, has free entry for Singaporeans and Singapore PRs). Reservations Recommended; Non-Halal.

Look See Eat

Is Cut by Wolfgang Puck the Best Steakhouse in Singapore?

👍 Steaks are cooked to the perfect temperature and have a terrific sear.
👎 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.

Look See Eat

665°F in the Andaz (by Hyatt): Halal-friendly high-end steakhouse.

👍 Charcoal-grilled meaty goodness, cosy dining area, terrific view.
👎 Expect to smell like BBQ for a little while after.

665°F is a steakhouse on the 38th floor of the 5-month old Andaz Hotel (by Hyatt). It's two main selling points are Halal-certified meats (and sustainable seafood), and a Pira charcoal oven: no sous-vide or pan-fried heresy in this kitchen!

I'm not too sure what the difference is between this Pira oven and the somewhat-more-well-known Josper oven, though. They both burn charcoal in an enclosed oven, so are the differences only with branding? Do let me know in the comments if you know!


665°F is a surprisingly small restaurant: Other than another row of tables behind the photographer in this photo, there's a private-ish room off to the left which seats another eight diners or so. In practice it makes for quite a cozy dining experience, perfect for romantic dinners.

What might not be quite so romantic, though, is because the entire space is so small, the grill aromas from all that meat does spread through the entire restaurant - somewhat like a Korean BBQ joint - so be ready to have some meaty scents linger on your clothes and hair for a little while after.


The inside of the garlic bread to start the meal was drenched with melted butter and therefore delicious; I would have liked a stronger garlic flavour however.


Crab Cakes (s$13 each) were pretty good! The crabmeat used was the non-lump variety, though.


Each steak comes with a choice of Béarnaise, Green Peppercorn or Mushroom sauces: We tried the first two. The peppercorn sauce was nice, if a little salty considering that the steak itself was already well salted, but I didn't much appreciate the béarnaise (didn't like adding cream to steak).


The first steak: Grain-fed, Black Onyx, Rangers Valley Rib-Eye - s$80 for 340gm - was cooked and seasoned perfectly, with the right amount of char on the crust. Perhaps it was missing pepper, but you're free to add your own (or add a dab of that green peppercorn sauce).

No complaints about the cooking, then, but the meat itself was somewhat mediocre: A tad bit sinewy in places, and with neither the fatty mouthfeel you get from higher MBS meats, nor the strong beefy flavours you normally associate with grain-fed Angus steer.


The Tajima Wagyu Sirloin - s$75 for 240gm - was predictably a lot more tender, with a terrific oily mouthfeel from the MBS 8-scored marbling. This meat was also a little lacking in the strong beefy flavour that I prefer in my steaks, but that is perhaps to be expected from Japanese cows.


Both steaks were served medium-rare as requested. I also liked that they were rested just enough for the fibres to re-absorb all the juices without having the temperature drop too much.


Just one side dish tonight: Green Asparagus with truffle butter (s$14). It was ... decent? It's as competent a dish as Asparagus with butter can be, I guess.


Our bill came up to around s$230 for two (after service charge and taxes), which is pretty comparable to other steakhouses in the city. I think that if you're after a more cozy, personal dining experience, and/or if you like watching chefs at work, then 665°F can't be beat. But if you want to focus more on the steak, then Morton's or Wolfgang probably provides a little bit more satisfaction.

665°F is on the 38th floor of the Andaz Singapore. Check out their website for full menu and to make reservations. No pork.

Farm to Table (sort of) Tajima Wagyu at Stellar @ 1-Altitude.

👍 Unique farm to table (sort of) Aussie wagyu, food's good, view is amazing.
👎 Pricing is a little steep, perhaps.

Stellar @ 1-Altitude is pretty unique among Singaporean restaurants that it sort of has a farm-to-table concept going on. Obviously, Singapore doesn't quite have the necessary agricultural land available, so instead, Chef Christopher Millar raises his own cattle in conjunction with the Tiana Park farm in Australia.

We paid the restaurant a visit for a 100 Gourmet dinner menu, which as expected, does focus quite a bit on different cuts of these Tajima (cross bred) Wagyu cattle. In between beef courses we're also treated to some terrific seafood and other lighter dishes, though which were generally pretty good!


Perched up high on the 62nd floor of the 1 Raffles Place building, Stellar @ 1-Altitude has amazing views over the rest of the city - if you manage to snag a table by the window. We weren't so lucky, so we settle for admiring the rest of the modern, elegant interior decor - and concentrating on the cuisine. We start with an amuse bouche of Tuna Tartare: A refreshing start to cleanse the palette and whet the appetite.


The first course is a Crab Meat Salad with a cherry tomato. We're not sure which part of the world this tomato comes from, but it's a lot sweeter (and less tart) than your average tomato, so it flavours the crab meat salad wonderfully. I'd go as far as to say that the tomato was the star of the show, with the crab meat taking a back seat.


We then move on to the togarashi spiced Tajima wagyu tri-tip, truffle mascarpone, olive soil, and black radish. We couldn't really taste the togarashi (japanese chili pepper), and the lone slice of black truffle had already lost most of its aroma, but the rest of the dish was stellar. This dish also demonstrates, perhaps, the strength of the Japanese black steer's genes: Tri-tip is normally a very lean muscle, but here it's juicy, slightly fatty, lean, while still maintaining a nice beefy taste.


A seafood dish is next: Loch Fyne Rock Rose Gin marinated salmon, with oyster, avocado, and ikura. Except that we don't eat oysters, so Chef substituted even more ikura instead. Overall, we thought that this dish was the weakest of the night: Salmon was great, with a nice bite to it, but the (plain) avocado and sesame seed cracker was a mediocre accompaniment.


We move back inland then with a Tajima wagyu chuck tender over the coals, sea urchin, wasabi, and Paris mash. Paris mash? Well, it's apparently a fancy name for an ultra-creamy, ultra-buttery mashed potato. It's really good. The wagyu chuck tender is also really good - fatty, tender, beefy, juicy - and very lightly seasoned as to let the flavours of the beef take center stage. the sea urchin, therefore, is somewhat out of place, even if its briny goodness is terrific on its own.


The last course of the night is the pickled and braised Tajima wagyu beef cheek, roasted cauliflower cream, and porcini. To us this was the star of the night; the melt-in-your-mouth beef with those complex, braised flavours that only (relatively) long cooks can produce. We also thought that the earthy flavours from the mushrooms were a perfect complement.


To finish off the meal, Stellar @ 1-Altitude has its pastry / dessert chefs create what they call Dessert Art at your table. The pastries / cakes themselves are already completed, of course: They're assembled and finished on a huge flat plate in the middle of the table.

We chose to have the Rocher (Almond Chocolate, Sea Salt Caramel sponge, Orange mousse) and Rosemary Lemon Tart (Madagascar honey lemon curd, macerated pineapples). Both desserts are pretty good; if you're a chocolate lover you'll really dig the flavours and textures of the Rocher; if you're looking for something a little more refreshing, the tartness of the lemon curd and pineapples are cut perfectly with the honey.


The 6-course dinner above 'retails' at s$180++, which is perhaps a little on the pricey side? As is quite common with fine dining restaurants, lunch starts from a much more reasonable s$48++, though, so you could perhaps pay them a lunch visit before deciding on whether to commit to dinner.

Stellar @ 1-Altitude is open 7 days a week (lunch only on weekdays). Click here for reservations, and do try to get a table by the window. Non-halal.

The best "Classical NY Steakhouse" experience at Wolfgang's Steakhouse Singapore.

👍 Steak is amazing; "Classic NY steakhouse" experience without flying to the US.
👎 Upmarket ambience also means upmarket price; Side dishes are just par for the course.

Any steak lover worth his (or her) salt knows of Peter Luger Steakhouse: The iconic, legendary, New York steakhouse that opened more than 130 years ago. The story goes that after working there for 40 years, one of Peter Luger's head waiters - Wolfgang Zwiener - decided not to retire, but to instead open his own restaurant as a blatant copy of as an homage to his old employer's place.

What this means is that you get pretty much the same dry aged, USDA Prime porterhouse, blasted under a 400+°C broiler twice (the second time sliced, with melted butter), before being served sizzling at the table. You also get most of the iconic appetizers and sides - for example thick cut bacon, creamed spinach, and onion rings.


"With more than 4 decades of experience (at Peter Luger), Wolfgang Zwiener didn't duplicate an exceptional steakhouse, he improved on it to make Wolfgang's Steakhouse exceptional." (Wolfgang Steakhouse's Website)

The improvements to the original are a more upmarket positioning (thick, luxurious white tablecloths and far more comfortable chairs), slightly expanded menu offerings, and a greatly expanded wine and spirits list. Oh, and a free baguette and mini onion loaf.


We were really tempted to go for the thick cut sizzling bacon (s$12 per slice), but decided to save stomach room for the steak by ordering two lobster bisques (s$22 each) instead. The bisque/broth is extremely flavourful, with strong lobster flavours and just the right touch of salt.


After we're done with the soups, we didn't have to wait too long before the sound (and aroma) of sizzling butter heralded the arrival of our Porterhouse for Two (s$185) - Medium Rare. As is the case with good meat, no sauces or fancy seasonings needed: just salt and some clarified butter.

Oh, and having a steak served on a (really) hot plate is pretty awesome because the meat takes a while to cool down (even in the cold, air conditioned dining room)


The porterhouse, of course, is two steaks in one: An NY Strip (Striploin) and a smaller Filet (Filet Mignon / Tenderloin). In theory the NY Strip side is a little chewier and stringier (but with better flavour), whereas the tenderloin is tender but can lack flavour. No such flavour issues here, though - the dry aging process ensures that the tenderloin has plenty strong beefy notes while still maintaining an unbelievably tender texture.

Needless to say, the crust on the steak is terrific, and the meat's cut thick enough to still have a wonderful, juicy, pink, delicious centre. Sure, other cooking methods such as sous vide can get visually superior ("pink from edge to edge") results, but in my opinion, dry cooking methods still taste best. The only thing missing, perhaps, was a hint of smoke from a wood fire, which is of course unobtainable from gas flame or electric broilers.


For our sides - the Creamed Spinach (s$15) was pretty nice, especially since there isn't an overload of cream like how some other places do it. The lobster mac n' cheese (s$25), however, was a little underwhelming and not particularly worth the (carbohydrate) calories.


Overall, we really enjoyed our dinner, even if the price is quite a bit more upmarket than the original Peter Luger in New York. Do note that Wolfgang only stocks and serves one kind of meat (USDA Prime), so if you're looking to do a comparative tasting between Australian Grain Fed steers vs Japanese Wagyu vs English Grass Fed cows, you'd be better off in one of the more "modern" steakhouses like Cut or Sear @ 50RP.

Wolfgang Steakhouse is on the 2nd floor of Intercontinental Hotel, Robertson Quay. Reservations recommended; Non-halal.

Certified Authentic Kobe Beef at 50RP's SEAR Steakhouse (Singapore Land Tower)!

Of all the beef produced in all the cow-producing countries in the world, none carry as hallowed a brand name as Kobe Beef; Due, perhaps, to legends of Japanese cows lazing around munching pristine grass, listening to classical music, drinking beer and getting massages all day long.

The legends aren't quite true, of course. The tajima cattle from which Kobe beef comes don't actually drink beer; nor do the farms employ armies of cow masseuses. They do, however, go through a strict treatment and diet that ensures any cow certified by Japan's Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association as worthy of carrying the "Kobe Beef" brand is as marbled, as fatty, and as delicious as it possibly can be.

By now you probably know the rest of the story; Japan's Kobe Association, up until 2012, never exported any of their cattle. So any "Kobe beef" you ate outside of Japan earlier than 2012 was simply a fake. In 2012 limited quantities were exported to Hong Kong, Macau and the US. In 2013, Singapore added its name to the list, so for the past couple of years you no longer need to fly to Japan to partake of this legendary meat!

At time of writing, Meidi-Ya Supermarket (in Liang Court) stocks various cuts of Kobe Beef. If you don't really feel like cooking, though, several steakhouses in town sell Kobe steaks - one of which is the SEAR Steakhouse up on the 45th floor of the Singapore Land Tower!


Meals at this steakhouse open up with a fluffy, crispy-crusted onion-flavoured loaf. With butter. It's a gorgeous loaf of bread - and one that's light enough not to totally demolish your appetite if you touch more than a slice.


After wolfing down the bread we check out our first appetizer - the Lump Crab Cake ($38), which tastes terrific with the tomatoes, beetroot and sesame-based dressing. One slight disappointment, perhaps, was that the crab cakes were shredded crab meat, with some crab lumps heaped on top. We'd have preferred lumps throughout.


Split Bone Marrow ($18) - served with salsa and tangy vinaigrette'd salad. We've tried bone marrow several times now, but haven't quite gotten the hang of it. It's fatty but quite bland, and really needs to depend too much on the accompaniments that the chef chooses (in our opinion).


With the appetizers sitting in our tummies, we turn our attentions to the Pira-grilled Tasting of Rib Eye ($149). What you get on the plate are sampler-sized portions of grain-fed, grass-fed, and kobe rib-eyes - absolutely perfect for experiencing the very stark differences between each type of meat.

In the Grain-Fed corner: Australian Jacks Creek 450 days grain-fed rib-eye. Fatty and supremely tender, yet with a very strong beefy flavor.

Representing the Grass-Fed camp: Wakanui 21 day Dry-Aged New Zealand Hereford. This was the leanest cut of the bunch, and had a somewhat grainy/stringy-texture. Our least favorite.

And of course, Certified Kobe Beef (we forgot to ask if it's A4 or A5). As you might expect, this is by far the fattiest of the three contenders. Every single chew of the steak resulted in bursts of juices and oil from the rendered marbled fats.


So the Kobe wins hands-down, right? Well ... surprisingly enough, not really. Our favorite actually went to the Aussie grain-fed rib-eye. Even though it was less juicy / fatty, we really enjoyed its clearly stronger beefy flavours, whereas the Kobe's flavour profile skews towards "fatty." Too fatty: towards the end of the meal we suffered a bit from "fats overload" - super jelak liao in local parlance.

Oh, and the cooking method - almost flawless. The charcoal-fired Pira grills that SEAR uses is superb in imparting a terrific crust on the steaks while maintaining a perfect medium-rare center. Our only slight complaint: Seasoning was a tad bit uneven, with some parts of the steaks a little too salty.


We don't have similar accolades to heap onto the side dishes, though. The Creamed Spinach and Onion Rings with Nori Salt ($16 each) were just par for the course for steakhouses, and didn't help much in cutting through the fat from the rib-eyes.


Finally we finish off the night with a Chocolate Mud Cake (normally $15, but for our visit it was complimentary for some strange unknown reason). With the benefit of hindsight a rich, thick, slab of chocolate cake isn't the best choice after stuffing yourself with fatty steaks. It was, nevertheless, an accomplished dessert.


We ended the night extremely satisfied with our dinner! We thought the pricing wasn't too bad (considering the restaurant's prime location and quality of meats). If it's your first visit then the Tasting of Rib Eye is the way to go; otherwise you can ala carte your way from a $66 Canadian Angus Tenderloin all the way up to a $340 A4 Kobe Rib Eye.

SEAR is in the Singapore Land Tower (Raffles Place MRT) and is open for Lunch & Dinner on weekdays, and Dinner on Saturdays. Drop them a mail at hello@50rp.com.sg for reservations; Non-Halal.