Best steak frites in Singapore
Just as Australia and New Zealand have been arguing over who created the pavlova, the jury is still out on where steak frites was born – since both Belgium and France stake their claims as the inventor. Whatever the answer, this seemingly easy bistro staple is not easy to get right, including the accompanying sauce or herbed butter. Historically, rump steak was the cut of choice, but entrecôte (also known as ribeye) and sirloin are more frequently used today. Likewise, the traditional creamy béarnaise sauce (made with clarified butter emulsified with egg yolks and herbs) is increasingly being replaced with lighter renditions. For the reviews, we ordered our steaks the way they should be: medium rare.
Bar-Roque Bar & Grill
Helmed by Alsatian chef Stephane Istel, Bar-Roque Bar & Grill doles out authentic French classics such as pate en croute with aplomb, but as its name indicates, you can look forward to fantastic grilled meats too. Each bite of the organic dry-aged ribeye steak yields intensely savoury flavours and a succulent texture. Complemented with a velvety béarnaise sauce and a generous side of skinny fries, this is one dish we’ll come back for again and again. #01-00, 165 Tanjong Pagar Road. Tel: 6444 9672
Brasserie Gavroche
The excellence of Brasserie Gavroche’s entrecôte frites speaks for itself. Chef-owner Frederic Colin prefers to use a thick ribeye cut for its fat content and flavour and to ensure a perfect medium rare core. The steak is pan-seared till the edges are tantalizingly crusty. In true parisian-style, the meat is served with house-made béarnaise sauce and shoestring French fries. The latter is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and attributes its moreish flavour and slightly nutty taste to the use of two kinds of oil – vegetable and peanut. 66 Tras Street. Tel: 6225 8266
Bistro Du Vin
Char-grilled on a wooden charcoal fire, the succulent 200-day grain-fed Australian Angus ribeye is perfectly seasoned, redolent with just enough smokiness to accentuate the natural taste of the beef. It’s accompanied by an indulgent béarnaise sauce (we chose that over the red wine sauce option) and a small side salad. French potatoes are used for the hand-cut frites – they are first blanched and then fried to satisfying crispness, without being overly greasy. 56 Zion Road. Tel: 6836 6313
COMO Cuisine
COMO Cuisine’s aged rump steak comes from Australia’s famous Hunter Valley and is topped with a thin disc of fragrant homemade Café de paris butter. Homegrown potatoes are cut into scrumptious thick fries and oven-baked, while locally sourced shallots are slow-cooked and used for the accompanying sweet shallot confit. 18A Dempsey Road. Tel: 1800 304 6688
L’Angelus
L’Angelus uses 100 percent pure full-blood Blackmore Wagyu beef from Australia, which is lightly seasoned and evenly pan-seared, with just the right amount of melt-in-your-mouth marbling. A basket of crispy golden fries and a small green salad complete the gourmandise, alongside a serving of creamy Hollandaise sauce. 85 Club Street. Tel: 6225 6897
Porta
Along with béarnaise sauce, Porta’s eight-ounce ribeye is served with corn purée, baby vegetables, slab-like fries (crisp and chunky), and a chilli-ketchup that cuts through the richness of the steak. What induces the most bliss, though, is the thin and supple cut of grass-fed, grain-finished Australian Angus. It’s well-seasoned and tasty to the core, with no chunks of fat or sinew that get in the way – just meaty goodness from start to finish. Park Hotel Clarke Quay, 1 Unity Street. Tel: 6593 8855
Oscar’s
Oscar’s may be known for its Supercharged Sunday Brunch, but its à la carte grill menu is certainly worth trying. Choose the New Zealand ribeye – which comes from free-range, grass-fed cattle – for an inch-thick, ultra-umami steak, or the American tenderloin if you prefer a thicker slab of meat. The steak is served with vine tomatoes, plus a choice of sauce (we liked the green peppercorn) and two sides such as fries, quinoa and sautéed vegetables. Conrad Centennial Singapore, 2 Temasek Boulevard. Tel: 6432 7481
Taratata Bistrot Singapore
The Australian Black Angus flank steak is flame-grilled to a lovely char and accompanied with hints of smokiness, then finished off in the oven to seal in the flavours. it is then topped with a rich herb butter, chef-owner Bertrand Raguin’s special tangy Cherry Vinegar Scented Shallot sauce and golden-crisp Belgian French fries on the side. The result: a mellow kick from the sauce that doesn’t overwhelm and tender meat that still retains sufficient bite. 35A Keong Siak Road. Tel: 6221 4506
Le Bistrot Du Sommelier
The onglet beef at this French bistro is the yardstick for steak frites – juicy meat and addictively crisp straight cut fries. Every bite is even more mouthwatering with the generous serving of caramelised onion sauce and braised garlic cloves. 53 Armenian Street. Tel: 6333 1982
The Pelican Seafood Bar & Grill
Not just known for its seafood, The pelican Seafood Bar & Grill doles out meaty dishes with finesse. Case in point is the ribeye steak served with a refreshing garden vegetable salad and Old Bay fries. On order, the ribeye is thick and served with a generous dollop of anchovy butter which cuts through the rich flavour. #01-01, One Fullerton, 1 Fullerton Road. Tel: 6438 0400
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