For steak devotees, nothing quite ignites primal appetites than a top-grade porterhouse that is crusty on the outside and juicy and red within. Pair that with a bottle of fine red wine and you’ve got the ingredients for a divine dining experience down pat. Modern grill restaurant, Opus Bar & Grill in Hilton Singapore, offers that and then some. From now till the end of March (Sundays to Thursdays), any order of the restaurant’s six different sharing steak cuts (from $128) comes with a complimentary bottle of red wine worth $90.
We went for a tasting session and the sharing cuts and platters were certainly sights to behold. Go all out with the behemoth 1kg Whiskey-Aged F1 Wagyu Tomahawk ($158), flambéed tableside with Jim Beam Bourbon. For those who want a little bit of everything, the Premium Butcher’s Platter ($138) is a good pick, as it comes with Black Angus bone-in ribeye, Wagyu rump cap and short ribs, and premium beef sausages.
The Meats & Seafood
In the hands of a good chef and a beautiful Maillard reaction, a flame-grilled steak always hits the spot. Opus offers a selection of grain-fed, hand-selected cuts from Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. We tried the Chateaubriand ($128), a 600g tenderloin sharing cut from New Zealand from the anniversary menu, which was perfectly cooked with a moist, red-pink centre, You can choose from three types of salt – rosemary, paprika and lava – as well as eight sauces. For the latter, we recommend the unctuous red wine & bone marrow sauce as it adds a level of richness to the tenderloin.
For die-hard steak fans, Opus’ two dry-aged cuts are must-tries (Signature 1kg Black Angus Bone-in Ribeye and 1kg Whiskey-Aged F1 Wagyu Tomahawk). They are dry-aged in a custom built cabinet using Himalayan salt tiles. The Himalayan salt absorbs the beef’s moisture, intensifies its flavour, resulting in a remarkably tender steak.
If you are dining with friends who are non-beef eaters, the DeRaza Ibérico pork rack ($38) is a worthy alternative for them. The bone-in pork chop is done just right, with a beautifully rendered strip of fat along the bone. Seafood lovers will fawn over the whole Boston lobster ($54). Smear the buttery lobster flesh with the addictive harissa sauce that comes on the side.
The Sides
For starters, go for the crab cake ($18). Break the golden brown crumb apart and savour the well-seasoned crab meat within, with a dip of celeriac remoulade for an extra kick. Half wedges of grapefruit offer a hint of acidity to lighten the palate. Save some room, if you can, for the Opus Over-The-Top Fries ($15) as a side to your grilled meats. Idaho potatoes are cooked in foie gras fat and seasoned with truffle paste and Parmesan cheese. Yes, it’s pretty sinful and we are guilty as charged.
The Sweets
No trip to Hilton Singapore is complete without having a slice of the Hilton’s Signature Classic American Cheesecake ($8), and we can vouch that it’s still as good as when we first voted it as one of the best cheesecakes in Singapore. D9 Cakery’s daily selections are also available at Opus, including Forest, a modern interpretation of a black forest cake ($8). Some of the desserts get a final treatment on the wood-fired grill, such as the Grilled Banana ($12). Sliced lengthwise, caramelised and served with smoked salted caramel and coconut calamansi ice cream, the latter is refreshingly tart, so you don’t leave the restaurant with a heavy sensation.
Opus Bar & Grill, Lobby Level, Hilton Singapore, 581 Orchard Road. 6730 3390
