Wow Wow West

Due to @pilot.sg inherently experimental nature, their weekly specials board always has something that’s sure to tickle your fancy. We had the Blackened Tomahawk ($52++), which wasn’t as blackened or as beefy as its name may suggest, but it is still supremely sumptuous all the same. The bone-in cut of pork chop is gargantuan, and is chargrilled to porcine perfection. The fatty, juicy and tender pork is simply but superbly seasoned, relying solely on salt, smoke and a little pepper to tantalise your tastebuds, and it works wonders.⠀
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The hot honey wholegrain mustard is a classic condiment, and the spicy heat of the mustard breathes fiery life into the pork. The roasted cabbage slaw brought a fresh crunch to accompany the smokiness along with what I think is curry powder tossed into the slaw. I couldn’t get enough of that stellar slaw, and I was bummed when it finished too early.

(PARTIALLY SPONSORED) You’d expect fish & chips to be a staple at any seafood restaurant, but here at @estuary.sg it’s on the special menu, served only during weekend lunch & public holidays. Why is this ubiquitous British staple special here at Estuary? Well, just like all the other fish, Estuary’s Aged Fish & Chips is dry aged for extra flamboyance. They do three varieties of Aged Fish & Chips, and I had the red snapper for twenty eight dollars before tax & service charge.⠀
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Due to snapper being an inherently oily fish, it is a prime candidate for dry aging. It was still moist and retained some flakiness, but just like with the hamachi, the flesh had firmed up some and started to resemble the texture of chicken. However, the mild salinity of the fish was concentrated and made more intense by the dry aging process, and the result was a stunningly savoury fish. The batter encasing the fish fillet was equally enchanting, living up to its billing as a ‘super light crispy batter’. Each remarkably crispy bite was packed full of flavour, and the fish fillet was so flawless it vanished in short order.⠀
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The terrific tartar sauce deserves equal praise. This tartar sauce was jam packed with capers and herbs, and this sensational condiment was the perfect companion for the redolent red snapper. If they mixed in more lemon juice & zest, and added some dill, this tremendous tartar sauce would immediately be the undisputed condiment champion of the world. As for the chips, they aren’t proper chips and are just fries, but they are still absolutely addictive with their crunchy, well salted exteriors. ⠀
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Thank you for having us @estuary.sg , and thanks for organising this tasting @scalemicroinfluencers!⠀

When it comes to ringing in a new year, you gotta ring it in with a little opulence. And nothing says opulence like a beautiful beef wellington. Unfortunately, beef wellies are hard to come by in Singapore, so after doing some internet research for beef welly places that aren’t run by famous bri’ish chefs, I found @bistrog.sg. ⠀
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Bistro G’s rendition of the classic dish does deviate from the classic format slightly ($40++). A cut of beef tenderloin is wrapped up tight in a mushroom duxelles, and the traditional second wrapping layer of parma ham is conspicuously absent. Nevertheless, the beef & mushrooms are encased in puff pastry and baked to perfection, and is accompanied by sides of mashed potatoes and a salad to keep your guilty pleasures at bay.⠀
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The tremendously tender beef tenderloin took little effort to chew, and was quite well seasoned. The mushroom duxelles was chopped a little coarser than I’ve seen dozens of chefs do on YouTube, and that might be the reason why the duxelles wasn’t quite as dry as it could be. The moisture of the mushroom duxelles seeped into the puff pastry, turning it a little soggy quite quickly. However, it might not just be the fault of the duxelles alone, as the puff pastry was easily one of the most buttery ones to ever grace a plate.⠀
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The crisp, flaky and breathtakingly buttery pastry was the perfect cocoon for the tremendous tenderloin. Of course, you gotta eat it fast before it gets a little too soggy. The redolent red wine reduction propelled the Beef Wellington to new highs with its silky, luscious savouriness. The mashed potatoes were delectably smooth & buttery, while the salad was the perfect palate cleanser to absolve you of any gluttonous guilt.⠀
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At about fifty bucks for an insanely indulgent individual Beef Wellington, Bistro G is a real G for this.

@nomnommonster.sg is not new, as they’ve been operating over at Chai Chee for years, but they’ve recently spread their wings & opened up their second outlet in my hood. Nom Nom Monster does classic Singaporean Western fare, such as Black Pepper Grilled Chicken Steak, grilled pork chops and grilled fish, but their unique selling point is that they are the only place that serves a full range of pasta in the Hougang Central area.⠀
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From the timeless Aglio Olio to fusion options like Tom Yum Creamy Spaghetti, Nom Nom Monster’s selection of pasta is unrivalled by anything nearby. I chose the sensational sounding Mentaiko Salmon Carbonara ($12.90 nett!), and I was certainly not disappointed. Your standards might be a bit high if you’re expecting authentic Italian carbonara made with only guanciale, Pecorino Romano & egg yolks for thirteen dollars, so come in with an open mind & tempered expectations and you will be plenty pleased.⠀
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Most carbonaras cooked with cream tend to be watery due to the cream splitting during cooking, but no such problems occurred here. The cream carbonara was sufficiently creamy and thick despite the inclusion of heavy cream into the sauce base, and the sauce had no problems clinging to the al dente spaghetti. The addition of bacon & mushrooms makes the carbonara alone rich & sufficiently savoury, but why stop there when you can turn it up to eleven with the mentaiko salmon?⠀
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The salmon fillet boasts the crispiest skin I have ever had the pleasure of eating thus far, and most remarkably of all is that the crispness is fairly uniform throughout. However in the pursuit of crispiness, some of the moisture in the salmon had to be sacrificed, and it is a little charred around the edges. However, the abundance of creamy, umami torched mentaiko mayo is here to save the day, and all is well with this rich, delicious pasta.

It was a tale of two beef briskets at @beervillage.co, and while I’ve already praised Meatsmith’s one previously, @bluesmokesg by @the1925brewingco Twenty Hour Smoked Beef Brisket (approximately $16.60 per serving) was also praise worthy albeit more polarising. While the brisket sandwich featured felicitously fatty & juicy brisket, Blue Smoke’s brisket was definitely a lot less fatty and not quite as tender but no less tasty.⠀
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Blue Smoke probably used the brisket flat for their cook due to the limited amount of fat in the beef. The beef didn’t fall apart when picked up with a fork, but it definitely threatened to do so. The beef brisket felt incredibly satisfying to devour, as the meaty texture was certainly enhanced by the need to chew the beef a couple of times.⠀
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Flavour wise, Blue Smoke certainly knocked it outta the park with a rendang that tasted like a cross between assam & good old rendang. The rich rendang was tempered by the little hint of sourness, which was handy for combating the richness of the rendang and for heightening the profile of the spices. The beef wasn’t very savoury by default, but when combined with the redolent rendang, the relatively tender cuts of brisket were superbly savoury and a joy to devour.⠀
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Overall at @beervillage.co, the food was fabulous and the booze was bussin’. I hope Beer Village comes back next year with equally excellent beer & food, because I thoroughly enjoyed myself that Saturday.

EDIT: never gonna write while half asleep again lmao

@truecostsingapore Hokkaido Scallop Ceviche ($13.50++) was undoubtedly the most unique dish of the night. Chopped up raw scallops were tossed with chopped up mango, avocado, thinly sliced pickled onions, ponzu sauce and what looked a whole lot like chili oil. Even though the scallops had been chopped up, they still retained most of their original firm texture, proving their fantastic freshness.⠀
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The avocado added a creamy luxuriousness not normally associated with scallops, but it worked wonders here, while the sweet & tangy mangoes added their appealing qualities to the ceviche, and the crunch & sourness of the pickled onions kept everything back from getting cloying. However, the combo of the piquant ponzu & chili oil was the truly inspired element in the dish.⠀
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The ponzu supplies the bold umami flavour that binds everything in the plate together, and the chili oil is what sets this dish aflame with its slight spiciness. With the chili oil and the sour & salty ponzu sauce operating in concert, the ceviche hits every major flavour profile: sweet, salty, sour, spicy and umami. Well, maybe not all since there was no bitterness. ⠀
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Thanks to the sauces, True Cost’s Hokkaido Scallop Ceviche is certainly one of the most ambrosial appetisers I’ve had this year. And to think it’s less than twenty bucks even with tax & service charge! A true steal from True Cost, and you’d truly be robbing yourself if you didn’t try True Cost at least thrice.

Hello fresh oysters my beloved. I was fretting over where to celebrate my birthday a few weeks ago, when google’s search algorithm decided to do good instead of evil for once and recommended @truecostsingapore to me. True Cost had me hooked by posting their entire menu on their website, prices and all, but what sold me were those prices. Note to all restaurants: post your full menu with prices online if you don’t wanna go bust. Thank me later.
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This ponderous platter of a full dozen Japan Emperor Oysters was only forty four dollars before additional GST & service charge, roughly coming in at about four bucks an oyster. It ain’t the absolute cheapest in town, but the stunning freshness & magnitude of these Japanese oysters justified the price several times over. These stellar shellfish were humongous, barely able to fit into one slurp, and most importantly, fresh. They were briny, creamy, smooth and absolutely perfect with a squeeze of lemon and a dash of Tabasco. Even though I like my oysters the traditional Tabasco way, the mouthwatering mignonette was superb enough to lure me away from the Tabasco. The sweetness of the shallots harmonised with the sourness of the red wine vinegar, making this sweet & sour sauce a capable complement to the luxurious oysters.⠀
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Sure, you pay a cover charge of ten bucks per diner at dinner to dine at True Cost, but the savings you stack on food and especially drinks makes that cover charge a measly afterthought. When it comes to dinner & drinks, True Cost might just be my true love.

Before y’all start, yes, I know full well that paying fifty four dollars before service charge and tax for a beef goulash is insane. But hear me out: @interconsin @thelobbyloungesg Angus Beef Short Rib Goulash is the best damn goulash you’ll ever savour. The Lobby Lounge know full well that the asking price is astronomical, so they’ve stuffed the goulash full of sublime sapidity, and colossal chunks of Angus beef short rib.⠀
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Angus beef is prized for its intense beefiness mixed with a proportionate amount of fat, and short rib is a notably fatty cut. Combine those two factors, and you get fabulously fatty chunks of beef that are full of flavour. Those short ribs are stewed low & slow for about twelve hours, absolutely tenderising all the fat & meat into a wobbly, nearly melt in your mouth beefy marvel. Yes, I cut into that hunk of beef with a spoon with minimal strength required.⠀
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The stew itself was stunningly stellar, with the robust & supremely savoury beef stock getting upgraded by the tangy tomato purée. The beef & tomato combo is further enhanced by the carrots & potatoes leeching their sweetness & starchiness into the liquid, sweetening it and thickening it for a ridiculously robust stew. I kid you not, when I took a first bite out of this beef goulash, I slumped back into my incredibly comfy seat to contemplate life and the utter marvellousness of this brilliant beef goulash.⠀
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The Lobby Lounge’s Angus Beef Short Rib Goulash is undeniably expensive, but it’s so heavenly that it should be a dish you save for special occasions, and then chase down with the sterling Spice Lane Old Fashioned. Thank you for changing my life with this glorious goulash @thelobbyloungesg, and thank you for the invite @accela.comms!

@charliesgrill.com.sg have a massive menu that matches their mammoth portions, and if you’re in the mood for noods, prepare to be spoilt for choice. Out of the dozen, yes a FULL DOZEN, choices of pasta, we chose the Grilled Chicken Marinara ($14.90++). A whole heaping helping of spaghetti is tossed in a mouthwatering marinara that’s homemade, and garnished generously with grilled chicken chunks and cherry tomatoes.⠀
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I rather relished the homemade tomato marinara, as it was tasty & exceptionally well balanced. The natural tanginess of the tomato is balanced out by the sweetness of the sauce, and it is all salted superbly for maximal savouriness. The marinara is also gloriously garlicky, but I didn’t really notice any basil. Just like with every other dish, Charlie’s is incredibly generous with their protein portions, and there was an abundance of juicy grilled chicken in the pasta.⠀
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Charlie’s is the quintessential American diner: the food may not be revolutionary, but it is definitely delicious, hearty and supremely satisfying. The portions will fill the hole in your stomach, but the bill won’t burn a hole in your pocket.⠀
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Thank you for the hospitality @charliesgrill.com.sg, and thanks for the jio @eatwithkeat!

@charliesgrill.com.sg Surf & Turf will subvert your expectations. Instead of having steak & lobster or shrimp, they’ve replaced it with…chicken and fish. Yup, Charlie’s Surf & Turf ($18.90++) is the healthy version of the usually hearty & occasionally heart stopping land & sea combo.⠀
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A chargrilled chicken fillet teams up with a grilled fish fillet for a protein partnership that’ll get your bulk started strong. The fish fillet manages to retain an acceptably firm & flaky texture inside, while the chicken is seasoned sufficiently & is remarkably juicy. While the black pepper sauce both proteins are drenched in is sufficiently savoury, Charlie’s missed a prime opportunity to do a unique sauce specific to the Surf & Turf that suits both chicken & fish well, like a lemony herb butter.⠀
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Still, for two ponderous protein portions & two heaping helpings of your selected sides, just under twenty bucks is quite the steal. Thanks for having us @charliesgrill.com.sg, and thanks for the invite @eatwithkeat!

For the grand finale, we had @iox_sg Kansas City Salsiccia e Pepperoni, which sees a pair of meaty, juicy and subtly spicy Italian sausages slapped over a mound of charred & caramelised sliced bell peppers and onions. This dish has nothing to do with the American city of Kansas City, and I have no clue as to why all the dishes are named after cities in the USA. What I do know is that at twenty three dollars before an additional ten percent service charge, these big sausages are best shared.⠀
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The Italian sausages bear a striking similarity to its distant relative, the Spanish chorizo. However, the salsiccia are less spicy and more herbaceous, with an emphasis on oregano. The meaty links possess a solid, bouncy texture that is the ideal for all sausages, and the pork within is ground finely enough to be smooth, but just coarsely enough to retain a meaty chew. While there isn’t much of a sear on them, it’s really a non issue as the sausages are already good enough as is.⠀
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Now you may be wondering: where’s the pepperoni? Well, it’s a slight typo, but the peperoni, which is the word for peppers in Italian, are the red & yellow bell peppers mingling with the onions. Pepperoni, the beloved pizza topping, is actually called ‘salamino piccante’ in Italy. #themoreyouknow. ⠀
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Language lesson aside, the bell peppers have been charred just enough for the skin to blister, and for the pepper to go soft & release its sweetness. The competently caramelised onions add even more sweetness to the veggie medley. The combined sweetness is perfect to counteract the salty, spicy juices from the sausages, and you’ll wanna get a forkful of vegetables in between stuffing your gob with the meaty sausage.⠀
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Italian Osteria X’s sausage fest is stupendously simple, but so stunningly stellar. C’mon, stuff these salciccias into your mouth. You know you want to.

The only kind of American BBQ that I’ve ever managed to sample in Singapore are racks of succulent ribs, but then I discovered @smokeysbbq.sg in Joo Chiat, with their US Prime Beef Brisket ($33 before additional service charge & GST). Thirty three bucks is a hefty price, but it’s a hefty serving too. Hidden underneath the two behemoth brisket slices are another two smaller slices, for a total of four(!) sizeable slices of brisket. Of course, it wouldn’t be an American serving without sides, so you get your choice of two.⠀
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The brisket is marinated in Smokey’s secret dry rub, and then smoked & slow roasted for a whole lotta hours. Contrary to what Instagram or youtube might show you, a waterfall of beefy juices didn’t come gushing out of the beef when I sliced into it. However, it’s still acceptably moist and tender, and there’s a LOT of fat within. Cutting into these thick briskets are light work for even a butter knife, and the beef doesn’t require that much chewing. The spices & seasoning have fully permeated the brisket, resulting in a savoury and peppery flavour profile in addition to the smokiness.⠀
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The flavourful brisket was excellent on its own, but I ain’t gonna say no to some barbecue sauce. Sweet & salty, the sauce enhances all the delicious qualities of the brisket and turns it up to eleven. The sides were just along for the ride, being neither memorable nor terrible. The crunchy coleslaw was a nice interlude between beefy onslaughts, but I felt it could’ve been zestier for better effect. The crisp sweet potato fries were fresh out the fryer and were rather decent, but I didn’t realise that they cost an extra three dollars. Oh well.⠀
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If you’re looking for some barbecue that screams MURICA, you’d best make your way briskly to Smokey’s for brisket.