Steak au Poivre on Hot Plate The Masses at this point of time probably does not need any introduction for those whom are familiar with the F&B scene in Singapore — a concept that is brought to the local F&B scene by Chef Dylan whose name was more associated with Saveur which he had co-founded previously before The Masses, these folks are probably best known for bringing Franco-Asian cuisine closer to the masses since its inception in 2014. The Masses, which started out at 85 Beach Road (now home to Choon Hoy 春花 Parlor) had most certainly grown into a very recognisable brand over the years; menu refreshes aside, the 10th-year anniversary also sees the brand moving into their new premises at Capitol Singapore — they are now located within the same area as one would find the outlet of Hopscotch Bar, Ka-EN Grill & Sushi Bar, and La Scala Ristorante in the building — itself being neighbours with Broadway American Diner there. The Masses takes over the former premises of the now-defunct Berthold Delikatessen — much of the space of which The Masses is located now is rather recognisable from its previous tenant, with most of the fittings retained and repurposed; that being said, the look still suits the brand identity of The Masses really well as the bistro that they had always been. With the move to Capitol Singapore, The Masses had yet undergone another menu change; the ala-carte menu itself being segmented into categories such as Our Starters, Our Mains, Our Sides and Sweet Endings — there is also a thoughtful touch where the entire listing of kids-friendly dishes in the menu can be found in the last page in its menu, though patrons can also opt for a Communal Menu or the Chef Menu that resembles more of a prix-fixe set menu. Beverages available at The Masses includes alcoholic options such as wines, champagne, moscato, whisky, beer, highball and Gin & Tonic, while non-alcoholic beverages such as espresso-based specialty coffee, teas, water, soft drinks, juices and Kombucha are also available.
We were given an introduction and some recommendations of the various items that they have to offer on the menu — that being said, we weren’t quite into going for the Communal Menu or the Chef Menu on the day of our visit. Considering that we were also visiting the establishment by ourselves and that some of the dishes that we had wanted to try on the ala-carte menu were marked as “sharing style”, we found ourselves settling for the Steak au Poivre on Hot Plate. On first impression, the dish does sound fairly French on paper considering the namesake of the item even — the menu also describes the Steak au Poivre on Hot Plate to come with elements such as wagyu, charred smoked leek, lemon caper beurre noisette, fried leek, onion rings and beef jus. Coming to the table with its own set of theatrics, the wait staff will then pour the steak sauce onto the hotplate at the table — this sets off a sizzling action and a waft of fragrance from the beef sauce that hits the senses; the sauce bubbling and reducing from the heat from the hot plate until it settles down moments later. Truth to be told, the dish does have a Franco-Asian twist to it; it does seem that there is some intention from The Masses to make the dish replicate that of the steaks served at old-school Hainanese-style steakhouses — all that with yet again another twist of their own. Patrons can opt to go for their preferred level of doneness for their beef for the dish, which the wait staff recommended to go within the spectrum of medium rare to medium; our order was specified for medium rare. The Wagyu beef already comes sliced when served at the table, revealing its pinkish centre; no effort was required to slice down the beef further with a knife and fork — the beef was absolutely tender and juicy without any veiny / fatty parts that was difficult to chew through. Aside from being melt-in-the-mouth, the beef also came slightly crusty on the exterior from the grilling process; absolutely done on-point.
Our absolute favourite was the steak sauce; this was immensely rich and flavourful considering how thick and dense the sauce was; we do suspect that apart from beef jus, there was a little bit of red wine added to give it that dense and rich consistency that provided those deep, savoury and slightly tangy notes that we just cannot get enough of — would totally use it to flavour up anything else that we fancy. Apart from the Wagyu beef itself, the charred smoked leek, lemon caper beurre noisette and fried leek that came together in a separate plate was definitely worth mentioning as well; the charred smoked leek was incredibly smoky yet soft — the consistency of the leek being close to that of eggplants. The addition of lemon caper beurre noisette (i.e. lemon caper hazelnut butter) adds a zingy, tangy and buttery note that gives the dish an added dimension of saltishness; the hazelnut further adding a nutty note with a crunch that went so well with the rest of the elements. The fried leek provided a crispness — it does seem that what they are trying to do here is to replicate a dish that is sometimes found in Chinese restaurants; namely the Yin Yang Kailan / Kailan Done in 2 Ways where it usually comprises of crispy kailan leaf shreds and crunchy kailan stalks. The Onion Rings are pretty much crowd-pleasers; these are large rings that comes with a thin golden-brown deep-fried batter on the exterior and soft but crisp rings within; not too greasy, and quite an apt addition as a side considering the approach adopted by Hainanese-style western establishments here. Other dishes that we tried during our visit to The Masses include the Smoked Pu Er Caviar & Beignet which is a dish that can be found in the Snacks category of the Our Starters section of the menu — these are explained to be bite-sized French donuts filled with yuzu creme and topped with caviar that comes with Pu Er-infused smoke.
We had also given the Fennel & Pink Guava “Aiyu Jelly” a go as our choice of dessert. Described on the menu as an item that comes with elements such as fennel jelly, orange marmalade, fresh fruits and pink guava “shaved ice”, the overall flavour profile of the dessert can be described as zippy and zingy — the dessert featuring several sourish elements that would keep those whom prefer their non-sweet desserts satisfied. Also noted is the contrast of various textures in the dessert here also added a fun factor with elements adding a refreshing burst and a popping sensation amidst the granita and the soft and jiggly jelly. The Masses can be said as an establishment that has pretty much stood up to the test of time — having started in 2014, they have been keeping up with the times; even through especially hard moments for the F&B scene during the COVID-19 pandemic. The dedication and effort from the team in creating inventive Franco-Asian fare that works for all is particularly evident through the items it puts out — we also liked how The Masses consistently places their patrons first by pricing their food appropriately to ensure that they are accessible to the masses, staying true to their namesake and the roots of when they had begun. Needless to say, The Masses had truly impressed us yet again just like we have had during our previous visits — the Steak au Poivre on Hot Plate being a dish absolutely to die for. Service was also exceptional by the staff — going around to ensure all their patrons are well-served and actively getting into conversations with the patrons to gather feedback on the food. With such an exceptional experience in its food and hospitality, we will most certainly return to The Masses for more in time to come!