I am finally back in
K brought me to a steakhouse that I haven't been to yesterday evening and it was a refreshing getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. Skirt is the perfect place to bring your date if he or she likes spending a good two hours sitting around and just soaking in the surroundings. I mean, just look at the decor of this place! From those dramatic lantern-looking lights to wooden cutting boards hanging behind us. It was quite a sight to behold - every wall was covered with some kind of display or dramatic curtains that hung from the top of this restaurant's very high ceiling.
On a side note, I do see why 'staycations' have been becoming more popular nowadays after taking a stroll around W Hotel and Sentosa Cove. K commented that for once he felt like he was in a different country, and I couldn't agree more. Admiring the nearby developments that had tranquil views of the south coast and just strolling along with nothing and no one but the sea breeze for company ended off my night wonderfully. It truly felt like a short getaway to a quiet island, and I won't be forgetting that feeling in a long while.
Really dramatic interior decorations that kept me intrigued and entertained
The view of the bar from our table
Complimentary bread that came with (L) Artichoke cream and (R) Chorizo Pork Oil
Both K and I really enjoyed this pan of warm bread that we asked for another and the staff were happy to give us more. The bread was nicely crusted on the outside and was pillowy soft on the inside, so it came apart easily and it was easy to absent-mindedly pop more than two of these. The Chorizo Pork Oil was a refreshing substitute to the usual olive oil and balsamic vinegar combination provided in most restaurants. K wasn't a fan of the artichoke cream and I myself do not normally like artichokes but I felt that the cream was light enough that it tasted much better than eating the vegetable itself and actually balanced out the pork oil.
8/10
8/10
Appetiser: Beef Carpaccio, Truffle, Yuzu ($28)
This appetiser served its purpose and whet our appetites for more. The yuzu seasoning went really well with the delicate slices of beef, and the seeds added a nice citrus kick to a dish that might otherwise be boring. However, the truffle was barely noticeable and did nothing for its taste. It seemed more like decoration that conveniently increased the value of the dish.
8/10
Artistic shot by K, the aspiring photographer haha :)
Appetiser: Tuna Tartar, Avocado, Wasabi ($28)
The tuna was marinated well but the sauces at the sides did not do this dish justice. The soy sauce blob in the centre was too salty and the green sauce did not seem to taste like avocado or wasabi as it was not strong enough. However, the breads balancing on top had a slight tinge of wasabi that was interesting to me and helped to balance out the saltiness of the dish. I wished the avocado had a bigger role to play in the flavours and stood out more though, because it definitely had the potential to be a very refreshing appetiser.
7/10
The tuna was marinated well but the sauces at the sides did not do this dish justice. The soy sauce blob in the centre was too salty and the green sauce did not seem to taste like avocado or wasabi as it was not strong enough. However, the breads balancing on top had a slight tinge of wasabi that was interesting to me and helped to balance out the saltiness of the dish. I wished the avocado had a bigger role to play in the flavours and stood out more though, because it definitely had the potential to be a very refreshing appetiser.
7/10
Barbecue Sauce, Apple Bourbon drink palette cleanser
Clockwise: Garlic salt, Rosemary salt, Beef salt
Although I was initially surprised at how good their service was by providing us with so many types of condiments, I learnt that sometimes such things are unnecessary and may distract from the enjoyment of the actual meal. They also provided servings of two more types of sauces, but by then I was too overwhelmed by the choices that I may have been too busy trying them out to see which best matched my steak instead of just fully enjoying the good piece of steak itself.
Main: Beef Wellington ($58)
The steak was wrapped in braised short ribs then finally encased in pastry. K thought it was a decent Wellington, and thoroughly enjoyed it. He felt that the braised short ribs was the best part of this dish. I tried the pastry and felt that it was slightly too thick and sticky for me, so Gordon Ramsay's Wellington at The Savoy Grill still takes the cake and is my standard of what a good Wellington should taste like.
7/10
The steak was wrapped in braised short ribs then finally encased in pastry. K thought it was a decent Wellington, and thoroughly enjoyed it. He felt that the braised short ribs was the best part of this dish. I tried the pastry and felt that it was slightly too thick and sticky for me, so Gordon Ramsay's Wellington at The Savoy Grill still takes the cake and is my standard of what a good Wellington should taste like.
7/10
Main: Donald Russell Irish Grass Fed Hereford (21 days dry aged)
Tenderloin ($55)
This was a 250g piece of thick cut steak that was juicy and tender, the standard expected of such a steak. However, it was not as delicately cooked as I would have liked. The meat was not cooked as evenly inside and the colour gradiation is not the best I've come across. The juices did not seem to retain well either. However, this steak was still very enjoyable and such a standard is promising.
7/10
This was a 250g piece of thick cut steak that was juicy and tender, the standard expected of such a steak. However, it was not as delicately cooked as I would have liked. The meat was not cooked as evenly inside and the colour gradiation is not the best I've come across. The juices did not seem to retain well either. However, this steak was still very enjoyable and such a standard is promising.
7/10
Sides: (L) Asparagus, Quail Eggs, Burnt Butter ($12)
(R) Hand-cut Garlic Fries, Mayonnaise ($8)
These sides were the disappointment of the night. The asparagus just seemed to be a very confused dish that did not know whether to be healthy or go all out in piling on the fats. We were quite excited to find out what burnt butter tasted like but after tasting it, agreed that it was too oily and made this vegetable side unhealthy. It was like having small bits of oily tempura batter deep fried twice then put on top of the asparagus. I must say that the quail egg was delicious though and had this nice creamy filling that burst out of it.
5/10
The hand-cut garlic fries were not what we imagined as it was basically deep fried garlic slices thrown onto fries that had soft and fluffy potato encased within it. Unfortunately, the fries were too soft and could not hold up for long, so we had to eat them quickly as they would have otherwise become limp and soggy. The fries had barely any garlic taste or any other taste for that matter, so it was a big letdown.
4/10
These sides were the disappointment of the night. The asparagus just seemed to be a very confused dish that did not know whether to be healthy or go all out in piling on the fats. We were quite excited to find out what burnt butter tasted like but after tasting it, agreed that it was too oily and made this vegetable side unhealthy. It was like having small bits of oily tempura batter deep fried twice then put on top of the asparagus. I must say that the quail egg was delicious though and had this nice creamy filling that burst out of it.
5/10
The hand-cut garlic fries were not what we imagined as it was basically deep fried garlic slices thrown onto fries that had soft and fluffy potato encased within it. Unfortunately, the fries were too soft and could not hold up for long, so we had to eat them quickly as they would have otherwise become limp and soggy. The fries had barely any garlic taste or any other taste for that matter, so it was a big letdown.
4/10
Dessert Menu
We did not have space in our stomachs for dessert but here is guide on what desserts they serve.
We did not have space in our stomachs for dessert but here is guide on what desserts they serve.
Service: 8/10
The staff were very polite and friendly. The waiter in charge of our table offered to take a photo for us on his own initiative when he saw us taking photographs of the food and interior decorations. He also came around to ask if the food was alright. The service was nothing spectacular, but they got the basics right.
Taste: 7/10
There were definitely some hits and misses - both K and I concur that the appetisers were surprisingly good, the sides that we tried this time can be given a miss, while the mains were decent. I would say it was a good meal, but it did not have the 'Wow' factor that I was hoping for, especially after having tried quite a number of good steaks in London.
Ambience: 9/10
Being located in the newly built W Hotel at Sentosa Cove immediately increases its hip factor, and the decorations this time played a big part in how much of an impact it made. It was an unexpectedly nice touch to have a 6.30pm reservation because the colour of the sky changed as the dinner progressed and the mood also shifted to a more romantic one as the restaurant became dimmer. Definitely recommended for a relaxing date night out, and especially if you'd like to have a stroll along the coast after dinner.
Return?
Maybe. The prices of the dishes were reasonable, but the quality of the food still seems to be lacking somewhat. I will probably want to try other similar steakhouses in Singapore before coming back again.
21 Ocean Way,
Singapore 098374
Tel: 65 6808 7278
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