Fat Belly Tasting Session
10 Jalan Serene
#01-04 Serene Centre
Opening Hours:
Daily: 6pm - 10pm
https://www.facebook.com/fatbellysg/
This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session.
Attended with representatives from Purple Taste, and Fundamentally Flawed.
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| Fat Belly Meal Flat Lay |
Exquisite Steak Off-Cuts
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 9
Value for Money: 8
Budget about SGD $38 per person.
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Opening in October 2017, Fat Belly is a speakeasy steakhouse, specialising in off-cuts of beef. Fat Belly doesn't have a storefront of its own at the moment, they co-share a space with Sugarhaus in Serene Centre. Headed up by the same owner, Stanley Seow, Fat Belly is the place to go for good cuts of steak in an intimate setting.
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| Fat Belly Signage |
Ambience at Fat Belly is casual, cozy, and intimate. The modern, warmly lit bar counter only sits up to 10 people at a time, allowing for a true personalised dining experience. The main draw then, is watching the chefs prepare your meal to order, from sauteing the vegetables, to searing the beef steaks over a hot binchotan charcoal grill, to carefully plating your dish.
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| Fat Belly Kitchen & Seating |
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| Table Setting |
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| Colourful Cows |
Service at Fat Belly rivals that of high-end restaurants, thanks largely to the limited seating, which allows staff to accord each diner a personalised experience. They are engaging and attentive, exchanging friendly banter, and introducing the nuances of each dish when they serve it, displaying excellent product knowledge. They also clear away empty / finished plates efficiently.
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| Binchotan Charcoal Grill |
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| Slicing Steak |
Food at Fat Belly takes inspiration from American cuisine, with a focus on grilled steaks. The limited menu features a small selection of sides and off-cuts of beef, a personal philosophy of the owner not to use regular cuts. Dishes are made to order, and the limited menu allows for consistently high quality in execution and taste. Portions are sized for individuals. Prices are comparable to most steakhouses, budget about SGD $38 per person for a meal here.
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| Fat Belly Menu - Food |
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| Fat Belly Menu - Drinks |
The Wine Alamos Malbec 2016 (SGD $12 / $60) is a red wine produced by Alamos Winery, in the shadow of the Andes Mountains, Mendoza, Argentina, where the high altitude vineyards are pushed to develop bold, unique flavors by clean air, intense sunlight, frosty cold nights, and mineral-rich Andes snow water. Made from 100% malbec grapes, it has a deep, inky black purple colour, with aromas of blackberry, pepper, cloves, and violet flowers. The body is fresh, smooth, and dry, with tastes of blackcurrant, plum, leather, and oak. Somewhat fruity sweet with a mild bitter flavour, but the sharp acidity was off-putting. Didn't enjoy this.
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| Wine Alamos Malbec 2016 (SGD $12 / $60) |
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| Wine Alamos Malbec 2016 |
A fresh tossed Garden Salad (SGD $Complimentary), served with every order of steak. Features crunchy vegetal sweet leaves of purple cabbage, arugula / wild rocket leaves, spinach, and cherry tomatoes, dressed in a zesty sour lemon vinaigrette. Provides a nice contrast to the stronger flavours of the meal.
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| Garden Salad (SGD $Complimentary) |
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| Garden Salad |
The Sauteed Thyme Button Mushrooms (SGD $5) are well executed here, better than most other places. The chopped brown button mushrooms are tender with a juicy bite, releasing an earthy sweet flavour that is livened with thyme herbs. Good!
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| Sauteed Thyme Button Mushrooms (SGD $5) |
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| Sauteed Thyme Button Mushrooms |
"We managed to make a superfood decadent and luxurious", was the description of Chef for the Creamed Kale (SGD $5). He's right... this was absolutely delicious. The crunchy leafy vegetal sweet leaves of kale were perfectly paired with a light cream sauce and parmesan cheese shavings. Highly recommended!
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| Creamed Kale (SGD $5) |
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| Creamed Kale |
Cut from the shoulder of the cow, the Beef, USDA 150 Days Grain-Fed Angus, Flat Iron Steak (SGD $22) has a lean, tender, moist texture, with a rich, deep smoky savoury meaty flavour. Plated with salt and a house made green chimichurri sauce on the side, this will appeal more to the ladies.
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| Beef, USDA 150 Days Grain-Fed Angus, Flat Iron Steak (SGD $22) |
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| Beef, USDA 150 Days Grain-Fed Angus, Flat Iron Steak |
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| Beef, USDA 150 Days Grain-Fed Angus, Flat Iron Steak |
Cut from above the ribs of the cow, the Beef, USDA Grain-Fed Angus, Short Rib Steak (SGD $25) has a well marbled, bouncy, juicy texture, with a rich, deep smoky savoury meaty flavour. Plated with salt and a house made green chimichurri sauce on the side, this will appeal more to the gentlemen.
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| Beef, USDA Grain-Fed Angus, Short Rib Steak (SGD $25) |
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| Beef, USDA Grain-Fed Angus, Short Rib Steak |
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| Beef, USDA Grain-Fed Angus, Short Rib Steak |
Cut from the lower belly of the cow, the Beef, Wagyu Marble Score 4.5, Onglet Steak (SGD $38) has a luxurious, chewy, succulent texture, with a rich, deep smoky savoury fatty flavour. Plated with salt and a house made green chimichurri sauce on the side, this is among the most reasonably priced wagyu beef cuts around.
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| Beef, Wagyu Marble Score 4.5, Onglet Steak (SGD $38) |
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| Beef, Wagyu Marble Score 4.5, Onglet Steak |
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| Beef, Wagyu Marble Score 4.5, Onglet Steak |
The unique Foie Gras Chocolate Bar (SGD $12) has a rich foie gras infused ice cream with a creamy smooth texture, encased in a thick dark chocolate shell, coated in sticky caramel sauce. Nice sweet notes with a hint of savoury on the palate. A refreshing apple jelly with shaved foie gras completes this creative dessert.
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| Foie Gras Chocolate Bar (SGD $12) |
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| Foie Gras Chocolate Bar |
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| Foie Gras Chocolate Bar |
The Sticky Date Pudding / Sticky Toffee Pudding (SGD $10) is a classic British English dessert, and the version here is among the best renditions in Singapore. The warm, moist, fluffy soft texture of the pudding, coated in sticky caramel sauce, is so good, and the delicate fruity sweet flavour is balanced. The sea salt toffee ice cream on the side is rich with a buttery sweet flavour, resembling the Werther's Original caramel toffee candy. Highly recommended!
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| Sticky Date Pudding / Sticky Toffee Pudding (SGD $10) |
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| Sticky Date Pudding / Sticky Toffee Pudding |
The Drunk Pear / Poached Pear (SGD $12) takes after the classic French dessert, with tender cubes of pear poached in a spiced port wine (I detect cinnamon and cloves), plated with crunchy sea salt caramel crumble, and a creamy smooth vanilla chantilly cream. Notes of fruity sweet salty spicy, delicate and appealing.
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| Drunk Pear / Poached Pear (SGD $12) |
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| Drunk Pear / Poached Pear |
Despite the limited menu, I enjoyed my experience at Fat Belly. The cozy ambience, personalised service, and great quality food done to order, make Fat Belly a must-return dining destination for me. Will be back for more!
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CONVERSATION