Complete your chophouse dining experience with premium angus porterhouse steak and spiked milkshakes
Photos: Black Swan
Black Swan, better known as the iconic art decor-style bistro and bar on Cecil Street, is so much more than the Gatsby-esque hideaway it appears to be.
In its 4th year running, it continues to raise the culinary bar under the direction of chef Daniel Sia.
What this means for diners is a cohesive menu of chophouse classics — think premium steaks from around the world, complemented by thoughtful wine pairings, hearty side dishes and playful desserts.
Shared pleasures
Seated cosy under the dim ambient lighting, we eased into the evening with a trio of appetisers, namely Blue Swimmer Crab Salad ($24), Vidalia Onion Broth ($26) and Steak Tartare ($26).
The comforting Vidalia Onion Broth, made creamy with a dollop of rich bone marrow flan, was unanimously favoured among my fellow diners. The dish also came with a side of a crunchy camembert toast for our dipping pleasures.
Those who fancy a refreshing start to their meal will appreciate the Blue Swimmer Crab Salad, which comes with chunky crab meat tossed in Cox’s apple and crab bearnaise.
As a prelude to the anticipated chophouse classics, we shared mains like the Roasted Cauliflower Steak ($26) and Roasted Iberian Pork Chop ($42).
The idea of grilled vegetables have always appealed to me and thankfully, the cauliflower steak, with its crunchy exterior, did not disappoint.
The addition of puffed grains, black truffle, slow-cooked egg and maitake (polypore mushroom), altogether rendered a pleasant earthy flavour to the otherwise clean-tasting greens.
On the other hand, the succulent slices of pork were well complemented by the apple cider pan jus and prunes, which helped to cut through the grease.
Strictly for steak lovers
Just as we were readying our appetites for the steaks, up came an eager waiter who presented us with a selection of unique vintage steak knives sourced from across the globe.
Needless to say, we were delightful to scrutinise and pick — as if these were magic wands.
We enjoyed a mix of chophouse classics, including the Brandt USDA Choice Tenderloin ($60), Tajima Wagyu Striploin ($60) and Stockyard Angus Porterhouse Steak ($134).
The meats at Black Swan are grilled with apple wood at a minimum of 300° celsius, in order to attain the desirable crust and natural juiciness — and evidently, the steaks were all wonderfully succulent.
If I had to play favourites, the Stockyard Angus Porterhouse Steak would be it. The 200 days grain-fed beef was tender, flavourful and had a good degree of fat marbling.
Decadent desserts
For desserts, I highly recommend the Cookies & Cream ($16).
While innocent-sounding, the show-stealer arrived in the form of alcohol-spiked milkshakes in bottles, with cookies on the side.
The cookies, made with a decadent combination of dark chocolate shortbread and white chocolate ganache, was not overtly sweet, and paired nicely with the milkshake.
On the whole, Black Swan’s spanking new menu is a nice revival of the chophouse dining experience, all set in a relaxed atmosphere.
19 Cecil Street
ADVERTISEMENTS