Steak Night at Hog's Breath Cafe
Finding a good but cheap steakhouse in Singapore is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Most of the places that offer the tastiest steaks are either hotel restaurants or night spots frequented by foreigners. These prime locations often dictate the prices of their food. Thus, looking for the cheaper alternatives will usually lead you to your neighborhood Western hawker stall, although there are a few that are quite good (such as Tasty Barbecue in Maxwell FC).
Pig-out is putting it mildly.
Therefore, it was quite unusual to find a steakhouse with a rather filthy sounding name in such a pure and holy location. Located at CHIJMES, Hog's Breath Cafe is right next door to a beautiful Gothic style church. Don't be put off by their quirky name, because there's nothing foul about the good steaks they offer.
Originating from the land down under, one can expect the look and feel of the restaurant to be authentic. And it does succeed in doing so, with rustic wooden tables and fixtures, wood-paneled floors akin to an outhouse. The walls are replete with posters from diners from an age long gone.
Since it was a premeditated steak night out, both of us picked their specialty - the prime rib steak. All steaks can be picked according to weight, the regular clocking in at 200 grams, the Aussie size at 300, the mega cut pegged at 400, and the super mega cut at a whopping half kilogram. Being average-sized Asians, we obviously picked the smallest size.
Natural Prime Rib Steak, Regular (SGD 31.95, approx. PHP 1100, +7% GST and 10% service charge)
The cut was more than a centimeter thick, sized about an average adult palm. Weighing in at 200 grams, it appeared adequate. All their prime rib steaks come with two sides. She picked the Hog Tail fries, curiously shaped as its namesake. The fries were okay, reminiscent of McDonald's twister fries back home. The mashed potatoes tasted bland without gravy, so we ordered steak sauce which cost another 2 dollars more. What a bummer.
Having ordered the steak well-done, I expected the meat to be tough. On the contrary, it retained just the right firmness. Nevertheless, the natural juices dried up too much, rendering the steak lacking in flavor, or even too much of the smokey and char grilled taste. It was bordering on overcooked, and as expected, we didn't finish it.
Hickory Smoked Prime Rib Steak, Regular (SGD 32.95, approx. PHP 1140, +7% GST and 10% service charge)
On the other hand, I picked a more Americanized version of the prime rib - lathered in that good ole' Hickory barbecue sauce. I also had mine medium, to retain the succulence of the meat. The fries that came with it were again okay, as well as the greens.
Pink - the color of a real man's steak.
I always like my steak either medium or medium well, with just a hint of the pinkish succulent freshness of the meat. And they nailed it with my order - the exteriors charred beautifully while the meat within was firm but not chewy. The flavor burst forth with each slice, the natural juices seeping out. The Hickory sauce was not overpowering, but complemented the char grilled and smokey taste. Needless to say, I finished my portion in a jiffy. Quite a good value for the price, especially around these places.
Although they failed a bit with our first order, we might be at fault for ordering it well done. Still, the steak sauce was another blunder, with the garlic mushroom sauce tasting too bitter. Or maybe us Filipinos are so used to the buttery flavor of our mushroom gravy back home. I wonder if we had the Snackaroo sauce instead of Hog's Breath own sauce, if it would make any difference.
Nevertheless, this was indeed good value for the price tag, a sure bang for your back. Not cheap tasting, but neither too expensive. All things considered, this is the prime rib cut, one of the more pricier portions. Yet they manage to serve a hefty slice for this price. And at a pristine and quiet location within the city.
I would most certainly come back to try out their other meat offerings, but as of this blog posting, Hog's Breath Cafe has closed down until further notice, due to the CHIJMES renovation. I do hope they return. So why did I still write about it?
Because Hog's Breath has a branch in the Philippines! Although the first branch is in Davao, I recently found out they will be opening a branch in Alabang (hooray!). Check out the latest news on their Philippines Facebook page here. I sincerely hope they keep prices at a reasonable level while maintaining the quality of their meat. Definitely one of the better finds for good value for good steak.
Jones
Hog's Breath Cafe
30 Victoria Street, Block A
#01-27/27 CHIJMES
Singapore
(closed until further notice)
Hog's Breath Cafe
Unit 147-149, Ground Floor
SM Lanang Premiere,
Lanang, Davao
Philippines
Written by Jones
0 comments: