While steakhouses are aplenty in Singapore, outstanding ones are not hard to distinguish. Wooloomooloo Steakhouse is one worthy of your attention.
The Wooloomooloo Group started out in Hong Kong in 2004, and has established a reputation for their premium quality steaks. Recently, Wooloomooloo Steakhouse has made its first international debut right here in Singapore, in the Raffles City precincts.
The entrance is instantly welcoming; its wide portal lures you in, and your eyes will be drawn towards the sleek window display of Wooloomooloo’s signature beef products, before you enter the restaurant through a passageway lined with a gleaming showcase of wines.
Its clever design features provide diners with a private and exclusive dining experience that curious passers-by will not be able to catch a glimpse of from the outside.
The entire restaurant spans across 6,300 square feet, with a spacious 140-seater dining room and a 40-seater bar, bedecked in elegant furnishings with a touch of rustic charm.
The semi-private dining area – partitioned from the dining area by floor-to-ceiling racks that are neatly piled with firewood – is great for business dining and intimate parties. Enter the private nook through chain link curtains.
For maximum transparency, Wooloomooloo Steakhouse embraces the open kitchen concept; all of the grilling and assembling of food takes place in full view of diners.
Bordering the restaurant and bar are full-length windows that provide spectacular views of the Singapore skyline; car-racing enthusiasts will be delighted to discover this perfect non-track spot to catch the annual Singapore Night Race.
Cocktails
Wooloomooloo Signature Martini ($19)
VOX vodka, apple schnapps, fresh mint, grapefruit and apple juice
Enjoy a pre-dinner drink at the bar before commencing your meal, like we did while waiting for the rest to arrive. There is a wide range of wines and cocktails to choose from.
Background: The Chocolate Martini ($19), Foreground: Lychee Rouge ($19)
Mocktails
Guava Island ($10)
Colada mix, guava mix & pineapple juice
Recommended non-alcoholic libations include the Cool Mint ($10), Aussie Punch ($10) and the Guava Island ($10).
Cookies & Cream Mocktail ($10)
Oreo cookies, vanilla ice cream & milk
The Cookies & Cream is a personal favourite –I am bias.
It is hard to miss the aroma of the freshly baked foccacia that comes with a light hint of rosemary. Complimentary bread service is a hospitable way to start off a meal.
Appetisers
Spanish Ham Selection ($38)
Also available in the Bar Bites menu, the Spanish Ham Selection is served with sundried tomatoes, olives, artichokes, piquillo peppers, Feta cheese and foccacia crackers –great with a tipple.
Tuna & Spanner Crab Tartare ($29)
The Tuna & Spanner Crab Tartare comes with a base of avocado, orange, shallot and coriander, followed by sweet Australian spanner crab and succulent chunky bits of sashimi-grade yellow fin tuna, finished off with a crème fraiche and salmon roe topping.
Upon my first bite, ‘wasabi’ comes to mind. There is a subtle horseradish zing that perks up the appetite, but not at all overpowering in the sense that it overwhelms. This dish is a perfect balance of flavours.
Jumbo Prawn Cocktail ($29 for 4 pieces)
As the name suggests, the Jumbo Prawn Cocktail comprises jumbo-sized prawns that are accompanied by a homemade cocktail sauce peppered with horseradish, sweet chilli and Worchester sauce.
Other starters that interest me are the Steak Tartare ($28), Foie Gras ($29), and the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake ($29).
Soups
Cream of Forest Mushroom ($18)
For a tummy warmer, the Cream of Forest Mushroom is an instant hit. Creamy and smooth, it is served with garlic croutons, Parmesan cheese and truffle oil. It left me wanting more.
The French Onion Soup ($18) and the best seller, Lobster Bisque ($20) are two other options.
Mains
Famed for their premium steaks, each cut of steak is handpicked and cut in-house, and each slab is flavoured with seasoned sea salt and broiled at 650 to 700 degrees Celsius inside Southbend broilers from USA (which can be seen in the open kitchen) to attain the perfect doneness.
Every steak is served with four homemade sauces – Au Jus, Mushroom, Peppercorn and Red Wine Madeira – and a choice of four gourmet mustards (Dijon, English, Granary and Green Peppercorn).
70-Day Grain Fed Australian Young Black Angus Tomahawk ($125)
This massive whole rib steak weighs between 1.1kg to 1.3kg with bone in –enough for two (with less-ravenous appetites) to share.
The doneness, however, is not even throughout the thick slab of meat.
The varying doneness perhaps will only be favourable if this steak is shared among three people with different preferences for doneness. (This is meant to be a joke.)
150-Day Grain Fed USDA Prime Rib Eye, 12-ounce ($74)
Moving on, the 150-Day Grain Fed USDA Prime Rib Eye fared much better.
Lightly seasoned with just salt and pepper, the unadulterated beefy flavour shines. The insides of the steak are consistently pink, moist and tender.
Aside from the beef items, other specialties include Ricotta & Spinach Ravioli ($34), Roasted Spatchcock Chicken ($46), and Beef Wellington ($66).
Beef Wellington; Australian filet mignon (8-ounce) broiled to medium rare doneness, paired with mushroom duxelle and 40g foie gras, wrapped in Parma ham, encased in a puff pastry, and baked to a golden brown. I’m drooling already.
I wonder if Wooloomooloo Steakhouse’s Beef Wellington dish will receive Gordon Ramsey’s approval. This tough judge spent years perfecting his Beef Wellington recipe, and I’ve watched him flare up on Masterchef when he was served an amateurish version.
For the fish lovers, piscatorial pleasures include Pan Seared Barramundi Fillet ($52) and Grilled Tasmanian Salmon Fillet ($56).
Side Orders
Sautéed Kipfler Potatoes ($14)
Creamy Corn ($12), Grilled Asparagus ($16)
Mashed Potato ($14), Baked Idaho Potato ($12), Lyonnaise Potatoes ($12) and Creamy Spinach ($12) are some other sides that I am inclined to.
Dessert
Pavlova ($18)
Meringue topped with fresh fruits and drizzled with passionfruit coulis
To end a heavy meal, the Pavlova is a refreshing choice. The sauce is a touch sour to please those with a sweet tooth though.
Wooloomooloo Cheesecake ($18)
Traditional uncooked Philadelphia cheesecake served with red berry compote and yoghurt sorbet
Cheese lovers will rejoice upon receiving the Wooloomooloo Cheesecake. I can only go ‘oooooh’ and ‘ahhhh’ when savouring this rich and creamy bliss, and soon it’s gone from plate to belly.
Bread & Butter Pudding ($16)
The Bread & Butter Pudding ends the meal on a sweet note. My sweet tooth tells me, this is my favourite dessert.
Other desserts that I am keen on are the Crème Brulee ($16), Apple Crumble ($18), Soufflé ($20) and the Chocolate Marquise ($19).
Wine lovers and regulars can simply purchase $2,500 worth of wines to own a personalised locker for a year. Each locker bears a personalised brass plate with the name of the wine locker holder engraved on it.
Other than a wine locker to call your own, you also get a personal steak knife with your name engraved on it. How thoughtful! General Manager Noel Emmanuel – who is a recipient of multiple awards in the F&B industry – came up with this brilliant idea.
For reservations, book online at Chope for instant confirmation anytime of the day and any day of the week.
Wooloomooloo Steakhouse
2 Stamford Road, Level 3, Swissôtel the Stamford
Singapore 178882
Tel:
Email:
Website: http://www.wooloo-mooloo.com/
Operating Hours:
Restaurant: Lunch (Daily) 12pm – 2.30pm | Dinner (Daily) 6.30pm – 11pm
Bar: Mon – Thurs, 12pm – 1am | Fri – Sat, 12pm – 2am | Sun, 12pm – 12am
Bar Bites: Mon – Sat, 12pm – 12am | Sun, 12pm – 11pm
Set Lunch: Mondays to Fridays – 12pm – 2.30pm