Food Review: Butcher’s Block At Raffles Singapore | More Than Just A Steakhouse In Raffles Hotel

Posted on August 25, 2020 by theRantingPanda in Food

Butcher's Block

The Place Occupying the space of what was previously Long Bar Steakhouse, Butcher’s Block is part of the Raffles Singapore major revamp and is a new addition to the F&B concept in the iconic Singapore hotel. If anything, the interior of Butcher’s Block is contemporary and edgy. There is a huge glass cooler named The Vault at the entrance, and you can see the various types of meat on display. The restaurant is definitely less formal as compared to La Dame de Pic, as the open kitchen concept draws diners closer to the team.

Towards the back of the restaurant is The Library, an exposed wine cellar that houses more than 200 different wine labels, including a good selection of natural wines. For more privacy, there are also two private dining rooms which can accommodate 8 persons each.

The Food The restaurant is helmed by Chef Rémy Lefebvre, and a noteworthy point is that the meats on the menu are personally sourced and procured by him. In terms of cooking technique, wood fire is the highlight at Butcher’s Block where the team employs various techniques such as smoking, grilling and slow cooking in embers over the wood fire. The menu is more than just beef, as there is also a selection of various types of seafood. On weekend, the menu goes causal with toasts and pizzas at a more accessible price point.

If you are a drinker, the wine list is quite comprehensive with a good selection of natural wines as well.

I had the Carte Blanche (S$198++ per person) for dinner, which is chef’s surprise menu for the whole table and is somewhat like an omakase concept.

The Carte Blanche Menu is around 6-courses, and the meal started with a snack dish, Anchovy on bread.

The first course proper was the Big Eye Tuna Tartare with truffle and bone marrow. It was probably my first time coming across tuna tartare and this cold dish definitely has an interesting mix of ingredients.

The next course is something more familiar to me, Beef Tartare with egg dressing and Roscoff onions. The beef is well-marinated, though the texture of this dish is quite similar to the first.

The third course is one of my favourite – Grilled Octopus with coriander and pastor adobo. The flavour of the dish carries a tinge of spiciness, and it is really that well-executed grilled octopus which I am fond of. Great texture and flavour there.

The fourth course sounds like a simple dish, but not evidently so from the way it was served. The whole fish was brought beside our table, before the chef started to slice into individual portions. Interestingly, the Grilled Fish I had was drizzled with red wine sauce, and I do find the sauce a unique way to accentuate the flavour of the fish.

Reviews were mixed on my table, as some of my fellow diners do not find that the red wine sauce goes well with the fish.

The Beef On The Bone is definitely the highlight for me – Angus Grass-Fed 28 Days Dry-Aged Irish John Stone. Expect a succulent medium-rare cut here, which can probably do with just a little bit more of salt for me. I suspect the kitchen is very light-handed on the seasoning of the beef here. To ensure you are filled, the beef is also served with baked potato.

For dessert, I had the Roasted Pineapple with pineapple sorbet and coconut cream. This is an interesting twist with some local elements, and the roasted pineapple goes perfectly with the refreshing sorbet. Rantee was still raving about this dessert days after.

The last part of the meal is some complimentary dark cocoa chocolates and delicious madeleine which concluded the meal well.

Rants Prices of the dishes at Butcher’s Block ain’t cheap, and it is one of those restaurants to reserve for a celebratory occasion.

Will I Return Again? I like the dining ambience at the Butcher’s Block and while prices are relatively steep for dinner, there is a good selection of premium cuts of meat from the ala carte menu. I am keen to order from the ala carte menu next time round to try other cuts of beef.

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

Make your reservations instantly at Butcher’s Block here.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4.5/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4/5