Merry Christmas!
Haven't decided what to eat for Christmas? Check out this review below!
It's been a long time since we last visited this place. Opposite Beauty World, this west side's supper strip akin to the East's Simpang Bedok seemed different from its heydays with all the construction for the new train line. There're much lesser prata stalls, and a whole lot of indie restaurants and cafes on this strip. Great for us foodies. We visited one of the restaurants today, raved by many other bloggers, Stirling Bar & Grill.
The Place!
Menu!
It's not difficult to spot, as the sign board is pretty prominent. The incandescent lights made the entire well-decorated place all the more cozier. Also, the alfresco area is perfect for football matches gathering, after all, they have a wide variety of beers at pretty affordable prices. Plus, they have snacks like Beef Sliders going for only $2 each. What's beer without bites?
The interior is another impressive sight as well- a well-stocked bar with four draft beers on tap, long communal tables for big groups, velvet purple seats, all perfect for a couples night out or just some happy chatter. We pored over the menu and decided to go with a few of the tried-and-tested, and some adventurous ones:
Halloumi Salad ($9)
Pan-seared greek cheese served with baby spinach, tomato and capsicum salsa
Taking advantage of the happy hour rates, we ordered two glasses of ice cold draft beer. If you order two glasses, you get the next one free.
Sipping on our beer, our Halloumi Salad ($9) came first. There were really generous servings of the pan-seared greek cheese, which we were extremely happy. It took a bit of effort to toss the layer of tomatoes and capsicum salsa on the top with the also generous portion of fresh, raw and crispy baby spinach, but the final result of the mix was worth it. The salsa provided the juicy edge to the entire salad. A very appetising starter.
Délicieux Duck Breast ($25)
Pan-seared duck breast with creamy truffle mushroom sauce with asparagus and oven baked baby potatoes
Délicieux Duck Breast ($25)
Délicieux Duck Breast ($25)
Next came the Délicieux Duck Breast ($25), a chef's recommendation as well, is a pleasant-looking dish. Inspired by the classic Duck a l'Orange French recipe, this dish has many interesting twists. The luscious cream on top the duck is a medley of truffle and mushroom giving me a very rich feeling- of truffle and nicely done tender duck breast. If you hate those oily duck skins, you'll be at ease with this dish. Skins have to have that slight juicy fats, not too much, to be delicious. And this dish is just it. Nonetheless, it would have been great if the meat could be cut slightly thinner, so ladies could better cut and place them in their mouths more daintily. Underneath the garden salad and the meat are actually treasures! The baby roasted potatoes were nicely seasoned, and the asparagus gave a crunch to the soft tender duck meat.
Ultimate Grilled Chicken ($16)
Charcoal grilled chicken thigh, served with herb tomato sauce, summer vegetables and paprika fries
Ultimate Grilled Chicken ($16)
Ultimate Grilled Chicken ($16)
Ultimate Grilled Chicken ($16), though not a chef's recommendation, should be given honorary mention. It should be given the badge of "Chef's recommendation" of its own! There are many reasons- first, the chicken's char is done very nicely. You could taste the smoke and the grill with every bite, and the edges are very crispy. Second, is the tender, succulent meat. You could cut through the meat very easily even though it looks charred outside, which is just perfect for us who love grilled meats. You could see that the chef has the fire well under his control. The fries was the perfect accompaniment to the chicken. Its paprika flakes added another level of spice to the dish as well. The salad of broccoli and carrots are actually great to wash down the meat if you feel guiltily sinful. Either that, or you can wash it down with beer, which we'd very much prefer.
Signature Steaks ($29/35) for 200/250grams
Slow charcoal grill before finishing off with high intense heat. Topped with avocado butter and seasoned with our own in-house seasoning and gravy. Served with sautéed mix vegetable and truffle fries.
Signature Steaks ($29/35) for 200/250grams
Signature Steaks ($29/35) for 200/250grams
Finally, came the star of the night. The 250 grams Grilled Ribeye ($35). You could order a smaller portion of 200grams at ($29) if you want to save stomach space for other dishes. Their beef are chilled, not frozen, which means the natural taste of the steak is very much maintained. Armed with our steak knives, we cut the middle open to check the doneness. It was slightly underdone, as we asked for medium rare, but still alright to our liking.
Guess what stole the steak's limelight? The Truffle Fries! The Truffle smell AND taste are extremely loud, and when we mean loud, it really is. (We're a fan of Truffle fries, but always felt that restaurants have always been stingy with this expensive ingredient) I'd recommend you to order a side of the Truffle Fries ($8) if you're here for drinks and snacks. If you're looking for a nice slab of steak around this area, then do try out this place. After all, chef Collin Tan was once the chief griller of The Steakhouse at Clarke Quay, and the prices are quite reasonable as well.
Ending our meal with their popular Classic Crepes ($6), you get a choice of Nutella or lemon zest, plus a big scoop of vanilla ice-cream on the top. Nothing can go wrong with hazelnut and vanilla ice cream. Especially with Nutella! We fell in love with the chewy and soft crepes with crispy edges too.
We will definitely visit this place if we're in the vicinity. There are also lots of interesting events happening as well. They have live bands, soccer matches screenings, at the alfresco area. If you want to avoid the crowds in town, check out their Christmas menu, which you can follow their Facebook for more details if you're already hooked, like us!
Verdict:
Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Total Score: 4/5
[1- Never visit again, 2-Won't visit unless there's no other option, 3-Perhaps, 4 & 5- Yes!]
Good for? Couples, Groups, Family
About it:
Stirling Bar & Grill
Address: 15 Cheong Chin Nam Rd, Singapore 599739Menu: http://stirling.sg/menu/
