FIVE-TEN is the latest addition to the developing restaurant scene located along South Bridge Road. If there is any way to describe their food, it is total comfort inspired by the dynamic street food scene of Taipei.

During lunchtime, they offer a spectacular array of innovative dishes such as their take on the popular Taiwanese street food, Lu Rou Fan, and at night, the humble and seemingly innocent establishment transforms into a bar where you can enjoy a tipple.

At FIVE-TEN, you can expect quality Taiwanese-style comfort food at super affordable prices.

The interior is dark yet sophisticated, similar to the kind you would expect to find at a speakeasy bar. The brick wall by the bar adds to the ambiance by giving this eatery a rustic feel.

FIVE-TEN has an array innovative tipples like gaoliang slushies as well as a curated selection of beers, wines, and spirits—priced between $5++ and $10++—to cater to the after-work drinking crowd and late night revelers.

For starters, we ordered a sharing plate of their Fried Chicken (S$5++). A mixture of chicken thigh and breast meat are thinly coated with flour and are deep fried till crispy. The dish comes with a seaweed mayonnaise which the chef makes in-house.

The fried chicken pieces were super crisp and surprisingly juicy on the inside. The seaweed mayonnaise added a refreshing umami touch to the dish, creating a new dimension of savouriness which worked exceptionally well with the crispy chicken.

Fans of Taiwanese food fare will be impressed with their version of the iconic Lu Rou Fan
(S$10++).

A bowl filled with a generous scoop of Japanese short-grain rice doused in a sweet and savoury sauce is topped with thick cuts of braised pork belly, boiled kai lan and a sous-vide egg.

Each individual element was executed perfectly; the braised pork belly was tender, juicy and beautifully infused with the braising liquid, while the kai lan added a nice crunch to the dish. The runny egg yolk provided an added richness to the dish which we felt was what made the whole dish such a joy to eat.

One of their popular mains at FIVE-TEN is the Steak, Rice, and Egg (S$10++). As its name suggests, it is essentially a rice bowl with seared sirloin steak topped with a sous-vide egg.

A generous portion of beautifully cooked steak is neatly displayed to showcase its glorious pink shade. It was tender and the few sprinkles of sea salt really helped to bring out the beefy flavours.

The dish comes with pickled Chinese cabbage on the side. We felt that the tartness added a whole new flavour dimension. It really helped to cut through the richness of the steak and the egg.

If tasty innovative Taiwanese-style eats at affordable prices are what you are after, then you need to make a trip down to FIVE-TEN today!

Five Ten
237 South Bridge Road
Tel: +65 6924 7352
(Closed on Mondays)
Tues to Sat: 10am – 10pm
Sun: 10am – 2.30pm
Nearest Station: Chinatown

You may be familiar with ribeye, tenderloin and sirloin, but have you heard of other relatively unknown cuts like skirt, flat iron and hanger steak? Here is a beginners guide to the different cuts of steak. Read on to find out which cut suits you best.

RIBEYE STEAK

The ribeye – also known as Scotch Fillet, Beauty Steak or Delmonico Steak – comes from the area near the rib, so it has good marbling with a nice amount of fat in the centre to give it the distinctive concentrated flavour. Suffice it to say, it is easy to understand why this is usually one of the top sellers in steakhouses.

TENDERLOIN STEAK

Tenderloin, or eye fillet, as it is known in certain parts of the world, is cut from the middle of a cow. As the muscle is less utilised, it is very lean and tender. Tenderloin is the crowd’s favourite because it is lean and does not contain too much fat. Also, it is a cut that is easy to cook and eat.

FILLET MIGNON

This cut is taken from the end of the tenderloin. It is extremely tender and has no fat as the muscle does not have to work. I am not a fan of Fillet Mignon as I prefer to have some fat in my steak. This cut, however, is perfect for
ladies.

SIRLOIN STEAK

Like the tenderloin, a sirloin steak is a cut from the loin section of a cow. While sirloin steaks are not as tender as the tenderloin steaks, they are popular as they are significantly less expensive than that from the short loin and rib section.

FLANK STEAK

The Flank is a beef steak cut from the underside of a cow. This part of the muscle is well-exercised, making it a naturally lean cut. Most people would probably be familiar with the flank steak as it is used for Fajitas and also as stir-fried beef in Asian cuisine.

T-BONE STEAK & PORTERHOUSE

The T-Bone steak, recognised by the distinctive T-shaped bone, is cut from the centre of the short loin and it comprises both the top loin and tenderloin. Porterhouse, on the other hand, is from the rear end of the short loin, thus has more of tenderloin steak. In general, they are expensive in steakhouses as they contain meat from two of the most prized cuts of beef. My favourite is the Bistecca alla Fiorentina, T-Bone steak prepared in Fiorentine style, an exceptional charcoal-grilled steak that is tasty and flavourful; it melts like butter in your mouth.

FLAT IRON STEAK

A relatively unknown cut, the Flat Iron Steak has been gaining popularity in recent years as restaurants start to offer this cut on the menu as a more affordable option. For instance, Prive Grill is serving a 200g Australian Flat Iron Steak for just S$38, while The Prime Society has a Black Angus Flat Iron for S$48.

HANGER STEAK

In an attempt to save on cost and to provide more variety, more restaurants are starting to offer alternative cuts instead of the more expensive cuts such as ribeye or strip. The hanger steak is one of them. It is inexpensive (usually you can get it for S$30), flavourful and rich. I have had several good hanger steaks recently. I would recommend going to Barracks Cafe, Osteria Mozza or Suprette at Kam Leng Hotel for their hanger steaks.

SKIRT STEAK

The skirt steak is a cow’s diaphragm muscle, located in the area just below the ribs on the cow. For what it lacks in tenderness, the skirt steak more than makes up for it with flavour. Most importantly, it is an inexpensive cut, and provides good value for money. The new Skirt at W Hotel Singapore serves the namesake Skirt Steak on its menu.