Skirt at W Hotel Singapore has been winning raved reviews since opening a few months ago, so I had to check it out to find out for myself. Indeed, the restaurant lives up to the hype, and it has rocketed to become my favourite steak restaurant in Singapore. It is a top-class steakhouse with middle-range pricing.

At the entrance of the restaurant, there are “aging cabinets” which contain choice meats alongside specialty cuts of milk-fed lamb and venison. For those who like to have a drink before having dinner, the bar tucked at one end of the restaurant offers bespoke cocktails. The restaurant itself is elegant and stunning. It is classy, yet not pretentious; it gives off a cool and hip vibe effortlessly.

We started our meal with the Tuna Tartar ($28) with avocado and wasabi; and Iberico Pork Belly with Bean Cassoulet ($20). The former was decent, but unremarkable. The latter saw chunks of pork belly with white beans and carrot in a pork broth made with pork loin and spices like star anise, cinnamon and honey.

Next, we had the delightful Grilled King Prawns ($25) from the grilled picadas menu. Fat, juicy and fresh prawns were split and generously peppered, then put to grill, producing a hint of smokiness and a lot of sweetness for our indulgence.

The Seared US Scallops ($35) – with dashi, apple and Jamon – are what dreams are made of. Plump and meat, they were the easily the biggest scallops I have ever had. This was my favourite starter.

And the highlight of our meal – steaks. Skirt has an impressive selection sourced from Australia and USA: Blackmore Australian Full Blood 9+ Wagyu, Tajima Australian Crossbred Wagyu, Creekstone Farms USDA Corn-fed Black Angus, Cape Grim Australian Grass-fed Angus, and Donald Russell Irish Grass-fed Aberdeen Angus. Prices range from $35++ to $158++, and most of the steaks are priced below $60.

The 250g Blackmore Wagyu Skirt Steak ($48) is one of the most popular options on the menu. We had the Tajima Australian Crossbred Wagyu, a 25 Day Dry Aged Ribeye ($70/140 for 250g/500g). It was a good piece of meat prepared at the highest level. We enjoyed every bite.

The other steak that we tried was the chef’s special ‘Skirt Steak Sandwich’ – a Blackmore Australian Full Blood 9+ Wagyu Tenderloin served with beetroot and Jamon. This was an off-the-menu item which is reserved for regulars and those in-the-know. If you plan to try this dish at your next visit to Skirt, inform the chef and I am sure they will be glad to prepare it for you.

And oh, did I mention about the sides and condiments? Unlike other steakhouses where the sides tend to be over-priced, the ones here are decently priced between $5-12.

The steaks are served with seven condiments – Red Wine & Marrow Sauce, Peppercorn Sauce, Horseradish Cream, Bloody Mary Butter, Cherry Tomato Relish, Blood Orange and Tarragon Bearnaise Red Chimichurri and three kinds of mustard. In addition, they also come with six different types of salt: garlic salt, beef salt, rosemary salt, Hawaiian red salt and smoke salt.

While steaks are the main focus at Skirt, the restaurant also offers quite a few main courses on the menu. The Braised Dorper Lamb Leg ($45), Dover Sole ($50), Cinnamon Poached Maine Lobster ($85) and Iberico Pork Skirt ($40) are tempting options.

We went for Skirt Beef Wellington ($58) because not many restaurants in town do this dish well. Beef tenderloin coated with pate encased in a crispy puff pastry; it was faultless. That said, while Skirt’s rendition was executed perfectly, I am not sure if I would pay for this. I am not a fan of Beef Wellington to begin with. Moreover, some of the steaks on the menu are more appealing and affordable.

The Toasted Honey Meringue ($18) came highly recommended and it did not disappoint. It came in the form of coconut and pineapple ice cream on a digestive biscuit base, topped with a beautiful sheet of pineapple jelly and meringue.

We also had a Warm Venezuelan Chocolate Mud Cake ($18) with poached wild strawberry and tarragon. Other desserts include: White Chocolate Parfait ($18), Chocolate Forest Cake ($18) and Crepes with Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Lava ($15).

A meal at Skirt need not be expensive if you order wisely. Their signature 250g Skirt Steak is only $48, and other affordable cuts include a 250g Irish Grass-fed Sirloin ($35), and the 250g Cape Grim Australian Ribeye ($42). In conclusion: if you love steaks, you must make a trip to Skirt at W Hotel Singapore.

Skirt Steakhouse
21 Ocean Way, W Hotel
Tel: +65 6808 7278
Tue to Sun: 7pm – 12 midnight
Note: This was an invited media tasting.

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.