Grill Ninety Nine @ Arab Street - Halal Restaurant Offering Quality & Affordable Western Cuisine

Less than 5 minutes walk from Bugis MRT station will bring you to Grill Ninety Nine at Arab Street. Serving western cuisine that is prepared using halal-certified ingredients, Grill Ninety Nine prides itself on its meat offerings, featuring good quality beef and lamb from New Zealand.

Crispy Crab Cakes 4.5/5

Appetisers may not be the primary focus of your meal, but you must try its Crispy Crab Cakes ($12.90) which is also available as a burger variant. When so often crab cakes are loaded with fillers, crusts that are too thick or over-fried even, these were thin and crisp, with the inside moist and well-seasoned to bring out the delicate flavours of the crab leg meat.

Cream of Mushroom 3.5/5

Cream of Mushroom ($6) is made in-house too. I loved the peppery-ness of it, which elevated the aromatic and earthy flavours of the mushrooms. It is very creamy and heavy, hence do share if you are going for it.

Ribeye Steak 4/5

Grill Ninety Nine's signature items are undeniably its steaks, served with a choice of black pepper, mushroom or brown sauce. We tried Ribeye Steak ($29.90 for 200g/ $45 for 425g). Lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, it was skillfully grilled to the doneness we requested. What made it even tastier was the fresh medley of herbs, in particular rosemary, that accented its fats and juice. Steaks are served with either fries or mash potato. We had ours changed to their new side item, sweet potato fries, for tasting purposes. It is available as a side for $9.90.

A highlight on its menu is the offering of Raclette Cheese at $8.90, which you can add as a topping on your mains, be it steak, burger, pasta. Prepared a la minute after your main is served, get your phone ready to capture the wow moment as you see a huge dollop of warm, gooey raclette cheese being scraped and allow to fall onto your plate.

Oven Roasted Angus Beef Ribs 3/5

The much anticipated Oven-roasted Angus Beef Ribs ($49.90) didn't quite hit the mark. The portion definitely sells, which was a feast for the eyes when it was served to us, but the sticky glaze that coated the meat was too sweet, and the meat was not as tender as expected.

Jawbreaker 3.5/5

Moving on to burgers, Jawbreaker ($22) offers your ravenous soul with a triple handmade beef patty piled between freshly baked brioche buns. Each patty is about 150g and in between patties are pickles and inhouse sauces. I like the buns used here, they didn't go all soggy even then they had to hold what was being stuffed between them. The spices and herbs used in the patty flavoured the meat well, but the juiciness of the patties fell short from expectations. Without the natural fats and juice from the meat, it lacked the beefy flavour that I seek. Nacho cheese is used for the burgers here, and personally, I feel that hard cheeses that are sharper in flavours work better in burgers. That said, the whole visual entertainment and satisfaction derived from eating a three-tiered patty burger are still considered tummy and senses filling.

Nutella Brownie Milkshake 3.5/5

On the drinks menu, what stood out is the Nutella Brownie Milkshake ($10) that comes with a rich and moist brownie stick. I think this combination will also work should there be a hot version of it.

Waffle with Ondeh-Ondeh Ice Cream 3.8/5

Desserts are simple, such as cakes, scoops of ice cream or housemade soft-serve ice creams. We tried the combination of Waffle with Ondeh-Ondeh Ice Cream. The waffle was soft with a crispy exterior, and interestingly as they sopped up the ice cream, they attained a slightly chewy texture which accentuated the characteristics of Ondeh Ondeh experience. A handful more grated coconut would have made this dessert more complete.

Written and photography by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food.


Grill Ninety Nine
142 Arab Street
Singapore 199828
Tel: +65 62927363
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Nearest MRT: Bugis (EW Line, DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily 12pm - 10pm

Direction:
Alight at Bugis MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk down Victoria Street towards Arab Street. Turn right onto Arab Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Burger Frites @ Joo Chiat Road - Get Your Hands Dirty For Good Ol' Classic Burgers At New Gourmet Burger Joint Opened By French Chef

Following his first Steakhouse success at Braseiro, close to 5 years later, Founder Alexandre Pini opens his new gourmet burger joint, Burger Frites just right across the road along the shophouses of Joo Chiat Road. This cosy restaurant serves up gourmet burgers and homemade fries and has been a popular hangout spot for burger lovers living in the area.

Aiming to break the stereotype of burgers as junk fast food, Burger Frites is a casual burger joint unlike any other by focusing on quality ingredients, sourcing the best U.S. Angus beef patties from the butchery and bread from artisan bakery in Singapore. This is to ensure quality and freshness. They make their own french fries from scratch, and also offers a variety of sauces for a personal touch.

The menu is straightforward and simple, with only beef, chicken, and brie to choose from (each burger at $16++). Customisation is provided on the next step of selection for the addition of cheese at $1++, turkey bacon at $2++, and both cheese and bacon at $3++. There's an option of doubling the patty at $8++ or change your bun to a gluten-free one at $3++. You can choose the sauces to add to the burger as well, at no extra costs!

180G Angus Beef Burger 4.5/5

We went for the Beef Burger with Cheese and Bacon (with added cheese and bacon $19++) which looked sinfully good with its huge 180g Angus beef patty, layered with melted cheddar and bacon slices, tomatoes, lettuce and pickles in between perfectly fluffy and soft brioche buns. Done medium rare, the beef patty was nicely cooked with the right amount of fattiness in it and boasts a superb tenderness and juiciness. Even though the accompanying flavours didn't stand out as much with the main star being the 180g Angus beef patty stealing the show with loads of its juicy beef flavours, overall, I was impressed with their excellent rendition of the beef burger. Definitely one of the best beef burgers if you're looking for something classic and unpretentious.

Crispy Chicken Burger 3.8/5

Different from what you might expect for a Chicken burger, the Crispy Chicken Burger (with added cheese $17++) here is served with four strips of crispy chicken tenders stacked on top of each other. While we loved the crispiness of the meat that goes well with the fluffy milky buns, we felt that the chicken tenders were too dry for our liking. Add on some fries ($4++) on the side to go with your burgers. Those homemade hand-cut potato strips were twice-fried - fluffy, but not as crispy as we hoped. It's still a joy pairing them with the different sauces available, such as the flavourful black pepper cream.

Coconut Milkshake 4/5, Homemade Ice Lemon Tea 4/5

From the drinks menu, we had the Coconut Milkshake ($9++) and Homemade Ice Lemon Tea ($5++). For something more indulgent, go for the milkshake option. They have 6 different milkshake flavours (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coconut, speculoos and pistachio). Thick and creamy, the milkshake was flavourful with the fragrant taste of coconut yet not too overwhelming.

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Burger Frites
340 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427592
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Nearest MRT: Dakota (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Fri: 5 - 11pm
Sat-Sun: 12pm - 11pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Dakota MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Block 99 (Stop ID 81181). Take bus number 16. Alight 4 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]