VUE @ OUE Bayfront - Surf & Turf Weekend Set Lunch With A Cocktail On The House

Located atop OUE Bayfront, VUE has been known for having one of the best views of Singapore's skyline. The time to really take it all in is perhaps the weekend, and catering to these precious hours is a newly launched "Surf & Turf" Weekend Set Lunch menu priced at $128. With this special menu, you get a choice of seafood as well as meat, complemented by 2 sides, and a dessert to end off your leisure afternoon.

Lunch cocktail

Since it's a weekend and you might have started your day late, VUE has prepared a cocktail on the house to wake up your senses. Choose between a Bloody Mary or a Mimosa, or if you like to have more, subsequent orders will be at $15 each.

Lobster Thermidor 3.5/5

An aperitif was indeed much needed for the meal ahead. For seafood, we chose Lobster Thermidor (+$12) of whole Maine lobster baked with mushroom, cheddar and gruyere, served with Hollandaise sauce. The lobster meat itself was scrumptious with the sauce and cheeses, and I felt the mushrooms didn't quite fit into the whole situation.

USDA Prime Black Angus 4.5/5

VUE specialises in binchotan-grilled meats, and included as one of the Turf options is a 250g USDA Prime, Brandt Family Ribeye (+$35). Its beautiful flavours were enhanced by cooking over the charcoal, which imparted a depth of smokiness into the meat.

Signature A5 "Kokuou' Emperor Black Wagyu Brisket 3.8/5

We also tried its signature A5 "Kokuou' Emperor Black Wagyu Brisket. Slow roasted for 24hours, the brisket had achieved the desired level of tenderness, and its flavours were superb. I find the sauce slightly too assertive, less of it would have made the meat even more pleasurable.

Roasted Bone Marrow 3.5/5

For sides, we tried Truffle Polenta, Creamed Spinach, Grilled Cauliflower and Roasted Bone Marrow with Mushroom Duxelles (+$10). I reckoned the bone marrow needed a few more minutes of heat and a dose of salt to turn it into a luscious and savoury butter. What's missing is a few pieces of crostini! Still, it could be worth getting the bone marrow, which is sizeable for two.

Basque-Style Burnt Cheesecake 4.5/5

The dessert is Basque-Style Burnt Cheesecake, and it was simply decadent. Inherently rich with heavy cream and cream cheese, I was surprised by how light this was - firm, moist with a custardy core. The tart berry jam went a long way in balancing the sweetness of the cheesecake, alongside the freshness of mixed berries. I love the addition of the almond crumbles too, which brilliantly compensated the lack of a buttery and crunchy element of burnt cheesecakes.

Photos and words 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. Note: This is an invited tasting.


VUE
OUE Bayfront
Level 19
50 Collyer Quay
Singapore 049321
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Nearest MRT: Raffles Place (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 12pm - 230pm, 530pm - 1030pm

Sat-Sun: 12pm - 3pm, 530pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Raffles Place MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to Clifford Centre. Cut across the building. Go to 2nd floor, take the overhead bridge link across the road. Turn right at the base of the overhead bridge. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

Butcher's Block @ Raffles Hotel Singapore - Premium Meats Cooked Over Different Types Of Charcoal & Wood

Raffles Hotel has reopened after a two years renovation work back on 01 August 2020. With the re-opening, it also welcomes Butcher's Block, one of the new restaurants in its property. The restaurant premium cuts of meats sourced and procured from dedicated farms that show utmost care and respect for their livestock cocked over wood fire.

Unlike the usual steak house or grill house, Butcher's Grill offers a Carte Blanche menu ($198 per person) which is a Chef's daily surprise menu for the whole table on top of their ala carte menu. Our dinner started with some Anchovy on toast.

Big Eye Tuna Tartare 3.8/5

Moving to our first course, we had the Big Eye Tuna Tartare. The finely chopped tuna is paired with a savoury mixture of tuna blood and soy sauce. It may sound intriguing, but it is like have a steak with beef jus. The white jelly-like stuff on top is truffle bone marrow. It doesn't have any taste but interesting gelatine-like texture.

Beef Tartare 4.2/5

If I have to choose, I would prefer the Beef Tartare. Partly it is more finely chopped and the addition of bread crumbs give it a delightful textural bite, paired with an egg dressing. It even comes with a sweet roscoff onion at the side which helps to cut the richness.

Grilled Octopus 4.5/5

One of my favourite dishes for the night is the Grilled Octopus. It has a beautiful char on the exterior but what brightens up the dish is the accompanying sauce, which is slightly tangy and spicy.

Grilled Fish 3.5/5

Next, we have the Grilled Fish in which the server will portion the fish at the tableside. Simply seasoned just with salt and grill to a beautiful moist texture. Interestingly the chef chooses to pair it with red wine sauce. Personally, I felt the sauce is a bit heavy for the lightness of the fish to appreciate its natural flavour.

Beef On the Bone 4.5/5

Baked Potato 4.5/5

Similar to the grilled fish, the Beef On The Bone is portioned out at the table side too. Cooked perfectly to medium-rare, the beautiful piece of meat is juicy and packed with flavours. What I enjoyed, even more, is the Baked Potato. This simply demonstrates that good and delicious food does not need to be sophisticated in cooking.

Roasted Pineapple 4.5/5

Last but not least, we have the Roasted Pineapple dessert to wrap up our dinner. The sweet and refreshing dessert also comes with a scoop of pineapple sorbet in a bowl of coconut cream. 

If you have time to take a little tour around the restaurant, you will notice a glass cooler near the entrance whereby the restaurant dry-aged not only the meat but seafood too. The open kitchen gives the customers a front seat view of the orchestra behind the delicious and not forget the open concept wine cellar that houses more than 200 different wine labels, including a good selection of natural wines.

Noted: This is an invited tasting.


Butcher's Block
Raffles Arcade
328 North Bridge Road
#02-02
Singapore 188719
Tel: +65 63371886
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Website
Nearest MRT: City Hall (EW Line, NS Line), Esplanade (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Lunch (Sat-Sun): 12pm - 230pm
Dinner (Wed-Sun): 6pm - 10pm
(Closed on Mon and Tue)

Direction:
1) Alight at City Hall MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Junction of North Bridge Road and Bras Basah Road. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Esplanade MRT station. Take Exit F. Cross the road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]