A hop and a step away from his fine dining restaurant Cure, is Chef Andrew Walsh’s latest project – Butcher Boy.
Creeping cholesterol levels had kept me from rushing to the place, considering that the moniker presents the Asian-inspired bar and grill as being nothing short of a meat-lover’s paradise, but on a whim on a random Wednesday evening, I decided to pop in for a meal.
The overall ambience screams hipster what with the requisite seats around the bar counter from where you can watch the friendly staff whip up your cocktail and the edgy, industrial décor that surrounds the place. Perfect for a raucous gathering and frankly, not too bad for a cosy date, if you choose to sit at the corners of the bar, that is. The high volumes and cramped spaces will make it a cinch to move in on your date.
Crispy Fish Skin with Nori salt and Sesame Tahini ($6) is a perfect snack with which to end that hard day of work. Kick back, sip a cold one and dunk those little crisps into the nutty sauce.
My burger-loving hubby ordered the Butcher Boy Bacon and Cheeseburger ($28). Made of ground brisket and chopped wagyu, he clearly enjoyed it, juices dripping down his fingers and all. And served with shoestring fries, I couldn’t help but dig in too, they are my favourite type of fries.
Feeling as though we would have been remiss if we didn’t try any of the meats at Butcher Boy, we decided on the US Grain Beef Short Rib ($33 for 180g) over the Vietnamese-style whole fish ($38 for 500g) that I spotted my neighbours enjoying with much gusto.
And we were not disappointed. Normally beef short ribs are braised to death to ensure the relatively tough cut gets fork tender, and I do enjoy them prepared that way, but at Butcher Boy, the short ribs are sous vide for 48 hours before being char-grilled over a Josper oven.
The results are pretty damn good. Smoky flavours coupled with the tender ribs melting in your mouth. My picture doesn’t do this dish justice at all and the portions are enough for 2, especially since the fatty ribs do get a bit too unctuous as you go along.
The Beetroot, Burrata and Kale ($12) is the side dish to order with the ribs. Strips of earthy beetroot coupled with crisp kale and creamy burrata cheese is topped with a fluffy pear “snow” – a simple and fresh accompaniment to the rich meat.
The waiter looked positively disappointed when we said we were too full for dessert and looking around, I guess I could see why – some of the treats fellow diners were enjoying looked really enticing, especially the Chocolate Textures ($12), and I suppose I will have to eat less to save room for dessert the next time I visit the Butcher Boy!
Butcher Boy:
Address: 31 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089138.
Contact: +65 6221 6833
Opening Hours:
Mon to Thu: 5.30pm – 12am
Fri to Sun: 12pm – 3pm, 5.30pm – 12am