Part Two of our beef expedition during Restaurant Week brought us to Boeuf, a relatively new steakhouse at 159 Telok Ayer Street. Compared to the laid-back nature of our first outing at Gemma Steakhouse, Boeuf was a hardcore meat joint that screamed: “BEEF!”
Firstly, the name of the restaurant itself is beef in French. Secondly, an imposing bull’s head hangs just above the main entrance. Thirdly, the menu comprises mainly of beef. And finally, on the back wall of the narrow interior hangs a huge photo of an extremely hairy cow. I won’t post the photo here and spoil the surprise, but you’ll have to see it for yourself to believe it.
If you’re looking for a quiet place for a chit-chat with friends, then Boeuf is not the place for you. The lighting is dim and the music is loud. While you’d still be able to carry a conversation, be prepared to raise your voice as the place starts filling up.
The Restaurant Week dinner was priced at S$58++ per pax, and offered a choice of appetisers, mains and sides. When we made the reservation, beef tartare was too daunting for us and we were prepared to order just the burratina starter. But after our horizons were expanded by Gemma’s delightful beef tartare amuse bouche, we were brave enough to go for a second round.
Argentinian tenderloin was one of the choices available for the main course, and since this wasn’t commonly available, we decided to give it a try. Our second order was for the New Zealand sirloin but it wasn’t available that night. It was replaced by the Asada ribeye from their normal ala carte menu, and since the meat was also from Argentina, we decided to go full-on South American.
Two other items on the menu caught our attention — the bone marrow and the ratatouille. The Wife is a huge fan of bone marrow, and since it’s not commonly available, we ordered a portion to add on to our two starters.
The description for the ratatouille was a cryptic “Like the movie…“, which got me quite excited. The on-screen version of the dish created by Remy was so pretty and appetising, and I asked our waitress if the plating was really like the one in the movie.
She sheepishly replied that while the vegetables were sliced in a similar fashion, they were presented differently. I appreciated the honesty but didn’t end up ordering the side dish. Which was a good thing, because I would have been sorely disappointed if it didn’t look just as beautiful.
When our appetisers arrived, I admit being a bit apprehensive. When we tried our first beef tartare at Gemma, it was just a delicate little blob that was finished in one bite. What was served at Boeuf was a sizeable and daunting-looking mound.
We each scooped a conservative amount on the toast sticks and chewed tentatively. Turns out we were needlessly afraid because it was very nice — meaty, savoury, well-spiced and creamy yet chewy. The bread was also wonderful, very similar to the garlic-rubbed toast with tomato pulp that you’d find in Spain. No tartare was left behind.
The same bread was used for the burratina, which was rich, milky and topped with lashings of aged balsamic vinegar and beads of pomegranate. It was hard to decide which of the two appetisers was more tasty, but I think the raw beef won by a whisker.
Despite how nice both starters were, the bone marrow was the undisputed champion. A hefty chunk of bone was band-sawed lengthwise, topped with finely-diced portobello, pine nuts, parsley and bread crumbs and then flash roasted under intense heat.
Be careful when you scoop out the soft and jiggly marrow, because the bones are still crazy hot. But also make sure you don’t miss out any precious piece of beefy goodness. It’s a bit of an acquired taste though, given the gamey flavour and jelly-like texture.
If you like pan-seared foie gras, you’d probably enjoy this. Half of the bone was a bit undercooked to our liking, and it was sent it back to the kitchen for another blast. We were really glad that we ordered the marrow, and would unhesitatingly order it again next time.
Table space was getting scarce as the steaks and sides were served, and we had to do some creative re-positioning. I suppose that’s why long and narrow plates were used for the steaks. We discretely glanced at the other tables, and many were also having real estate challenges, especially those who also ordered wine.
Portions for our sides of French fries and Kenyan beans were quite generous, and there was no danger of leaving the restaurant hungry. The fries were particularly good, texture and taste-wise, probably because they were cooked in beef fat, like McDonald’s fries in the good old days.
When The Wife ordered the tenderloin, our waitress asked how she wanted it done. When she replied with medium, the waitress countered with the chef’s recommended medium rare instead. The Wife has always been a bit hesitant about undercooked beef, and countered the counter with medium-medium-rare, a.k.a. “wave it over the fire for a few seconds more after medium rare”.
Her steak arrived pre-sliced and half of the pieces had just a faint pink in the centre, for a nice medium doneness. The other half was slightly less cooked through, and technically fulfilled the medium-medium-rare request.
The Argentinian beef was very flavourful, and the beefy meatiness intensified with subsequent chews. The slices cooked to medium had a slightly powdery texture, whereas the marginally rarer ones were more juicy. In my opinion, sticking to the recommended medium rare would have been a better option.
Which was exactly what I chose for my Asada ribeye, which had just the right proportions of bite, chew and flavour. The charcoal grilling also imparted a wonderfully smokey taste to every bite. It was accentuated by randomly-charred bits on the surface and enhanced further by creamy pieces of roasted garlic.
I dutifully cut out the more-cooked pieces from the edges and placed them on The Wife’s plate. Both of us agreed that the Asada ribeye was the superior choice, and like the bone marrow, would definitely be ordered again the next time we visit.
It was a challenge to finish everything on the table, but we somehow managed. Consuming four beef dishes in one meal was a bit of an overdose for us, but we knew what we were getting ourselves into when we booked the dinner.
Boeuf is definitely going on our restaurant shortlist, and will be our go-to place when we feel like having some beef steak. Well, maybe more than some. But we’ll first have to stop moo-ing, before even thinking about going back.
