Food Escapade: Hippopotamus (Steaks and Grill)

We went to hippopotamus as a treat to commemorate my boyfriend's passing of his first phase of training at his new camp. I also had a groupon voucher for this case and we had the liberty to order a main course each. Unless you feel exceptionally hungry that day, I suggest you not order any starters or appetizers because you will be given a small loaf of sour dough bread, some butter and a dish of their own made seasoned and unsalted potato chips.

Hippopotamus @Marina Square

Eating the sour dough bread was a new experience. Make no mistake that this sour dough bread is not like the sour dough bread that McDonalds have. This is the real deal. Though it was hard on the outside, it was soft and fluffy on the inside. It isn't as hard as a baguette though. The butter was smooth and delicious and not too salty too. The chips were seasoned but the taste of the seasoning couldn't come out as there wasn't much salt in it at all. If you add a small dash of salt, the flavour will come bursting though. It also has a slightly smokey taste that gives it a wonderful flavour. I got to say, the chips were fantastically crisp even when they place their chips in a large container that is not air tight. I believe their chips are made fresh just before every meal time of the day. Yum!

After I waited for about 15 minutes or so after enjoying the starters they gave, our main course came. I ordered a beef skewer so that I could sample a lot of different cuts of beef from them. My skewer had an array of sirloin, rump, skirt and hanger sample portions. Don't be fooled into thinking the meal is not a lot for these skewers actually make up one thick slab of steak. I chose the bearnaise sauce to go with my steak. The sauce is a combination of herbs and butter. Yummy indeed. My boyfriend took the liberty to order the tenderloin "chateaubriand" and he chose a rockfort cheese sauce to go with his steak.

 I got to say I had the liberty to experience so many cuts of the beef in one meal. That way, I know which is the best cut that suits my taste. For me, I would think the hanger cut was the most tastiest cut. It had just the right amount of fat to meat ratio for me and it was the most stunningly juicy mouth of beef that I ate that day. The bearnaise sauce was a delicious compliment for any cuts but for the hanger, I could eat it without the sauce. Just the taste and the juiciness is enough to satisfy me. For the skirt, I would say it is a tad chewier than the rest and was a little on the too much chewy. The rump was a little dryer than I thought it would be so it made good use for the bearnaise sauce. Lastly was the sirloin which boast its tender strip of fat mixed with the meat, but, I still think the taste cannot beat that of the hanger. The meal came with one side dish for me and I chose the potato gratin. The flavour was nice and was finished with a tad too salty cheese. Overall, I think it was a good steak meal at an affordable price.

My boyfriend ordered the tenderloin "chateaubriand" complete with the rockfort cheese sauce, green beans and potato gratin. The tenderloin was like a ball so I didn't expect the steak to be cooked the same throughout due to the irregularity. It was true that some parts had more done-ness than the rest of the steak. But overall, I think my boyfriend enjoyed his steak truly. The rockfort cheese sauce proved to be too much of a sauce for anything save the potato chips. They give the potato chips a cheesy flavour. The sauce should not be trifled with and because it is made with a blue cheese based, the flavour can be too overwhelming for some people. Even we felt that it flavour overpowered the steak. We finished the meal and stayed awhile after to chat and digest out meal. It was sure a full house but we saw no queue outside. Looks like the next time I'm heading there, the hanger steak will be my choice.

Verdict

Ambience - Great

Food - Excellent

Cost - $35 per pax

Overall - Must Try! Great place for steaks on a budget.

Address

6 Raffles Boulevard, #01-204/205,

Marina Square, Singapore 039594.

http://www.hippopotamus.com.sg/index.html

Opening Hours

11 30am to 10 30pm