Earlier this year in February, Singapore’s first alternative steakhouse, Fat Belly, launched Fat Belly Social Steakhouse (FBSS), a 60 seater social dining space located on the upper floors of a shophouse unit at Boon Tat Street. Quite a brave move then, given that the crowd has thinned in the CBD area with more people working from home due to Covid-19 measures.
The dining experience then was amazing and I really hope they will do well and thrive in this challenging environment for local F&B establishments. Check out our previous review:
A good nine months later, I am back at FBSS and I am glad to see that the restaurant is doing well, with a healthy flow of customers coming back in. The authorities in Singapore have recently loosened the in-person dine-in restrictions at F&B establishments and this should be a boon for FBSS. The office crowd is also starting to return to their workplaces in the CBD, allowing the restaurant to capitalise on their centralised location.
The communal restaurant features a menu with small plates such as the Grilled Octopus and Spicy Crispy Pig’s Ear, and large sharing plates that include both alternative and prime steak cuts such as the Zabuton and Rib Cap. Every dish on FBSS’ menu is complemented by a curated wine list comprising both Old and New World wines.
Helmed by Head Chef Victor Loy, FBSS’ menu includes a combination of new dishes and classic Fat Belly favourites. With over 15 years of culinary experience, Chef Victor worked with Fat Belly to continue what Fat Belly is known for – making secondary cuts sexy again.
A strong proponent of sustainability in food preparation, he wants to take Fat Belly’s alternative steak focus one step further by extending the concept of ‘secondary cuts’ to the entire menu – using all parts of an animal or vegetable to create new and interesting culinary concepts.
This time round, these are the dishes I sampled:
I really have no complains about the steaks and the quality is consistent, as per my past visit. This is Fat Belly’s specialty and it’s cooked to perfection with alternative cuts from the usual filet mignon, ribeye or T-bone. Love it and will come back again for it on my own.
A new favourite this time round is their Spicy Crispy Pig’s Ear. While pig’s ear may seem exotic in a western menu, it is a common ingredient, along with tripes, livers and kidneys in Chinese dishes like the ubiqutious kway chap at local hawker centres. FBSS’ fried version is extremely addiction as a bite-size appertisers and the spiciness adds a kick to it.
All in all, a very enjoyable dining experience once again!
Fat Belly Social Steakhouse
Address: 21A Boon Tat Street, Singapore 069620
Opening hours:
Monday to Wednesday: 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Thursday to Saturday: 5:30 pm – 11:00 pm
Closed on Sundays
Reservations: Tel: 6227 2247
Email: [email protected]