Entree Kibbles: Keef the Beef Steakhouse @ The Grandstand (former Turf City) in Singapore

Sunday, April 03, 2022

Keef the Beef Steakhouse @ The Grandstand (former Turf City) in Singapore

It's ridiculously easy to miss the entrance of Keef the Beef despite the huge wooden sliding door, and I had to blame the lack of noticeable signage for me to walk down the passage without realizing I had already walked past the steakhouse!

Would you have associated a duck with beef? Save for the fact that both contributed to the meat industry, seeing a nicely illuminated duck logo wouldn't make your brain register a steakhouse.

Whatever the case, here's where we shall enter and enjoy my very first tomahawk steak; the gigantic section of the rib with its iconic bone handle that cavemen would love as weapon.

Stepping in was like going into a different world from the ageing shopping mall converted from the grandstand of a prominent horse racing course; I felt like I was in a dimly-lit cavern with wooden beams providing the structural support.

Do you know your beef cuts? I don't. Whatever the case, we had already reserved the tomahawk which was a whopping 2.1 kilograms to be shared among four persons! One friend doesn't take steak and she would have fish and chips. And we ordered additional side and appetizers.

Starting the meal with a large glass of frothy suntory premium malt pilsner; to be frank, I am more inclined to order Japanese beer nowadays as their light smoothness is unmatched.

Bone Marrow - the chef recommended appetizer was supposed served with three pieces of freshly toasted bread but we were kindly given five as there were five of us! Very nice of the service staff.

It's another first for me as I have never eaten bone marrow before. For a first timer, it looked like a gelatinous piece of sinful, slimy fat; this might be off putting for those who would remove fats from steaks.

Spread like butter on the crusty toasted bread, this was delicious! Oily and utterly sinful, it was burst after burst of satisfaction as I slowly crunched away to enjoy every moment.

I would love to pick away at the bone but we were in a classy setting and I don't think I should embarrass my food kakis! Haha. Friends were saying the emptied bones would be a good treat for dogs.

Fish & Chips - the friend generously asked us to try and I willingly took a piece of the deep fried barramundi. Fresh fish with a good batter; this would be something Alex will order if I were to return in the future.

Roasted Vegetables - lightly seasoned, the vegetables were incredibly well-cooked although my focus is seldom on vegetables when I am dining out. So far, the rare exception in recent times would be the crispy brussels at Yardbird Southern Table and Bar.

USDA Prime Tomahawk - a platter of sliced up steak should have been such a visually appealing sight but I was a tad disappointed as I thought they would first show us the tomahawk steak in its original uncut form; that would have wowed us a lot more.

Regardless, it's still a sizable portion and we did wonder if we could clear up the beef given that two of our friends are not big eaters. Even for me, I wouldn't say I am a big eater, especially after I progressed into my 30s.

This piece I had was so juicy with a tenderness that oozed even more of the delectable natural juice as I slowly chewed through the meat. Costing S$22 every 100 grams, a hasty indulgence would have been unworthy of the money spent.

Issue with cooking a large steak is that you get varying degrees of done-ness. Some medium rare, some medium well and with so much meat, I am swearing off steak for the next few months! I can't imagine that one of my friends still managed to eat at Aburiya two days after we stuffed ourselves crazy with USDA beef at Keef the Beef!

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Stain on the tablecloth after removal of the platter; the meat juice must be overflowing! Anyway, it was a satisfying meal but I think a group of six to eight persons would be in a better position to comfortably indulge in our 2.1 kilogram tomahawk steak.

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