Thursday 12 February 2015

Bedrock Bar & Grill – Slightly Above Average at Best

Bedrock Bar & Grill
A quick google search for a top 10 steakhouse in Singapore, 99% chance Bedrock Bar & Grill ('Bedrock') will be listed as one of them. Bedrock pride itself to serve the finest cuts of steak and whisky, so you are not wrong to expect impeccable service here.

During the weekend dinner service, they have two seat-timing; 6 pm and 8.45 pm. Due to last minute reservation, we only manage to get 8.45pm seating. Knowing our friends' (HK&SH) rubber timing, I told them the reservation at 8.30 pm. Alas, the hunger pangs got to them first and they arrived on the dot and our seat was not ready.

Wine Chiller & Wine Collections


In any higher establishments, it is the normal practice that when your table is not ready, the host will referred you to the bar for drinks first. However, this was not the case here. In an impolite manner and with a straight-face, we were told by the host to take a seat at the outdoor tables and wait like a mannequin or decoration without any offer of serving drinks. We waited for more than 20 minutes before our table was ready (which is after our reservation time).

The Kitchen Bench
We were then seated on the first table after the wine chiller. From here, we can get a clear view of the food bar where the cold dish are prepared, jamon iberico de bellota on the bench, the pass on window where the food come out from the main kitchen and even the door leading to the kitchen. There is a rustic feel to this set up, however the concept of fining dining being portrayed to us via the media/social network seems to be missing.

Complimentary flat bread with butter and roasted garlic

For starter we had Bedrock Smoked Tomato Soup ($16), and the complimentary flat bread. True to its name, the tomato soup has a pleasant smokey flavour, with a smooth and creamy taste to it. SH and LD enjoyed it. The flat bread was served warm and it goes down well with the rich butter. I am not a roasted garlic person, but HK approved of it.

Bedrock Smoked Tomato Soup

We shared the mains of U.S.D.A Prime Dry Aged Ribeye – 300g ($96), U.S.D.A Prime tenderloin - 240g ($89) and Mangalica Pork Collar – 300g ($59). All cooked to Medium. The Rib Eye was thick and with good marbling. Cooked to medium as per order. It is lightly seasoned, tender but slightly chewy considering it was dry aged.

U.S.D.A Prime Dry Aged Ribeye – 300g

My appetite for good porkie seems to have grown. Mangalica Pork Collar here represent a good cut. Although some might say it is a little fat, similar to the marbling in the beef, the pork just melts in your mouth. Unlike the ribeye, tenderloin has less fat / marble. We find it is tough and slightly chewy. The seasoning are sparse in between. So this protein does not get our nod.

Mangalica Pork Collar – 300g

For sides, we ordered duck fat potatoes ($16), sautéed mushrooms ($18), creamed spinach ($18) and French fries ($12). Fried in the duck fat, the potatoes are crispy on the outside and moist inside. It has a nice golden brown colour which looks very appetizing. Seasoning was just right. The same can be said about the fries.

duck fat potatoes

Sautéed mushrooms and creamed spinach did not leave a lasting impression. The mushroom tasted dry and bland. It can be better with a dollop or two of butter to polish up the dish. Meanwhile the creamed spinach, they did not use baby spinach thus it tasted a bit bitter.

Fries & Creamed Spinach

Dessert was Apple Crumble for 2 ($26). Nice presentation with a giant ball of vanilla ice cream. While this dish might look easy and can be commonly found, it is difficult to execute it perfectly. The crumble was hard and the baked apple are just to sweet for our liking. More over, the ice cream was on the heavy side, so double dose of unwanted sweetness. Not a very pleasant ending to our meal.

Apple Crumble for 2 

The décor of Bedrock are predominately wood base with classic touch. Lighting is minimum so quite challenging to capture a good shot here. I personally find it lacks the classy finishing touch in the furnishing department. Also the distance between the tables are just to close, we actually struggling to hear ourself chatting because the next table was too rowdy.

The Table Setting

Service really need to be improved. Based on the price charged, we expect a fine dining standard of service. However, we found the basic service etiquette was missing. Friendly smile, attentiveness and providing good recommendations seems have been booted out the door. There are times when we feel that the service staff are looking down at you instead. I sincerely hope the management can look into this.

Overall, I respect the passion that Bedrock has to allow the ingredients to speak for itself. However, when it comes to fine dining, the taste and overall experience are still the most important factors. Comparing to other steakhouses in Singapore that I visited before, a lot of work need to be done to improve the standard here. Will I be back? Unlikely. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 7/10
Value: 5/10
Service: 4.5/10
Ambiance: 7/10
Budget per Person: $81 and Above

Bedrock Bar & Grill
96 Somerset Road
#01-05. Pan Pacific Service Suites
Singapore 238163

T: +65 6238 0054
OH: Daily 12.00 – 15.00; 18.00 – 23.00


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