9 of the best places to go when you need to feed your inner carnivore

As much as we like having our poke bowls and farm-to-table meals, we need to let loose once in a while. And we mean full-on, go-crazy-and-stuff-our-faces-with-meat kinda ‘let loose’. 

When we have these kinda cravings, it’s good to go to a place that really hits the spot. 

We’ve rounded up some of the best places we know and put them in a list for you. Click on the arrow to begin, and don’t forget to share this list with your friends.

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First, we have our favourite chicken place. It’s called Chikin and it serves up up skewers of nearly everything you can find in a chicken, only that it’s slathered in spicy and addictive Szechuan sauce.

In addition to the usual, they’ve got chicken heart, neck, gizzard, and infusion cocktails to wash it all down with.

Must order: Get Tsukune – Chikin Meatballs ($4.50). They come with a seared crust, juicy inside, and chunks of cartilage to give it a bite. Ooh and the blend of spices used are so on point. 

Chikin is at 6 Bukit Pasoh Rd.

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Steak purists, you may want to skip to the next slide. This one’s for the meat lovers who like their steak dirty and drenched in sauces. 

Butcher Boy has Asian-Western fusion dishes that are simple but big in flavour. We weren’t disappointed with their food, whether it was the fried chicken baos or the brussel sprouts coated in Szechuan sauce.

Must order: This might be subjective, but we enjoyed the black angus rib eye cut the most. Honestly, the meat is good enough to shine on its own, but you can slather on sauces like yuzu beanaise, sambal, and black pepper. They all taste really homely and reminded us of hawker centre food, which is quite comforting.

Butcher Boy is at 31 Keong Saik Rd.

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Okay, steak purists, this one is for you guys.

Publico Ristorante is known for its Italian food. It’s got hot, cheesy pizza made with the best ingredients straight out the stone oven, but not many people know that the steak here is really delicious.

(Note: As the steak picture’s not available, what you see on the right is the Iberico Pork, which comes with a side of roasted broccolini and onions.)

Must order: The bistecca beef steak ($38) is exquisite. Perfect seared crust with just the right amount of seasoning, tender meat that comes close to melting in the mouth, and stunning natural flavour that would only be dampened by the addition of any sauces. It’s served with only a dab of herb butter and rosemary crusted potatoes on the side. We recommend getting a stone-oven fired pizza on the side with it and sharing everything with a girlfriend or two.

Publico Ristorante is at 1 Nanson Rd.

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It’s a little blasphemous of us to feature Bayswater Kitchen in our article, as it is actually a seafood restaurant. 

While the seafood is pretty damn good at Bayswater, some of their meat dishes such as the Beef Agnolotti and Lamb Cutlets were so good we thought it’s worth a mention.

Must order: The Lamb Cutlets ($38). These cutlets sourced from Australia were so smoky and tender. They weren’t as juicy as we expected them to be, but that was ok as it more than made up for that in a rich charred aroma and natural flavours of the lamb. The meat was nice and rare, and the side dish of eggplant was cooked to perfection too, being sweet and charred, with a lightly crispy skin and tender inside. Very yummy.

Bayswater Kitchen is at 2 Keppel Bay Vista.

Photo: Sethlui.com

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The Carvery at Park Hotel Alexandra has a good range of meats, whether it’s dry-aged beef you want a slice of, a leg of lamb, or pulled pork.

But we think the real MVP is the spit-roasted Rotisserie Chicken. It’s such a simple sounding dish, and most people wouldn’t give it a second glance when surrounded by so many other options. But you need to try it.

Must order: The Rotisserie chicken. This classic dish at the Carvery is made by marinating in mirepoix, a diced vegetable stew, for a good 10 – 12 hours. After that, it is spit-roasted so that it cooks in its own fats as it rotates on the rotisserie. When you cut it open, it’s so tender you barely need to use your knife. We highly recommend this.

The Carvery is at Park Hotel Alexandra, 323 Alexandra Road.

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We’ve talked about some really indulgent meats earlier that are bound to be a messy affair. This next one we’re featuring from Stellar, 1-Altitude is a lot more refined without lacking in flavour.

Must order: Ask for the Tajima Wagyu, which is served as part of a six-course dinner. The sides and cuts of beef change seasonally, but we’re certain you will still be impressed by the quality and taste of the beef. The cows are raised with a lot of care, so as to prevent them from feeling stress, helping the intricate marbling and delicate texture of the meat.

Our favourite was the tri-tip cut, which was cooked on the Josper grill to give a robust crust with a flavourful savouriness, but we’re sure everyone has their own personal favourite.

Stellar is at 1 Raffles Place.

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We’ve featured The Ottomani a couple of times before, and for good reasons. It’s got the whole package, whether it’s the service, ambience, or food.

One of the things that sets the food at The Ottomani apart is how the meats are laboriously cooked over a long period over the fired earth pit, giving it a rich flavour and good texture that can’t be easily achieved. Read on for our recommendation.

Must order: If you have penchant for the sweet and savoury simultaneously, get the Sticky Pork, a rich hunk of soft roasted pork coated in a concoction of palm sugar and Turkish coffee, with just a jab of Szechuan pepper to give it an added depth.

It was so tender, it almost felt like we were having chicken. Be sure to eat it hot, as that’s when it’s the best.

The Ottomani is at 48 Peck Seah St.

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Wakanui Grill Dining’s one of the new steakhouses in town. The restaurant comes fresh from Japan, but the beef is sourced from New Zealand.

The beef here is packed with protein and is meant for those who are more health-conscious. So it’s really the solution for the people who are watching their weight but desperately want to binge on meat.

Get a platter of various cuts and share them with your friends. Wakanui’s great for group meals with a chill ambience and gorgeous backdrop of the city from Marina One.

Must order: In addition to the beef, you need to get the Wakanui Spring Lamb Chops ($8 per piece) as appetisers. Trust us.

These small lamb chops are meant to be picked up and eaten by hand. They’re so impeccably delicate, you don’t need a knife to cut through the meat, just take a bite. 

Wakanui is at 5 Straits View, Marina One.

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We’re ending this listicle with a buffet, because if none of the other featured restaurants can meet your cravings, the Barbecue Nights buffet at the Poolside Patio definitely will.

Some stuff to expect here are the grass-fed Australian tandoori lamb cutlet; Ayam Bakar – Indonesian grilled chicken thigh with homemade sambal; and soy and mustard harami steak. The dishes are grilled in the kitchen, then served on hot plates that keep the food sizzling as you eat.

The best part? These mains are unlimited, meaning you can order them again and again till you can’t eat anymore. We think you’d best come dressed in a loose outfit.

Must order: Get the four-course meal so you also can try the side dishes and appetisers for some variety. This is only available on Fridays and Saturdays from 6:30pm to 9:30pm .

Poolside Patio is at Pan Pacific Hotel, 7 Raffles Blvd.

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