Located a stone’s throw away from Raffles Place MRT, The Black Swan is an elegant restaurant that earned Tatler’s Best New Restaurant of the Year in 2013. We made a visit a few years ago to review the restaurant, and were pleased to find that they recently revamped the menu.
We stepped into the restaurant on a busy Tuesday afternoon and was greeted with a posh interior, which we later learnt that this place was actually headquarters of the now-defunct Kwangtung Provincial Bank. Talk about a cool history of the place.
We started off with an appetiser, the Blue Swimmer Crab Salad ($24). Consisting of baby spinach leaves and thinly sliced Cox’s apple delightfully dressed in a tangy dressing, before topping it off with crab meat and fish roe — this was an absolute delight to consume, and also whetted our appetites for more to come.
The next appetiser was the Vidalia Onion Broth ($26), a decadent and naturally sweetened soup served with bone marrow flan. The broth was then served in cute, little individual espresso cups.
You could also dip the black truffle and camembert toast into the oh-so-sweet soup — or eat them both on its own.
We had the Steak Tartare ($26), featuring hand-chopped beef from the United States, served with waffle crisps. I recommend scooping some of the tartare onto the crisp, to enjoy the great textural contrast between the tender and smooth beef, alongside the crunch the crisps provide.
The tartare tasted absolutely fresh, which assured us of the quality of the beef produce at The Black Swan.
Moving on to mains! We tried the Razor Clam & Periwinkle Pasta ($32), a savoury pasta dish that was slightly spicy. A simple yet well-made pasta, you would definitely enjoy this dish. Especially the deep flavour the clams provided to the sauce and the maccheroni.
For those looking to go meat-free, this Roasted Cauliflower Steak ($26) would satisfy your vegetarian needs. The black truffle shavings and maitake mushrooms gave an added flavour dimension to the sous vide cauliflower “steak”.
And the slow-cooked egg blanketed the entire dish, tying in all the flavours. Count me in for another plate please!
We then had the Roasted Iberian Pork Chop ($42). The pork seemed a tad chewy for my liking, however the apple cider pan jus glaze added a subtle sweetness to the dish.
Finally, it’s time for the steaks. Chef Daniel personally brought out both cuts of meat to tease us further.
We went into the kitchen for a sneak peek at the grilling process; a minimum of 300° Celsius must be maintain in order to achieve a perfectly cooked steak, and a thermometer is constantly used to check the temperature.
Our first chophouse selection was the Tajima Wagyu Striploin ($60), served with foie gras ($22) and the truffle sauce ($4). The beef hails from Australian 500 days grain-fed cows.
The next premium steak is the Aomori Ribeye ($78), served with green peppercorn sauce ($4) and bone marrow ($16). The Aomori cows raised in the north of Japan graze on whole rice plants and fresh spring water, giving the meat lovely beefy flavour.
The bone marrow was an interesting alternative topping for the steak, as it was very creamy with a sharp pungent aftertaste. We would recommend this combination for those who prefer strong, bold and punchy flavour profiles.
You could also add some roasted garlic on the side, which would give a mellow and sweet aftertaste as well.
The Classic Apple Tart ($14) was incredibly flavourful, all sweet and savoury at once. To make it even more sinful, the ice cream is also made from armagnac. I would definitely eat this again in a heartbeat.
Last but not least, we had the Cookies & Cream ($16) to round up our meal. A grown-up version of the classic sweet treat, the cookie is white chocolate ganache sandwiched between two pieces of dark chocolate shortbread, while the cream comes from the spiked milkshake made from part Baileys.
The warm hospitality of the staff combined with delicately prepared food definitely made the dining experience one to remember. Treat your date to one of the most glamorous spots in town right here at The Black Swan, and he or she will be impressed like never before.
Expected Damage: $50 – $90 per pax
