For most of us, a nice piece of steak is an occasional luxury – if we have some extra cash to spare at the end of the month. If you’re looking for somewhere classy without having to stress over which forks to use at a fancy pants restaurant, District 10’s new outlet at Suntec City Mall will be right up your alley.
Back with their lastest outlet, District 10’s specialties are their premium cuts and dry-aged meat, preserved for several weeks so that the flavours are concentrated and saturated at a whole new level.
Some of us get really lost navigating Suntec City, so to find this pot of gold at the end of a very confusing rainbow, make your way towards the Tower 2 office lobby and you’ll find District 10 right beside it, facing the Fountain of Wealth.
Our first welcome drink was a sample size of their signature cocktail, the Peruvian Handshake. The base of the cocktail is a smooth encanto pisco acholado, a type of brandy with Peruvian origins With hints of fresh pineapple, lime juice and soda added into the mix, this tropical cocktail is the type of drink you sip by the beach while soaking up some sun. A decent bubbly kickstarter to our night.
This wasn’t exactly the most memorable dish of the night for me. It was a little too salty and I could taste the salt grains hiding in between the folds of the butterhead lettuce. The strips of bacon tossed with the salad didn’t help with its overpowering saltiness.
Unless it’s sprinkled and baked on top of a pizza, I’m usually not a fan of raw cheese. I’ve always felt that it was kind of tasteless and a tad bit sour for my liking. However, this cheesy dish took me by surprise! It wasn’t overpowering at all with just the right amount of creaminess to make it flavourful.
This would be a great appetiser to share with your friends as eating it alone might be a little too rich for our local palettes.
Who knew that veal drenched in a tuna sauce would go as well as peanut butter and jam? The combination was light and enjoyable and the smooth texture of the thinly cut slices of veal blended nicely with the Tuna sauce. The cherries on top of this dish were (pun intended) exceptionally sweet, and were a refreshing palate cleanser for our main course.
Finally the moment everyone was waiting for. We were told that preserving meat in a chiller for 45 days allows it to lose its moisture and become compact, sealing in all its natural flavours and essence.
Aging steak also tenderises it and makes it softer when the enzymes naturally present in the meat break down some of the tougher muscle fibers.
Seared over a coal grill for about 15 minutes, the stars of the night were the 45 Days Dry Aged Corn Fed US Prime OP Rib ($20 per 100g, min order of 500g) and the 45 Days Home Dry Aged Corn Fed US Prime Traditional Fiorentina Steak ($22 per 100g, min order of 800g).
I couldn’t decide which one was more delicious: the juicy savoury marshmallows of fats or the crispy outer layers of skin seared to perfection. Sprinkled with just a dash of salt and herbs, that was all it needed for that extra burst of flavour. Each piece was very well-seasoned and unlike some of the steaks that I’ve had, this one was easy to chew and didn’t leave my jaw aching miserably.
Even though the skin on this wasn’t as crisp as the Fiorentina Steak, the flavours of the meat more than compensated for it. For the Fiorentina Steak, much of the flavours came from the skin but for this Prime OP Rib, the flavours were concentrated within the meat itself.
The quality of the beef was undeniably top grade and the texture was very succulent. Considering the 45-day wait for these babies to soak and marinate in its own natural juices, it was well worth it.
Out of the two desserts that we managed to try, this was my favourite. The presentation of the dish was elegant and simple, and the scattered caramel bits provided a nice crunchy texture in contrast to the silky smooth panna cotta.
There was also a strong taste of coffee in the panna cotta, which I deeply appreciated. The lavender shavings were an interesting touch. According to the chef, the lavender adds fragrance to the dish, like how you would enjoy an aromatic cup of tea.
This dish is best described as an upsized, elevated version of a classic s’more. With dark chocolate sandwiched between a base of digestive biscuits and a nicely toasted marshmallow, your sweet tooth would be thoroughly satisfied with this dish. The caramelised bananas were also a nice touch and paired well with every spoonful.
For someone who’s not a steak person, I enjoyed my meal at District 10 and by the end of the night, my food baby was 2 months away from “delivery”. The portions of every dish were just right, leaving enough space for a 3-course meal. Although the meats may be a little pricey, you get what you pay for. I preferred the 45 Days Dry Aged Corn Fed US Prime OP Rib over the Fiorentina Steak as I felt it was a tad bit more tender and flavourful.
Out of the two desserts, I would recommend the Double Espresso Panna Cotta with Vanilla Sauce as it’s a much lighter end to your rich meal as compared to the other dessert, which was a lot denser.
If you’ve never tried dry-aged meat, District 10 would be a good place for your virgin experience. Keeping in mind the expenses and possible health risks involved from constantly eating such sinful meals, this would probably be somewhere I would visit only on special occasions.
Rating: 7.5/10
Address: 3 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec City Mall #01-514/515, Singapore 038983 (Beside Tower 2 Office Lobby)
Opening Hours: 11.30 am – 11 pm
Telephone Number: +65 6822 2886
This post was brought to you by District 10.
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