Hippopotamus Restaurant Grill has a long history having been established in Paris since 1968. They are most known for offering quality steaks that don’t burn a hole in your pocket. Their wide selection of steak cuts include sirloin, tenderloin and even the less common cuts like hanger and skirt that will leave any carnivore spoilt for choice.
This September, Hippopotamus introduced a revamped drink menu including 5 new cocktails, a new wine list and happy hour deals to complement their offerings. In line with its French roots all but one of its new cocktails are in hues of red with prominent berry notes.
It was our pleasure to try their new cocktails over lunch paired with the good, wholesome food that Hippopotamus is known for.
We got off to a strong start with the Luigi ($14.90++) — a dizzying concoction of Gin, Vermouth, Grenadine, Triple Sec, orange juice and juniper berry. The team at Hippopotamus recommend pairing this with fish or grilled seafood.
We were served the Tomato Tatare with Guacamole ($11.90++) at the same time. On any given day I would not touch anything with fresh tomatoes in it, but this was delicious enough to convert the tomato-hater in me. The refreshing zestiness of the guacamole combined with the tomato salsa made it the perfect dish to whet our appetites.
For our next cocktail we were served the Bay Breeze ($14.90++) made up of Vodka, cranberry juice and pineapple juice. While I could definitely taste the cranberry I felt the pineapple flavour was rather muted.
This was served with the French Onion Soup ($7.90++) and the Poached Egg with Red Wine ($6.50++). The soup was served with a ‘cake’ of melted cheese floating on top that provided the perfect kick to every mouthful of soup and I finished my portion in 2 minutes. I have mixed feelings about the poached egg — to me it felt like a breakfast dish and beer food at the same time, but I can say that the gravy was delicious.
Next up came the Poker Face ($14.90++), the only cocktail in Hippopotamus’ list of new drinks that wasn’t red in colour. This was a mix of Tequila, Triple Sec and pineapple juice with accents of orange.
The recommended pairing for this cocktail was deep fried seafood served in the form of the Combo Platter ($18.90++) with mozzarella cheese sticks, breaded calamari, drumlets and onion rings.
After that we were served the Strawberry Daiquiri ($14.90++) with Rum, strawberry puree, lime juice and sugar syrup.
Finally, the dish we were all waiting for: the Bone-in Sirlon Steak at a super affordable $22.90++! I couldn’t believe how low the prices were for a steak of this quality!
The Hippo 5th Avenue Burger ($17.90++) was a sinful combination of beef patty, bacon, sauteed onions and fresh greens. I was already so full by this point but I couldn’t resist taking a bite. I didn’t regret it.
The Southern-style Grilled Chicken with Spices ($17.90++) didn’t look very pretty, but the meat was tender and flavourful with a kick. All main courses at Hippopotamus are served with a choice of sauces including sambal, shallots and mushroom. We had potato gratin and sauteed mushrooms as our sides.
One of the dessert items that we sampled was the Strawberry Cheesecake ($8.90++). I really loved the crumble at the base of the dessert I could just eat that all day long.
Another dessert was the French Toast Nutella ($7.50++). It was essentially french toast drizzled with a generous serving of Nutella with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top.
The taste and quality of the food was impressive. The steaks are definitely value-for-money and the variety of cuts will definitely appeal to any meat lover. The location and style of food also make it the perfect after-work eatery.
I didn’t particularly fancy the new cocktails, but Hippopotamus offers a range of other alcoholic beverages for those looking for a drink.
Hippopotamus Restaurant Grill is located in the basement level of Marina Square, or the same level as the taxi stand. The easiest way to get to the restaurant is via the entrance at the drop-off point. Enter the mall and the restaurant will be on your left.
Address: 6 Raffles Boulevard #01-204/205 Marina Square Singapore 039594
This post was brought to you by Hippopotamus Restaurant Grill.
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