Bistecca, Singapore
Dining at Bistecca can be quite a gory affair.
I started with “Ramerino in Culo” (S$20 + 10% svc charge + 7% sales tax) which is ground wagyu beef with onion and Tuscan herbs, flash pan-fried for a crispy outside but very rare centre. It is billed as “Master Butcher Dario Cecchini’s recipe”. Sure, it does what it says — crispy on the outside and very rare on the inside, but so what? I was momentarily stunned. Is that all there is to it? Moreover, wagyu that is ground up??? Isn’t that a waste? Flavour? Zilch. I had to take the beef with some of the rosemary leaves (supposedly that is the way to consume it anyway) to make through this course. My verdict: the beef relies on the rosemary like a crippled depends on his crutches. Without the rosemary, the beef is as good as tap water.
I then tried the Ravioli di zucca (S$25 + 10% svc charge + 7% sales tax)—pumpkin ravioli in a sage and brown butter sauce. This is a traditional dish and always a favourite with diners. I can see why. It worked, worked, worked. The brown butter sauce was dangerously close to being too much, too oily though.
I had the 2010 Geografica Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vernaccia (S$14 + 10% svc charge + 7% sales tax) to go with my ravioli. The floral bouquet and acidity hit me immediately. Nice. I like the floral and the colour.
Then came the main event—the steak. My dining companion ordered their signature Fiorentina (S$178 + 10% svc charge + 7% sales tax) which is a 1-1,2kg T-bone to be shared between2-3 people. Supposedly, the beef was grass-fed, then grain-fed, then dry-aged to intensify the flavour blah, blah, blah. The question is: does it pass the crucial taste test? I took my first bite. Are you sure it was dry-aged? Where is the flavour? There is none whatsoever. I took another bite. Nope, still none. It is telling that they scattered copious amounts of rock salt on the steak. The beef was tap water on its own. They have a few sauces: salsa verde, garlic mayonnaise, porchini mushroom, red pepper and tomato compote. I reached for the sauces, which is never a good sign. I strongly believe that whatever has been served in front of you should be able to stand on its own, without the help of additional condiments. Whatever happened to the good old days when chefs would be hugely insulted if so much as salt and pepper were requested? Nonetheless, the steak was tender and had a good amount of fat. I tried my 2010 Fattoria Mantellassi San Giuseppe Morellino di Scansano Sangiovese Cabernet Sauvignon Canaiolo (S$17 + 10% svc charge + 7% sales tax) hoping it could elevate the steak. While the wine was all right, it could do nothing to save the poor slaughtered cow. It sat there, all chopped up in chunks, bloody, red and gorily, primally complete with fat and bone. It looked like it was ready to be sent up as an offering to Conan the Barbarian. I was also grossed out I had to share food with someone I had just met during a business lunch. The whole sharing food culture of this restaurant is definitely not for me.
I finished with a tiramisu and a cappuccino and I was relieved to leave.
PS. At one point, the restaurant blasted “Krytonite” by 3 Doors Down. I felt like I was expected to jump onto my chair and start a food fight with my dining companion and then later burst into a rowdy rendition of “Sk8terboy”.
Diner au Bistecca peut être une affaire assez sanglante.
J’ai commencé par “Ramerino in Culo” (S$20 + 10% de frais de service + 7% de taxe de vente) qui est du boeuf wagyu haché avec oignon et herbes Toscanes, rapidement poêlé pour un extérieur croustillant mais très saignant au centre. Il est présenté comme “la recette du Maître Boucher Dario Cecchini”. Bien sûr, il était comme convenu — croustillant à l’extérieur et très saignant à l’intérieur, et puis quoi? J’ai été momentanément stupéfié. Est-ce tout ce qu’il y a? De plus, du wagyu haché??? N’est-ce pas du gaspillage? Saveur? Zilch. J’ai du prendre le boeuf avec quelques feuilles de romarin (en tout cas supposément c’est la façon de le consommer) pour finir ce plat. Mon verdict: le boeuf dépend du romarin comme un infirme dépend de ses béquilles. Sans le romarin, le boeuf est aussi bon que de l’eau du robinet.
J’ai ensuite essayé le Ravioli di zucca (S$25 + 10% de frais de service + 7% de taxe de vente)—citrouille avec ravioli dans une sauce de sauge au beurre brun. C’est un plat traditionnel et toujours un favori des clients. Je peux voir pourquoi. Cela a marché, marché, marché. La sauce au beurre brun était dangereusement faite pour être exagérée, cependant grasse.
J’ai commandé le Geografica Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vernaccia (S$14 + 10% de frais de service + 7% de taxe de vente) pour accompagner le ravioli. Le bouquet de fleurs et l’acidité me heurta immédiatement. C’était génial. J’aime le bouquet et la couleur.
Puis arriva l’évènement principal—le steak. Mon compagnon de table commanda la signature Fiorentina (S$178 + 10% de frais de service + 7% de taxe de vente) qui est un 1-à-1,2kg de T-bone à partager à 2 ou 3 personnes. Supposément, le boeuf était nourri à l’herbe, puis nourri aux grains, puis vieilli à sec pour intensifier la saveur bla, bla, bla. La question est: est-ce qu’il passe le test crucial des goûts? J’en ai pris ma première bouchée. Êtes-vous sûr qu’il a été vieilli à sec? Où est la saveur? Il n’y en a absolument aucune. J’en ai pris une autre bouchée. Non, encore rien. Cela dit ils ont copieusement dipersé plusieurs cailloux de sel sur le steak. Le boeuf était lui-même que de l’eau du robinet. Je suis arrivé aux sauces (salsa verde, mayonnaise à l’ail, champignons porchini, poivron rouge et compote de tomate) qui n’est jamais un bon signe. Je crois fermement que tout ce qui vous a été servi devant vous dois pouvoir se tenir debout tout seul, sans l’aide de condiments additionnels.
Qu’est-il arrivé au bon vieux temps où les chefs étaient grossièrement insultés alors que tant de sel et de poivre étaient demandé? Pourtant, le steak était tendre et avait une bonne quantité de graisse. J’ai essayé mon Fattoria Mantellassi San Giuseppe Morellino di Scansano Sangiovese Cabernet Sauvignon Canaiolo de 2010 (S$17 + 10% de frais de service + 7% de taxe de vente) en espérant qu’il peut relever le steak. Alors que le vin était bon, il ne faisait rien que de sauver la pauvre bête abbatue. Elle était assise là-bas, saignante, rouge et massacrée, primitivement entière avec de la graisse et d’os. Elle avait l’air d’être prête pour être envoyé comme une offrande à Conan le Barbare. J’étais aussi outré de devoir partager la nourriture avec quelqu’un que j’ai juste rencontré lors d’un déjeuner d’affaire.
J’ai fini avec un tiramisu et un cappuccino et j’étais soulager de partir.
PS. À un moment, le restaurant éclata la musique “Kryptonite’ par 3 Doors Down. Je sentais que je devais sauter sur ma chaise et commencer une bataille avec la nourriture avec mon compagnon et ensuite faire une irruption en “Sk8terboy”.
비스테까에서의저녁식사는어쩌면무척불쾌한일이될수있다.
나는‘라메리노인쿨로’ (20불싱가폴달러+10% 서비스비+7% 판매세) 로시작을했다. 양파와투스칸허브를얹어굵게간와규를센불로팬프라이해서바깥쪽은바삭하지만중심은아주살짝익힌요리로‘마스터정육사다리오체끼니’ 의요리법이다. 바삭한게바깥쪽이고아주덜익힌부분이안쪽이라고말하는것같은데… 그래서어떻하라고? 나는잠시멍해졌다. 이렇게하는게전부라고? 게다가, 와규를간다고??? 이거그냥버리는거아니야? 맛은? 없다. 이코스를끝내기위해선소고기에약간의로즈마리잎들이(어쨌든이런식으로 먹는것같다) 꼭필요하다.
나의평가: 절름발이가목발에의지하는것처럼이요리는로즈마리가필요하다. 로즈마리없이는이건수돗물과다름없다.
이후세이지와갈색버터소스를뿌린호박라비올리인 ‘라비올리디주카(25불싱가폴달러+10%서비스비+7%판매세)’ 를먹었다. 이음식은전통요리로서항상가장인기있는저녁메뉴이다. 왜그런지그이유를알겠다. 맛있다. 진짜맛있다. 너무맛있었다. 갈색버터소스가기름지기는했지만위험하리만치계속해서먹게된다.
나는라비올리와함께 2010년산조지라피카베르나챠디디산지미가노베르나챠디 -2010 Geografica Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vernaccia-(14 불싱가폴달러+10%서비스비+7%판매세)을마셨다. 순식간에뚜렷한꽃향의부케와신맛이나를강타했다. 좋았다. 그꽃향과색이맘에들었다.
그리고나서메인요리인스테이크가나왔다. 나와동행한사람은이레스토랑의주메뉴인피렌체(178불싱가폴달러+10%서비스비+7%판매세)를주문했는데, 이것은 1~2kg 정도의T-본을 2~3명이나눠서먹는것이다. 이소고기는곡물비육대신목초사육이며풍미를강화시키기위해건조숙성을한어쩌고저쩌고라고하는것같았다. 내가하고싶은말은중요한맛검사를거쳤냐는것이다. 나는처음한입을베어물었다.이거확실히건조숙성한거맞아? 맛은어디갔는데? 맛이전혀나지않았다. 나는다른한입을베었다. 없다. 아직맛이없다. 이말즉슨건조시엄청나게많은양의굵은소금을스테이크에뿌렸다는것을뜻한다. 소고기는맹물그자체였다. 나는결코좋은징조가아닌소스에(살사베르데, 갈릭마요네즈, 포치니머쉬룸, 레드페퍼, 토마토컴포트) 손을뻗었다. 내앞에무엇이놓여있던지간에양념을추가로넣지않고, 음식스스로그맛을낼수있어야한다고굳게믿는다.
옛날에는어떤상황이됐든소금과후추가필요하다고하면, 요리사에게는그만큼큰모욕이됐을껄? 그럼에도불구하고, 이스테이크는부드럽고적당한양의지방을가지고있다. 나는2010년산 파토리아만테라시산주세페모넬리노디스칸사노산지오베제까베르네쇼비뇽까나이올로-2010 Fattoria Mantellassi San Giuseppe Morellino di Scansano Sangiovese Cabernet Sauvignon Canaiolo- ( S$17+10%서비스비+7%판매세)이스테이크의맛을돋구워주기를바라며마셨다. 와인을음미하는동안, 불쌍하게도축당한소에게는아무도움이되지못했다. 그자리에서, 붉게, 피범벅인채로완벽하게지방과뼈로돌아갔다. 스테이크는코난더바바리안의영화속사람들에게보내려고준비가된것처럼보여졌다. 한편으로는회사업무로점심을잠시함께한사람과음식을나누어먹어야한다는것이나를또한힘들게만들었다.
마침내나는티라미수케익과카푸치노를끝으로안도하며그레스토랑을떠날수있었다.
추신. 한순간 3 Doors Down의 Krytonite가레스토랑에 울려퍼졌다. 내가의자위로뛰어올라가저녁을같이한사람과먹기시합을하는것같은느낌을받았다. 그리고나서 Sk8terboy가뿜듯이튀어나왔다.
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