The Feather Blade

WESLEY GUNTER CONTINUES HIS SEARCH FOR THE HOLY GRAIL OF BARS AND BOWS AT THE ALTAR OF THE FEATHER BLADE WITH ITS QUALITY COCKTAILS, STEAKS AND BURGERS.

In my quest to find the Holy Grail of bars in Singapore, I’ve come across many but none so far that seem to fulfil my essential three criteria which consists of great drinks, a cosy yet not too pretentious vibe and delectable bar bites without burning a hole in the wallet. However, with The Feather Blade located in the heart of Singapore’s CBD drinking hotspot, appropriately known as Club Street, it came pretty darn close.

FLAT IRON

Apart from the retro neon signs and chill atmosphere, what I really like about the Feather Blade is that they make no pretensions about what they’re good at – steak. This can be seen in their menu which only has one main dish,

The Feather Blade Steak, made from the cut of the cattle’s shoulder blade otherwise known as a flat iron. If that sounded familiar, you’re right. Chef and Founder of The Feather Blade, Sheen Jet Leong, opened the restaurant after he was inspired by working at Soho’s Flat Iron Steakhouse in London.

Traditionally, for most bars, the pub grub is usually meant to compliment the drink menu but at The Feather Blade it’s the opposite. Apart from an eclectic mix of new world wines, craft beers and artfully curated cocktails on their drinks menu, something uncommon for a steak restaurant that caught my eye were a few sake titles consisting of only three - a Junmai Daiginjo, a Junmai Ginjo and a Jumai Ginjo.

SAKE TO SINK YOUR TEETH INTO

This was a pleasant surprise as given how well sakes are paired with wagyu beef, the addition of sakes to the list was a no brainer. I tried two of the three, the Nagano Hokko Masamune (Junmai Ginjo) and the Tamagawa Ice Breaker (Jumai Ginjo) brewed by Philip Harper, a British born sake brewer based in Japan.

The first time you sink your teeth into a flat iron steak the thought that would probably go through your mind is how the shoulder blade of a bovine could be so amazingly tender and juicy. Once you’ve come to terms with this new discovery, take a sip of the sake, and you’ll be on cloud nine. Sake seems to possess that strange property of heightening the flavour and umaminess of any meat dish, but with a flat iron steak cooked to perfection medium rare and bloody, the pairing was truly transcendental.

DEATH ON WEEKENDS

Like its food menu, The Feather Blade’s cocktail offerings are limited but gives you all the fun you need for that upcoming weekend. If you’re feeling adventurous, gulp down a ‘Death on Weekends’ made with prosecco and a touch of absinthe otherwise known as the green fairy due to the spirit’s reputation of making weary drinkers hallucinate. While absinthe now no longer carries the same effects (pity!) this number still packs quite a punch and is not for the faint hearted.

The Brit in Mexico is a spicy number served with gin, spiced tomato water and a dash of lime in a can along with a nacho chip and salsa. I’ll admit the presentation of this cocktail caught me slightly off guard with the whole nacho side thing, but I kind of understood the quirkiness of the drink after a few sips, probably due to the gin and spice kicking in.

THE PERFECT BURGER

My favourite was the Blood Orange Old Fashioned served with bourbon, bitters and orange peel. Bittersweet on the palate and not too heavy, this was one drink I could carry on drinking to get that gradual high throughout a long night of revelry.

I didn’t mention that these cocktails paired perfectly with the secret dish on the menu – The Feather Blade Burger which is also a perfect supper companion after a night of heavy drinking. I’m not going to spoil the surprise and describe this burger to you as you need to discover it for yourself. All I can say is that it was the best damn burger I’ve tried in my life.