Ruth's Chris Steak House

Ruth's Chris was my virgin steakhouse experience. I first had it in Scottsdale, Arizona, and was blown away by their treatment of USDA prime steaks. Since then all other steakhouses have been held up against that standard.

Naturally, I was ecstatic when its franchise finally set up in Singapore...but that excitement was tempered by the many dud reviews (glowing reviews by bloggers invited to freebie tastings are excluded). Still, I thought I'd give it a year or so to get its act together, then pop in to see how this Marina Mandarin outpost stacked up against its U.S. branches.

What's iconic about Ruth's Chris is how its steaks arrive at your table sizzling on a 500F pre-heated ceramic plate, which purpose is two-fold: to retain heat and titillate the senses. Ruth's Chris' steaks are traditional; unadorned save for salt, pepper, and a simple glaze of American butter. No sauces, herbs or seasoning to distract from the meat, so the quality of the meat is highlighted in its pure form, which I understand can be a little uninspiring for some diners. But one man's meat is another man's poison, so what's boring to others can also be construed as classic, and I like my stuff classic anyway.

I really loved my dinner at Ruth's Chris, and my mates concur as well. The food was faultless, and service was gracious, if a bit spotty (our water glasses weren't refilled automatically). This is definitely going down as one of 2016's best eats. I daresay this was as good as I remembered of its Arizona branch.

A must-try, the New Orleans-styled Barbecued Shrimp ($35) had jumbo shrimp, sparkling fresh, draped in a spiced garlicky white wine and butter sauce.We actually requested more bread to mop up that scrumptious sauce.

My favourite cut, the USDA Prime Ribeye ($85 for 12-ounce) was a perfect medium-well. The corn-fed meat had ample heft, and imbued with a tantalizing char. Be sure to go down a cooked-level coz it'll continue cooking at the table

For a slightly fuller-bodied flavour, get the USDA New York Strip ($85 for 12-ounce), which was at once sumptuous and robust.

For those who prefer their meats a little leaner, the USDA Filet ($90 for 11-ounce) was tender and luscious.

No worries if there are those who abstain from beef in your group, there are a number of seafood and poultry options for mains. The creamy shrimp is available as an entree, but the Stuffed Chicken Breast ($50) disappointed. The skin was wonderfully crisp and flavoursome, but the breast meat was a smidge on the dry.

There are a good number of sides to break up the monotony of steak, and we liked the Sauteed Spinach ($20) clean, delicate, and simply fried with garlic.

The Potato Au Gratin ($20), laden with cream and burnished with cheddar melt, was rustic, old-school and hearty.


Ruth's Chris Steak House
6 Raffles Boulevard
Marina Mandarin Hotel 4th Floor
Tel: 6336 9093
Open daily from 11.30am to 3pm for lunch; 5.30pm to 11pm for dinner
Website: www.ruthschris.com

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