Get the gang to Wolfgang’s for lunch & have a fantas-steak experience like no other

So, a little bit of a confession: I love Wolfgang’s Steakhouse.

I’ve been there twice, both times as birthday treats with my family.

The first time my family and I went was actually the first time we’d eaten out since restaurants were allowed to properly reopen during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Steak out

After months of eating quiet family meals together, it was an amazing burst of joy and apprehension to see so many people congregating at the same place.

My family and I had calculated that if we were to brave the outside world, it would be for good reason, and Wolfgang’s really surpassed our expectations.

Like all the best restaurant experiences, you know it's good when you don’t ever wonder about all the money you spent.

I've been lucky enough to go to a proper New York steakhouse in New York, so I can safely say that Wolfgang’s is about as traditional and old school a steakhouse as one can imagine.

With wood-panelled walls, hardwood floors and warm golden light folded over the entire space, Wolfgang doesn’t just look like a New York steakhouse, it feels like one.

There is a well-stocked long bar, and comfy leather chairs to sink into.

Well-dressed wait staff, who were very attentive, happily took us to our table.

They were also very knowledgeable about the menu, telling us all we needed to know about the beef we were about to order.

Not one to disappoint, Wolfgang’s served us porterhouse steak as thick as an encyclopaedia:

For the uninitiated, porterhouse steak is a cut of meat that you want an expert to cook, because it would be a sin to waste it.

After the wait staff wheeled it out, they lovingly placed it on our table, with a wedge at one end so the table could see the whole steak.

And then they spooned the melted, sizzling butter over it, so that it developed an amazing, heavenly crust over pink medium rare beef.

As they cut it for us, we could hear the knife bite into the meat.

It was a carnivore’s heaven.

Beefing

I think the most telling thing about Wolfgang’s was my family’s reaction when I told them that I was going back there again to sample their lunch menu for work.

They weren’t envious as much as they were happy for me.

As serious and dark as the restaurant can be at night, it is as bright and airy during the day.

Situated on the second floor of the Intercontinental, Wolfgang’s overlooks the Singapore River.

The far end of the restaurant’s seating area is a wall of glass, and it bathes the room in beautiful daylight.

I went down with a colleague on a weekend afternoon and was given the opportunity to try their Taste of New York set, the Japanese style Katsu Sandwich as well as the Trio of Cuts.

We started with salads - the Beverly Hills Chopped Salad and the Wedge Salad - which was quite a contrast.

The former came with a colourful burst of different vegetables, while the wedge was a hunk of lettuce drenched in a creamy roquefort dressing.

Roquefort, in case you didn’t know, is made from blue cheese, and can be an acquired taste.

If you’re not a fan of strong-smelling foods like durian, order this at your own risk.

I, however, do love durian, and was happy enough with that for the day.

The Taste of New York set was S$70 and came with 100 per cent USDA prime Black Angus Dry aged New York Sirloin steak, weighing about 350g.

It came with a sampling portion of mashed potatoes and creamed spinach, along with the New York cheesecake, which had a generous dollop of their homemade schlag (whipped cream).

Reviewing this was about as close to a no brainer as I could imagine.

The meal boasts a classically cooked steak, made to order, with two excellent sides and a cheesecake that, while excellent, was a bit of an achievement to finish after all that.

The Trio of Cuts (S$93) was another great choice, with sizable pieces of 100 per cent USDA Prime Black Angus Dry Aged New York Striplon, tenderloin, and rib eye.

All of Wolfgang’s steaks are aged for 28 days in Wolfgang's own walk-in dry ager, which is the only one in Singapore; except for a 90-day-aged rib eye, that’s separate from the lunch menu.

The trio also comes with an option for S$25 to add a salad, soup, and dessert of the day, as well as two sides.

The katsu sandwich (S$62) wasn’t something I expected to be served in a steakhouse, but had all the ingredients of a good sando: nice, well toasted bread, and a katsu coating that was nice and crunchy without overwhelming the beef.

If you’re looking for an excellent steak at lunchtime, all three of the beef dishes I tried are available on the lunch menu.

If you’re going with someone who doesn’t eat beef, there are non-beef dishes available, such as grilled Chilean Sea Bass, Shrimp Scampi, and Pasta Pescatore.

A cut above

While I am a fan of Wolfgang’s food and happy to evangelise for them, the truth is that I had not previously considered them as a lunch venue.

But seeing the steakhouse in the light of day (literally) changed my mind.

I had arranged for my schedule to have nothing in the afternoon, so I could take my time if needed.

Lunch stretched on as I ended up having a very nice conversation with my colleague while sitting and leisurely working my way through the meal.

This wasn’t intentional, because the conversation was impromptu and about work, but I had accidentally stumbled into one of two very clear reasons why you’d come to a place like this at lunch time.

It’s a special occasion type of venue, like when you’re trying to impress a client, or make a colleague feel appreciated.

It’s also a really good place to sit and talk, since you’re not trying to rush through your meal.

Wolfgang offers two very different types of lunch ambiences: one with more private feeling leather bound booths available, alongside their more standard dining room tables.

And rather than being tucked away in the basement of a casino somewhere, you will be seated at a spot where you can actually see daylight, in a restaurant actually dedicated to getting you a good meal.

Perhaps the only regret I had after this meal was that I didn’t make a reservation for my next birthday on my way out.

This sponsored article by Wolfgang’s Steakhouse made this writer wish they had served a mid-afternoon lunch nap along with the steak.

Top image courtesy of Wolfgang’s Steakhouse and Mothership.

All images by Mothership unless stated otherwise.