Amoy Street’s new 54° Steakhouse serves quality wagyus from S$48, cooked over custom-made charcoal grill

If you’ve had any experience with cooking steaks, you’ll know that it’s not hard to cook it right, but it’s truly a test to cook it perfectly.

That’s why steakhouses are such beloved spots for special occasions: You get a luxurious experience at a restaurant that devotes itself to perfecting the hard-to-perfect.

However, the best steakhouses are, inherently, pricey affairs. 

That means steak lovers are always on the hunt for the next best affordable steakhouse, and if you’re one of them, then the new 54° Steakhouse at Amoy Street might be it.

54 degrees is the internal temperature that signifies a medium-rare steak — hence the name. And in a wonderful coincidence, it is also located at 54 Amoy Street.

There’s certainly a lot of thought put into the art of steak grilling here. The kitchen runs on a custom-made charcoal grill that uses a hybrid wood-fired technique with both Australian ironbark and white binchotan.

It’s not surprising, since 54° Steakhouse is the newest concept from chef Andrea de Paola, an experienced restaurateur and the mastermind behind popular Italian concepts Altro Zafferano and Griglia.

Anyone who’s visited the restaurants and tried the steak would know his magic touch.

With all this in mind, it sounds like a meal at 54° Steakhouse is going to be an exorbitant wallet-destroyer, right? Wrong — the steak here can be enjoyed for as low as S$48.

The cuts that make the cut

Although opened by an Italian chef, 54° Steakhouse’s produce isn’t exclusively Italian.

Here, the beef’s provenance is not restricted to just one area. The beef varieties and their cuts are meticulously curated, and the restaurant puts pride in its international ingredients.

That careful procurement leads to an array of origins — the menu cycles through beef from Japan, USA, and Australia.

And surprise, surprise: You can get Japanese wagyu for S$48. 

The lowest priced steak is the petit F1 tender MBS 6-9 (S$48), and at 300g, it’s not just some tiny cut, either.

But if you’re like us, and prefer your steak blessed with scores of fat, the Satsuma wagyu A4 striploin (S$98 for 170g) is the easiest choice you can make.

With a special 750-day diet of tofu, sake and shoyu, the steak comes out immensely buttery and lush with umami — you just can’t say no to this kind of decadence.

Alternatively, if you prefer things simpler and no-frills, the trusty USDA prime Linz Heritage angus ribeye (S$138 for 400g) hits all the spots just as well, coming out beautifully caramelised and tender.

In fact, it probably lets the steakhouse’s proprietary blend of spices shine through even more, giving it plenty of fragrance along with the smoke imparted by the grill.

On top of that, it also goes a bit better with the rich mustards that come with the steaks — 54° Steakhouse serves its steaks with a trio of complimentary mustard that include dijon, cognac and Moroccan-spiced.

The deep, slightly caramel-tinged cognac variation pairs oh-so-well with it!

If you’re planning to get sides to accompany the steaks, we also recommend the super juicy and vibrant za’atar-spiced cherry tomatoes salad (S$14)!

The not-steaks

There’s no doubt you’re at 54° Steakhouse for the steaks. But there are also some rather solid appetisers and small plates that we think are just as worthy of your attention.

One is the yellowfin tuna (S$24) with silky, succulent ribbons of tuna dressed in smoked ponzu and topped with a cured egg yolk — simply a fragrant flavour bomb.

Those who enjoy carbs also can’t forgo the house-made butter and potato brioche (S$8).

Pillowy brioche aside, it’s the trio of butters that left us swooning, particularly the addictive whipped caramelised onion butter.

We almost wanted to ask if 54° Steakhouse sold them by the jar, so we could take some home!

Just in case you need something extra tart to prime your palate for the steaks, opt for the cold capellini (S$58).

The slender pasta is coated with the most intensely piquant vinegar seasoning and it’s topped luxuriously with langoustine and caviar.

Admittedly, these may not be the biggest draw for the meat-lovers out there, but you know what? 

We love when steakhouses do more than one thing well and 54° Steakhouse deserves some kudos for that.

This was a hosted tasting.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the cool new collab available at the automated InstaChef vending machines and 10 home-based cafes to visit for the cosiest vibes!