(Entertainment-NewsWire.com, June 06, 2013 ) Singapore, Singapore -- Steakhouses! If there is anything that gets those primal juices flowing, it is the idea of sitting down to a sizzling steak, which has been perfectly cooked by a chef for whom steak is an art form. However, striking a balance between healthy living and taste has often seemed like a zero-sum game; either choose one or the other. For those who love red meat, if only occasionally, achieving that balance has not been easy. So, the underlying question is whether it is possible to be a health-conscious person and still enjoy the best steak in Singapore?
Few meals satisfy like a great steak does; steak is rich in B vitamins, protein, zinc and iron, all of which are essential components of a healthy diet. There are also a few things that ruin a great steak experience faster than having chosen the wrong starter, cut, preparation method, or worse, having the slab doused with a high-calorie sauce. More Singaporeans are aware of their need to watch what they eat, which is exactly why the best steakhouses are those that have the ability to deliver healthy options without compromising on taste and the overall dining experience. Here are four ideas to keep in mind before sitting down to have a meal at a local steakhouse.
Tip #1: Choose the right starter
The appetizer list can easily become the restaurant’s saving grace or eventual downfall if one's aim is to ‘do the healthy thing’. While lots of eateries normally offer loads of unhealthy starters and salty, deep-fried options like chicken wings and potato skins, for the health conscious, it is always better to steer towards a more traditional steakhouse menu, which typically features slightly more discriminating fare, such as first-class starters like gourmet salads (not too heavy on the dressing), crab cakes and artisan soups made with fresh ingredients.
Tip #2: Go for the grass-fed beef
There has been a fair amount of discussion about the importance of grass-fed meat lately, but most readers are not sure what the big deal is. Here are the facts: unfortunately, a good number of the cow population dines upon a high-carbohydrate diet of corn and growth hormones, which explains why generic steakhouses typically only offer different versions of cheap, bland, fat-riddled beef cuts that are detrimental to waistlines and cholesterol levels alike.
Grass-fed beef, on the other hand, is not only more flavourful, it is loaded with the ever-helpful omega-3 fatty acids, and is considered far leaner and healthier than the corn-raised variety. For the health-conscious carnivore, this fact alone should be foremost in determining which steakhouse in Singapore to visit. Seek out an establishment that puts quality first and seeks to educate the consumer on things like the different cuts and varieties of steak.
Tip #3: The preparation is the key
Cooking plays a big part in adding to the healthiness of a steak, and so a cut that is grilled, broiled or roasted is going to be far superior to one that is fried. Why is that? Well, simply because these methods allow the excess oils and fats to drip and evaporate off the meat easier rather than adhering to it. For those who are not only looking for a healthy meal but a family steakhouse, where children can also eat well, considering how the food is prepared is as important a factor as the ingredients themselves.
Tip #4: Choice of sauce
The sauce is what often makes or breaks the beef, and has a direct impact upon how healthy the dining experience is as well. The best steakhouse menus will include several, if not a half-dozen, options for sauce to complement the beef. However, steak does not always need a lot of sauce in order to deliver superior flavor. In fact, a good steak should deliver 99.9% of the deliciousness that patrons are after…the sauce is just the added touch to bring out a bit more of that savoury experience. So the healthy tip is that when choosing a sauce or favoured butter to top off that porterhouse, start small, or ask for it on the side so that it can be added according to taste.
Conclusion:
With all the food choices available in Singapore, one would think that finding a healthy steakhouse would be easy. However, it is because of all the options available that wading through all the choices can be such a chore. Most steak lovers want value, a fabulous atmosphere and superior quality food all in one place. The good news is that places like this do exist, because the steak Singapore has available at the moment--especially for health-conscious people--is on-par with the best that can be found anywhere, with a full range of fresh cuts to choose from at well-known establishments like Pepper Steakhouse in Great World City, and at The Pump Room in Clarke Quay; both venues provide top quality New Zealand, grass-fed beef, grilled to order, with plenty of healthy options available on the side.
About Pepper Steakhouse & Bistro: Pepper is a new Steakhouse & Bistro in Singapore guaranteed to delight diners with its carefully-sourced premium menu, serving up quality meats grilled to suit every taste. http://www.peppersteak.com.sg/
Great World City, #01-66/67
1 Kim Seng Promenade
Singapore 237994
For more information/private events enquiries, please call +65 6887 3229 / 9633 9146 or email manager@peppersteak.com.sg / paulineg@pumproomasia.com
