A place that most Singaporeans would probably think of trying at least once in their lifetime during special occasions, Lawry's is known for its impeccable service and quality roast beef (and of coz, high prices too). All thanks to a 1-for-1 main course coupon by DBS that a friend has, we both got to try this much-talked-about "atas" place without having to cook up a "special occasion" reason.
Lawrys-brand seasoned salt and pepper
freshly-baked bread (i didnt catch the names of the bread coz the waitress was speaking very softly)
We tried their special Lawry's Prime Rib dinner, which allows you to choose your cut of roast beef (i.e. choose your size) according to how much you would like to eat (or pay), which also comes with a salad, mash & yorkshire pudding. As we are not very big eaters, we had the smallest cut, the California Cut.
For the salad, the waitress will bring a tray to your table, with a cold metal bowl filled with salad vegetables on a bowl of ice, another small metal container (i cant remember the proper kitchen name for it) containing the salad dressing (i didnt catch the name of the dressing coz the waitress was speaking very softly again), a plate of halved cherry tomatoes, and 2 cold plates to serve the salad on. What happens is that the waitress will pour the dressing onto to the salad vegetables from a height, and spin the metal salad bowl on the bowl of ice (thats how you get the name) while mixing up the vegetables and the dressing with a metal spoon & fork. After its done, she will serve up the salad on individual plates, add in the cherry tomatoes & croutons, and serve. The nicest salad delivery i have ever seen.
Spinning bowl salad with seasoned pepper (as recommmended by waitress)
Personally, i don't like salad. But for the efforts of the waitress in making my salad, and keeping my salad cool by fridging the salad plates before serving, i finished 3/4 of my salad plate.
Lawry's Prime Rib trolley
For the main part of the dish, the Lawry's Prime rib, a trolley containing 3 slabs of roast beef on metal skewers (imagine fat short kebabs) kept warm by in-built induction warmers, and a few metal pots (also kept warm by internal warmers) containing sauces and mash, comes to your table with a waitress & a chef in hand. The waitress will confirm the cut you ordered, ask you for your preferred doneness, whether you would like your fat trimmed or left on, and relay your requirements to the chef, who will then proceed to prepare your order on the spot. Very interesting.
California Cut ($62.90)
I had mine medium-rare, with fats trimmed (picture above is my dining partner's, with fats left on, as i was too eager to tuck into mine without snapping a pic). The pinkish park was really medium-rare (with a very slight bloody taste), and has a meaty 饱实感 that makes meat-lovers pretty satisfied. The browner area next to it is slightly softer, but also saltier (i dunno if its done on purpose, or was it a case of uneven marination, as the whole piece came from the same slab?). The mash with gravy was very nice, without being too buttery, and still retaining the potato flavours, and the gravy wasn't too saltish.
horseradish dip
The waitress also brought 2 types of horseradish dips (1 mild, 1 spicy) to the table, to accompany the roast beef. I don't like horseradish, so i didnt touch that. But my dining partner felt that the mild was too mild, and the spicy was too spicy, no point trying.
Yorkshire pudding
The last side that came with the roast beef was a Yorkshire pudding. Yorkshire pudding originated from Yorkshire, England (which is how it got its name), and is made from a batter containing flour, eggs & milk, and fried with butter. It is usually served with roast beef and gravy (as it is done now). It goes pretty well with either the sauce that came with the roast beef or the gravy that came with the mash, but it is a little oily when eaten on its own. Personally, i prefer the mash to this.
Lawry's English trifle ($10.90)
As the dinner didnt come with dessert, and i wanted the review to have a sweet ending, we decided to order a dessert to squeeze into our almost-stuffed stomachs. There were limited dessert choices, so we decided on the English trifle, which is similar to the Japanese strawberry shortcake, containing slices of sponge cake piled between layers of sliced strawberries and light cream, topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a slice of strawberry and drizzled with strawberry sauce. The sponge cake was soft and moist (probably drenched in liquid before serving) and the slight tartness of the strawberries and sweetness of the strawberry sauce added another dimension to the otherwise plain sponge cake.
Overall, Lawry's has been an interesting experience with good service and well-behaved diners, and i do see myself coming back again (probably for a special occasion one day) to try other items on the menu.
Lawry's The Prime Rib
#04-01/31 Mandarin Gallery
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