To dine at Astor Grill is to indulge in a ritual. When dusk beckons, it’s Violet Hour. A server gives you a complimentary serving of the Violet Hour martini to mark the end of a long day. It’s a signal for you to untie your bowtie and let your hair down.
Previously a successful pop-up restaurant concept within a grill house, The Astor Grill by St. Regis has now incorporated the favourites from that event into the expanded menu. More rituals also beckon, thanks to the new chef de cuisine Angelo Sergio. The culinary veteran brings his love for robust cuts of meat to Tanglin Road, cutting them in front of me with his sharp knife, which he’s owned for 15 years, he tells me.
Sergio’s love for meat began at 21 when the Italian joined a Texan steakhouse. “I had the privilege of learning how to prepare steak from experienced hands. There are so many elements and steps to steak from butchery and curing to dry ageing and grilling. I’ve been passionate about steak ever since; the different breeds, provenance, cuts, marbling, and that’s even before cooking!”
I asked him how a grizzled Italian ended up in the American Midwest. “Horses. I loved them,” Sergio laughs.
He’s so fixated on providing the best possible dining experience that he custom built a parrilla grill stuffed with Vulcan stones and charcoal. The result is delicious. Every cut, from the full blood autumn wagyu to the dry-aged bone-in shell loin, has a beautiful crisp char and melt-in-your-mouth meat. It’s been aged for at least 45 days and fully grass fed. According to Sergio, grass-fed beef is usually intense and chewy while grain-fed ones result in tender meats.
My favourite is the Robbins Island steak. It was tender, soft, and fatty, and tasted like umami butter on a stick. Still, you cannot go wrong with any of the meats on the menu. The only mistake you will probably make is not ordering enough.
For those who abstain from meat, there are also seafood and vegetable options. The grilled Spanish octopus is grilled to perfection and paired with a subtle chorizo chickpea puree, while the lobster is doused in butter and fragrant herbs. Delightful.
I asked Sergio why he preferred a parrilla grill over Josper charcoal ovens, and he shares the latter doesn’t allow him to control the height at which he cooks the meat. The man wants absolute control over everything. Once, he prepared 5,000 steaks for a Ferrari launch event in Maranello, Italy. All of them turned out at the right temperature. “It was a lot of work but it gave me immense satisfaction to witness guests including famous personalities like singers and actors enjoy my dishes.”
Now, you can enjoy his works of meaty art, too.
Chef Angelo Sergio’s Tips to The Perfect Steak at Home
- Heat a cast-iron skillet or any heavy-bottomed pan on your induction cooker at high heat.
- When it smokes, place the steak in the pan and do not move it.
- Depending on the thickness, sear for one to two minutes until a nice crust forms.
- Then, turn the steak over and add butter, a clove of garlic, rosemary and thyme until your preferred doneness and internal temperature.
- Most importantly, steaks need to rest for seven to eight minutes before slicing.
