Black Swan: Warm Welcome


Touching down after my flight back from Sydney, I was famished. The journey was a irritable few hours of cramped up spaces and furiously coughing neighbors; i earnestly needed to get my spirits lifted.

First on the agenda, Black Swan, to get that stomach filled.

Having been here before, I decided to explore the menu a little with the intention of uncovering some weak lines in the kitchen's repertoire. Cruel, I know.


We ordered the Half dozen escargots ($21) and it turned out to be an instance where luxury of the ingredients backfire on the simplistic charm of the original dish. Escargots with garlic butter and parsley is an old school delight that brings me back to my hay days spent feeling pish-posh over a hot plate of sizzling escargots at Jacks Place. This new rendition pushes the boundaries by incorporating not one but two more  belly busting ingredients, bone marrow and Parmesan into the mix. The result, a massive overkill of fat overload that drowned out the skimpy little morsel of earthiness. Disappointing.



Our main redeemed the establishments streamlined perfection of American cuisine with it’s Stockyard Australian Wagyu Ribeye steak for 2 ($96) well rested before being sliced, the innards were a shade of shy pink with a liberal coating of spices, salt and pepper on it’s browned sides. The creeping streaks of fats dances across the tongue with a teasing melt-in-your-mouth texture and the bĂ©arnaise sauce perfumed with tarragon and peppercorn was the perfect accompaniment to soft and subtle flavors of the wagyu. 

Service however was a bit shoddy as our side plates took more than 15 minutes to reach the table. Apart from that fiasco, dining in the Black Swan, surrounded by the grand statements of the 1930s decor and the fashionably dressed crowds certainly makes for a delicious experience.

The Black Swan
19 Cecil Street, The Quadrant
Singapore 049704
Tel: +65 81813305

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