Bernard Kitchen

Having heard much about this small business belonging to a friend's friend. I decided to patronize it to try out the food offered here for myself. That's one of the reasons, plus the fact that i was beginning to look at normal hawker fare for reasonably priced and yet good food. This being my first such attempt.

There's not much to write about in terms of atmosphere. This is a specifically Singaporean place with a jumble of food offerings at affordable prices. I personally found the air con a little too strong for this humble joint, which although provides respite from the warm weather, doesn't do much to preserve the optimum temperature of the food served.

Sirloin Steak ($7.50) - The first thing my gf told me of this place is that its famous for its chicken cutlet. She also warned that steak wise, it depends on the chef's (Bernard's) mood on the day which is rather disconcerting but being a beef lover, i ordered it anyway. I actually wanted a mixed grill but for some reason, i just couldn't find it on the menu. Back to the steak, the serving was rather generous for its price. I was quite impressed by how thick the steak was and the fact that they got the 'doneness' pretty well. The meat was cooked on the outside and suitably rare near the middle portions, thus amicably staying true to the 'medium rare' steak i ordered. However, as mentioned before, the air con was too cold and they could have fared better with a hot plate for their steak. It was barely warm by the time i sank my teeth into it but still remained chewy and juicy. The meat was quite fresh and its pepper and salt seasoning managed to salvage it somewhat. I couldn't say i enjoyed it too much since it was already cold when i ate it. The fries were too normal to say anything about. Maybe the chef was not in a good mood today?

Chicken Cutlet ($5) - The star of the shop was what my gf ordered. Smart choice too. It was indeed more worthy of attention then the steak. The cutlet came fried to a nice golden brown and when cut open, was still piping hot. The batter used was surprising because it tasted quite a bit like Kentucky Fried Chicken, only less oily and with a less fatty layer beneath the skin, which is good in my opinion. The meat was tender and easily torn or cut apart. Despite being fried, it managed to retain a its meaty juices and tasted simply good.

'll probably never come back for the beef since i've heard of better places like Uno Beef House in Toa Payoh which i'll definately visit soon. However, the cutlet here is different from those found elsewhere and tastes quite abit better too. Can always come here for a simple meal if there's no where else to go and you are short on cash but do order the cutlet and not wager on the chef's mood for beef. =P