Who doesn’t like a good chow down of succulent grilled meats? If you’re a vegetarian, don’t answer. For everyone else, I’m joining you in raising my hands high up.
If you’re a returning reader, you’d have seen me seek places with quality meats. I’m frequently disappointed, and I only share the successes with my readers. When Carnivore came round with this tasting invite, I couldn’t help but give it a go.
Servicing the Meat Lover
Good meats need good service to go along, and Carnivore has developed a highly personal system: The Passador Service. When I sat down for my meal, I was greeted by a nifty little sign system.
The idea is that you can use the revolving signs to control the flow of meats. Set it to “No” and the restaurant’s roving Passadors will pass you by.
Flip it to “Yes” and they’ll come by and dish out succulent meats on to your platter. Perfect for you to pace yourself, and from my experience that night, you definitely want to space your meats out.
Carnivore does Brazilian style Churrascaria, meaning there’s a rather different set of meats and cuts on their skewers as compared to your typical American Barbecues, and that’s totally okay because they’ve got some good meats.
These choice cuts are cooked slowly over 5-6 hours, and require constant tending so that they don’t get overcooked. They also imported the Brazilian style rotisserie that turns out their meats. It’s clear that this cooking process is no walk in the park.
Humps and Rumps
Getting into the meats, one of the standouts for me was the Chimichurri Top Sirloin.
When this skewer arrived at my table, it was dripping with juices. As the meat hit my plate, I noticed a sheen of juice on the inside of my meat. Chowing down, the leanness of the meat contrasted with the top layer of fat for 2 very different textures while the Chimichurri’s parsley-base lent a vibrant taste to the meat.
But my favourite beef cut by far was the Beef Rump. It’s got this juicy tenderness, while not being too fatty. I liked that the beef didn’t just fall apart in my mouth. Instead, it gave me more juiciness as I chewed slowly. Of course, the Brazilian rock salt rub gave the flavour profile a little jolt to help accentuate the meaty flavours.
There’s also the Beef Rump Cap. Traditionally called the Picanha in Brazil, the Rump Cap has a distinctly fattier texture, while its slightly more fibrous meat makes for easier dissection on the plate. While it did sort of overwhelm me, I think most others would enjoy this fattier cut.
Changing Things Up
You know you’ve hit the big time as a meat lover when you see bacon-wrapped meat on the menu. The Passador came by to serve up some Chicken Wrapped in Bacon. Here’s the thing about this: if the chicken was alone, it would probably have not hit the spot for me. But with the bacon, this dish became a no-brainer.
Now, I’m not one of those fans of offal, but the Chicken Heart had me raising my eyebrow. I appreciate that they went all out with the herbs to remove any trace of gaminess in the organ. It was chewy, and surprisingly appealing to my tastebuds. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, this is the one to try.
The Boneless Lamb Leg is not the natural choice for everyone, but it should be. It’s not typically gamey thanks to the herbs, but if you’re feeling squeamish, then use any one of the dips available to you so you can savour the soft texture of this lamb. I was surprised at the juiciness in the meat with every bite that I took.
We also had some Butterfish. It’s a deep water fish and as such, there’s a higher concentration of oils and moisture within its flesh. While this makes for a succulent mouthfeel, taking too much of it too quickly could result in some discomfort if you’re not careful. I’d recommend pacing out the intake of this firm, tasteful fish.
This grilled pineapple is all about caramelised greatness in one glorious slice. The heat of cooking has broken down the sugars within. So, when you end up biting into it, there’s no sharp acidity, only a gentle sweet tanginess. Pineapples are great for digesting proteins due to the Bromelain, a protein digesting enzyme they contain. So, take a slice of pineapple, wait a while, then continue feasting!
At this point, I think it’s also important to mention that if you wish to have a specific doneness for any of the meats, you can request the Passador for it, and they will gladly help you with that.
Buffet of the Senses
Besides the 14 churrasco items, there’s also a salad bar that has some unique items. It’s quite a spread, so I’d say go very light and try to skip the carbs.
Instead of going for any of the pastas or typical salads, take note of items like the Salpicao Chicken Salad, Brazilian Heart of Palm Salad, Feijoada Black Bean Pork Stew and the Confetti Bean Salad.
Good for Hearty Gatherings
With Carnivore’s offering joining the fray, I’d say the the resurgence of group dining has not abated. To make things even more appealing for Christmas. Carnivore has pulled out all the stops for it’s Christmas and New Year Celebration menus, with Wagyu Rump (MBS) , Picanha (Grandstand) and Barbecued USDA Choice Top Sirloin (CHIJMES).
If you’re looking for a great buffet dinner to gather your friends round, Carnivore certainly has what it takes to give your party a good time.
Details
Carnivore Brazilian Churrascaria
CHIJMES Outlet
30 Victoria Street, #01-30, CHIJMES, Singapore 187996
Telephone: 6334 9332
MBS Outlet
2 Bayfront Avenue, #01-80, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore 018972
Telephone: 6688 7429
The Grandstand Outlet
200 Turf Club Road, #01-16, The Grandstand, Singapore 287994
Telephone: 6466 9418
Website here
While this post was brought to you by the good folks at Carnivore Brazilian Churrascaria, which offers an authentic Brazilian Barbecue experience, this review is still subject to 5meanders editorial guidelines. All opinions expressed are independent of the post sponsor.
