Keef the Beef Bungalow

Keef the Beef Bungalow is a steakhouse in a heritage black and white colonial bungalow at Rochester Park, near Buona Vista. Keef the Beef is a Singapore brand. It began in 2020, during the pandemic, as a passion project run from a small kitchen.

The Rochester Park bungalow opened in 2023 and turned the project into a full restaurant. The menu centres on beef cooked over very high heat, with cuts from the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Argentina.

What to order

The house signature is the PL steak, inspired by the butter-broiled steaks of Peter Luger in Brooklyn. The steak is bathed in the kitchen's own butter sauce and finished under a very hot overhead grill, called a salamander, set to around 1,000°F. That fierce heat browns the crust and gives the meat a rich, slightly sweet taste.

The PL steaks are made for sharing between two to four people. Choices include a USDA Prime T-bone, a grain-fed Angus T-bone, a USDA ribeye and a grass-fed Argentine ribeye. With a T-bone you get two cuts on one bone: a well-marbled strip loin on one side and a smaller piece of soft fillet on the other.

There are also boneless ribeyes, plus large bone-in cuts sold by weight. These include a USDA Prime tomahawk, a wagyu rib and two ribs dry-aged for 45 days.

• Starters: bone marrow with toast, thick-cut bacon, pan-seared foie gras and oysters from Japan
• Not steak: grilled bluefin tuna collar (kama toro) for a group, lamb porterhouse, and pastas such as lobster tagliatelle
• Sides: mac and cheese, creamed broccoli with bacon bits, hand-cut fries and kombu smashed potatoes
• Desserts: lemon tart, tiramisu and chocolate lava cake

Menus change, so check the current list on the Keef the Beef website.

The setting

The bungalow sits at the top of a gentle slope in leafy Rochester Commons. Seating spreads over two levels, with an indoor room, a courtyard and a veranda. In total it seats up to 140 people. There are also three private dining rooms, named Colonial, Tudor and Basque, each for up to 12 guests. The space also hosts birthdays, weddings and company dinners.

Good to know before you go

• Booking: reserve through the website. Call the restaurant to book a private room, which has a minimum spend.
• Waiting times: the large bone-in steaks need about 45 minutes, and the tuna collar about an hour. Order them early.
• Children: a kids' menu offers beef bolognese, battered fish or chicken nuggets with tater tots.
• Hours: it serves lunch and dinner with a break in the afternoon.

Getting there

The address is 2A Rochester Park. The nearest MRT station is Buona Vista, less than ten minutes away on foot. If you drive, park at Rochester Commons or Citadines Connect Rochester. Take the lift to level 1, turn left and walk up the slope to the bungalow.

Nearby

Rochester Park has several other restaurants. Les Bouchons (Rochester) serves French steak frites, and Legendary Classics by Legendary Hong Kong is close by too. For a walk before dinner, try Kent Ridge Park. See more steakhouses and grills in Singapore or all restaurants in West Coast and Buona Vista.