Picanhas'

Picanhas' is a casual steakhouse on Club Street, on the edge of Chinatown and the CBD. It takes its name from picanha, a Brazilian cut of beef also known as rump cap. The restaurant opened in December 2020 and describes itself as laid-back, fun and family-friendly.

The idea is good steak without the fuss of a classic steakhouse. Instead of tenderloin and other premium cuts, the kitchen focuses on secondary cuts, with picanha above all. That keeps the bill closer to a casual dinner than a special occasion.

What to order

Start with the house signature, the Queen of Steak. It is a 250g picanha steak, sliced and finished with binchotan (charcoal) butter, with one sauce of your choice. Picanha has a layer of fat along one side, which keeps the meat juicy. Other dishes worth knowing about:

• Picanha Don: a smaller portion of picanha over blue butterfly pea flower rice, with caramelised onions, pickled cabbage, fried garlic and an onsen egg.
• People's Burger: a 200g picanha beef patty in a charcoal sesame bun, with béarnaise sauce and shallots.
• Mentaiko Crepe Pasta: grilled prawns topped with mentaiko (Japanese cod roe), served on crepe-style pasta with an onsen egg.
• Duck Steak: confit duck breast with slaw and teriyaki sauce, a good option if you want a break from beef.

You can add sauces such as chimichurri, wasabi cream, béarnaise, aioli and a Sichuan-style sauce. Sides include creamed spinach, sautéed mushrooms, Brussels sprouts and double-cooked potatoes with sriracha mayonnaise. For something richer, add Hokkaido scallops or mentaiko grilled prawns.

Good to know before you go

• Booking: reserve through the website, which takes bookings by time slot for lunch and dinner. Each slot is limited to 90 minutes. Book ahead for groups.
• Drinks: the restaurant is Muslim-owned and the drinks list is alcohol-free. Mocktails include a roselle black tea drink topped with Kyoho grape foam, along with teas, coffee and sodas.
• Families: the restaurant calls itself family-friendly, so it suits a relaxed meal with children.
• Delivery: delivery and takeaway can be ordered through the website.

Getting there

Picanhas' is on Club Street, a lane of restaurants and bars close to Chinatown. Eatbook puts it about a four-minute walk from Maxwell MRT station and around nine minutes from Chinatown MRT station. If you are new to the trains, our guide on how to use the MRT in Singapore covers the basics.

Nearby

Club Street is an easy base for exploring the older streets of Chinatown. Our Chinatown cheap eats crawl starts close by. After dinner, you could walk north to the river at Boat Quay. Hotels in the area include The Clan Hotel Singapore. For more meat-focused meals, see our steakhouses and grills, or browse all restaurants in Marina Bay and the CBD.