Fancy having churrasco for lunch, anyone?
 
Windows on Club Street recently introduced the Brazilian-style skewered meats to its menu. Priced at $25 for lunch, and $32 for dinner, the churrasco supplements the restaurant's already-extensive menu.

For a number of people, the churrasco is a novel experience. A passador or meat carver comes by your table with a skewer of meat, and deftly slices pieces of it onto your plate until you ask him to stop. Essentially, a churrasco is a meat buffet, with a selection of choice meats to choose from. Naturally, what makes or breaks the dining experience is the quality of the meats, and how they are marinated

The churrasco is served with a generous plate of coleslaw, potato salad and fresh greens. Too much meat in one seating may be overwhelming for some people. The salads help to relieve that problem.

A vinaigrette, which contains finely-diced tomatoes and other vegetables, is also served with the meats, although some may choose not to have it. I found that the vinaigrette tempered the saltiness of some of the meats - this would be good for diners who are not used to too much rich food.

The pork sausage was certainly savoury. Each firm and juicy sausage was bursting with flavour. So was the chicken, which was marinated in beer and imported Brazilian spices. The grilling gave the chicken skin a crisp texture, yet retained the meat's aromatic juices.

Next was the beef topside. The meat was simply rubbed with salt before grilling, and the result was a mouth-watering serving of beef which was tender and not over-cooked.

The lamb shoulder was surprisingly enjoyable. I usually find lamb rather pungent, but the air-flown lamb from Australia was delicious. Like the beef, it was simply rubbed down with salt. It tasted even better with the vinaigrette, which somehow complemented the meat's robust taste. If you wish to savour the lamb, but not order the churrasco, there is a Lamb Shoulder Sandwich ($12). The passador slices the meat onto your choice of bread.

The passador also prepared several other meats for us which are usually only available at dinner. The snowfish, marinated with lemongrass and white wine, had a silky texture and reminded me of Thai cuisine.

The baby ham was delicious. This was sliced more thickly than the other meats, and was full of flavour. The Matsutake mushrooms, marinated in soy sauce, were large, chunky and chewy - a pleasant change in texture from the meats.

The churrasco was rounded off with grilled pineapple. A whole pineapple was covered in sugar and grilled so that the sugar caramelised slightly. The result was a sweet serving of pineapple slices which brought the churrasco to a pleasant ending.

If you are having dinner, there are several options of desserts to choose from in the a la carte menu. We tried the Creme Caramel made with Gula Melaka ($5.50), which was introduced to the menu fairly recently. The recipe was apparently created by the boss of Windows on Club Street, Juliw Haw, and will appeal to anyone who loves onde onde. I found it surprisingly light and easy on the palate, with just enough sweetness without being satiating.

Another dinner item we sampled was the Penne in Creamy Vodka Tomato Sauce with Salmon ($16). The serving was generous, and the smoked salmon gave the dish sufficient flavour. The creamy vodka tomato sauce was very light - it hardly felt like a cream sauce at all - and was extremely palatable. The addition of chilli padi gives the dish a spicy jolt (you can request for less chilli padi if you prefer).

Windows on Club Street serves enjoyable meals in a laid-back bistro-deli setting. If you crave for churrasco, but your dining companion prefers something like pasta or even chicken cutlet, this is definitely one eatery to consider.

Windows on Club Street
No. 3,7,9 Club Street
(S) 069403
Tel: 6323-7561
Opening hours: 12 noon - 10:30pm (Mon- Fri);
9:30am - 10:30pm (Sat);
8:30am - 3:30pm (Sat)