Several years ago, Shangri-La Hotel at Orange Grove Road underwent a major revamp. Together with the hotel reopening last year, there were several new dining concepts introduced. Amongst them was Origin Grill & Bar which was helmed by Sydney-born Chef de Cuisine Heidi Flanagan who placed great emphasis on the origin of flavours and the quality of the ingredients used. Besides line-caught sustainable seafood from marine-certified coasts in New Zealand and the Philippines, Origin Grill also offers Shiro Kin wagyu (cows are on a specially formulated Japanese diet for at least 500 days!) and the snow-aged full-blood wagyu which are exclusively available to the restaurant!
The restaurant has an interior deco that mimicked a travelling train with hand-stitched leather, Tripolina chairs, and curved rectangular benches made of wood and burgundy leather! Oh yes, not to forget those high ceiling with beautiful natural lighting coming in during the day.
Homemade sourdough bread with butter was good but save your tummy space for Octopus charred with smoked paprika ($32). The paprika rubbed octopus tentacles (from Fremantle, Perth) was grilled perfectly that it was soft and tender with a lovely smokiness. Served with Moroccan inspired sweet and sour tomato jam and citrus salsa made with tomatoes and broad beans, it was both refreshing and satisfying. My appetite was definitely set right to welcome some awesome beef feasting ahead.
For those who are looking for a healthier choice, try the Raw tuna on vegetables and seed flat bread ($28). I like how healthy the crispy vegetable flat bread was. It was made
from golden flax pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds combined with leek, peppers, garlic, and cumin, and seasoned with coriander, salt, pepper and curry powder. Paired with the fresh raw sashimi grade tuna, creamy avocado, fresh jalapeno pepper crush, crunchy soy beans and dehydrated nori crisp, it was a party of textures and flavours.
Pan-seared Hokkaido scallops with fragrant chilli jam ($32) was served, I was wowed by the presentation of this dish. It looked like a piece of art but it was really delicious too. The butter pan-seared Hokkaido scallops and plated with with Asian herbs salad, crunchy dry roasted peanuts and kaffir leaves. The chilli jam made with dried shrimps, garlic, shallot, fresh chilli, dried chilli, tamarind, fish sauce and palm sugar has added an extra kick and that fresh squeeze of lime juice made it very appetising.
Depending on your personal preference, Origin has a wide selection of beef which are sourced from Australia, Japan and Ireland. From grain-fed, pure-bred, cross-bred and full blood Angus and Wagyu cattle, beef lovers will be spoilt for choices. We had the John Stone grass-fed (Ribeye on the bone 500g $138), Williams River cross bred wagyu, 400 days grain-fed MS 5/6 (Tenderloin 180g $65 / 250g $88), Snow-aged full blood wagyu A4 Striploin (200g $168) and Shiro Kin Full Blood Wagyu, 500 days Japanese diet fed MS 9 (Ribeye 250g $198). There were also Tomahawk (per kg $198) available on the menu if you are looking to share between 2-3 people.
If you are one person who loves a well balanced steak, Shiro Kin Full Blood Wagyu is definitely a must try at Origin Grill! Derived from Fullblood Wagyu that are direct descendants of Japanese Wagyu from Tajima Sires. Shiro Kin Full Blood Wagyu is renowned for their tenderness, distinctive marbling and flavours! No wonder, Shiro Kin Full Blood Wagyu has won 6 “Grand Champion” Awards from Sydney Royal Fine Food Show, Australian Wagyu Association Branded Beef Competition and John Kilroy Cha Cha Char Champion Branded Beef of Show and Gold Medal.
When I first heard of snow ageing, it was actually for a traditional storage method used to mature sake in Japan. This method was known as a yukimuro, invented in Niigata, Japan, the prefecture with the highest snowfall, since 200 years ago. Back then, the residents snow-stored their vegetables and produce. But in 2011 Mr Takashi Uono, President of Uoshoku, discovered that this centuries-old aging process. Snow-ageing the beef caused the meat to have a better ripening with lesser wastage and retention of freshness. Hence, I was excited to try the snow-aged full blood wagyu. The snow-aged full blood wagyu A4 Striploin was so tender and moist that it literally melt in the mouth with a buttery finish. So much so that, it was good on its own even though at Origin Grill, each steak was served with 5 different sauces (Red wine jus, Origin mushroom and brandy cream, Smokey barbeque, Fresh peppercorn sauce and Bearnaise)
For people who are opting for other meat choices, I would recommend Slow-roasted crispy pork belly with aromatics ($48). The pork belly has a lovely crispy skin and after being brined for a few hours then sous-vide for 24-26hr, it was really soft and tender. It was a classic pairing with apple puree. The puree was really smooth and creamy with the, pickled raw apples to cut through any greasiness (if any).
Oh yes, please please please remember to save some space for desserts. The Red velvet nutella cake ($14), Carrot Walnut Cake ($14) and Chocolate fudge cake ($14) were made in house and they were really good!!! My favourite was the Carrot Walnut Cake which was one of the best that I have ever tasted. While usually carrot cake can be a bit dry and crumbly, the one at Origin Grill was really moist and has a lovely yet subtle aroma of the nutmeg.
If you are in the mood for wine or port, Origin Grill also features over 45 grape varietals from some of the world’s best wine-producing regions. Dining at Origin Grill was definitely a gastronomical journey and I highly recommend this place for business luncheon, romantic dinner or simply just a gathering with your loved ones.
Origin Grill & Bar
Lobby Level, Tower Wing, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore
22 Orange Grove Road, Singapore 258350
Operating Hours: Lunch: 12noon – 2:30pm (grill)
Dinner: 6pm – 10:30pm (grill)
Tel: +65 6213 4398
Email: dining.sls@shangri-la.com
