Origin Grill — one of the most underrated steakhouse in Singapore for date night, and here’s why.
Tucked far away from the hustle of Orchard Road, Origin Grill is a revamped steakhouse at Shangri La Singapore. Great steaks and even better appetisers, it’s perfect for date night, and here’s why.
Our honest review of Origin Grill at Shangri La
Revamped steakhouse at Orchard
When it comes to a good piece of steak in Singapore, no one talks about Origin Grill enough and that’s a shame. Perhaps it’s because their new Executive Chef Simon Bell just revamped their menu at the start of this year, so not many people have heard about them yet.
Their team mentioned that the Origin Grill’s menu is a lot more curated now in terms of breeds and cuts. Of which, we ordered Chef Bell’s favourite — Stone Axe ($58) — the rump cap of a Full Blood Wagyu.
Full Blood Wagyu refers to a pure lineage Japanese Wagyu, meaning there has been no crossbreeding involved. Coupled with its grain-fed diet, it results in a cut with a high level of marbling and umami
When you think of wagyu, you’d instantly think of a melt-in-your-mouth texture. That is only true to a certain extent, as it is also dependent on the cut used. Rump caps are firmer, but way meatier. In terms of flavours, it’s also so much more flavourful, especially with the thick layer of fats around it.
At Origin Grill, you can also find other cuts like ribeye, tenderloin and striploin.
Steakhouse, but the appetisers had me in a chokehold
Although Origin Grill is labelled as a steakhouse, their appetisers were the ones that won me over.
I was already at a loss while browsing their menu. There were only 11 items, but it took me forever to decide.
In the end, we settled for the Wagyu Tartare ($28), Hokkaido Scallop ($34), and Crispy Pork Belly ($28).
The Wagyu Tartare uses the eye round, which is a leaner and meatier cut compared to the tenderloin. While not as tender, it was surprisingly a good replacement for the tenderloin. I really liked the slight chew that it had. But more importantly, the thin layer of sauce that coated the diced beef was so umami. Definitely one of the better beef tartare I’ve had in Singapore.
Meanwhile, the Crispy Pork Belly sent me to a different dimension. For starters, the crispy pork belly was infused was multiple layers of flavours. The crackling skin had a sharp savoury taste to kickstart your taste buds, followed by a rich buttery flavours from the rendered fats, before it reaches the herbaceous (I’m going to guess rosemary) lean meats. It’s doused in a warm and tart tomato sauce with Cannellini bean.
For a lighter appetiser, we recommend the Hokkaido Scallop. It’s finished in kombu butter and topped with cucumber and sea grapes, which tasted and reminded me of caviar.
It was great, but personally, I didn’t find it as impressive as the other two appetisers at Origin Grill. My partner loved it though.
All desserts and pastries made in-house
Apparently, all the desserts and pastries are baked from scratch by their pastry team.
This includes the croissants that were served with the tartare and the sourdough rolls
We tried their Seasonal Tart ($12), which was an interesting combination of roasted grapes, brown sugar custard and burnt honey gelato. The custard and gelato were not cloying, but had a deep syrupy profile. But the highlight here had to be the grapes. The tartness here really just elevated the other flavours in the tart.
Meanwhile, Origin Grill’s take on the Tres Leches ($18) was a bit too flat for me in terms of flavours. But, if you enjoy sweet desserts or something real chocolate-ly, this will be a good way to end the meal.
Our verdict
So what’s our review of Origin Grill at Shangri La Singapore?
In terms of the steak, I’d say you can’t go wrong with it. But for me, the highlights of the meal were the appetisers.
If you’re looking for a romantic restaurant in Singapore for date night, this is it.
Location: Shangri La Singapore, Lobby Level, Tower Wing, 22 Orange Grove Rd, 258350
Opening hours: 12–2:30pm, 6–10:30pm
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