The Place The last few months are exciting times for steakhouses – Wolfgang, Wakanui and the latest hotspot to open is Origin Grill at Shangri-La Singapore. Located at level one of the newly refurbished Tower Wing, adjacent to Origin Grill is Origin Bar where you can get your pre-dinner drinks before your meal.

The interior of Origin Grill resembles that of a train carriage, consistent with the restaurant’s concept of tracing the roots of their ingredients and dishes. While there is a camp of diners who find the interior bare and lack of character, I am quite fond of the slightly bare look, curves arches at the ceiling and the wooden tables and finishings.

The Food It’s more than meats the eye, even though you must try at least one steak dish here. Helmed by Chef de Cuisine, Heidi Flanagan from Sydney, Australia, the menu also focuses on other meats, seafood and sustainably farmed dishes like the Mizo Butter Glazed Black Cod (S$38), Slow Roasted Crispy Pork Belly with Aromatics (S$38) and Pan-Seared Hokkaido Scallops (S$32).

The beef selection is a diverse one, featuring featuring grass- and grain-fed, pure-, cross- and full-blooded Angus and Wagyu beef, from Australia and Ireland, and snow-aged Wagyu beef, from Niigata, Japan. I tried the Rangers Valley Black Market 100% Pure Angus, 300 Days Grain-Fed MS 5+ Striploin (S$68). The 300g steak from Northern New South Wales in Australia is succulent and flavourful without being overly fatty.

The other beef I tried is no doubt one of the highlights here at Origin Grill, the Snow-Aged Full Blood Wagyu A4 (S$168) from Niigata, Japan is one dish to splurge on. It is the first time I heard of snow aged beef, which goes by the Yukimuro method here. The meat is preserved and aged in a traditional snow-covered room to for it to develop the sweetness and mellowness. The 200g striploin I had is very tender, fatty and almost with a melt-in-the-mouth texture. If you love your high marbling and fatty Japanese wagyu beef, this is for you.

On a separate occasion, I returned to Origin Grill for its Sunday Vintage Brunch (from S$108++) a semi-buffet lunch concept where you get to choose a mains, along with unlimited selections of appetisers and a dessert buffet spread including a live crepe station.

We started with some of Chef Heidi’s signature appetisers such as the Charred Asparagus, Origin Salad, Cured House Salmon, San Daniele Prosciutto and Doughnut Time of pulled pork with maple sriracha. Go easy on the appetisers as the portions are relatively huge, but feel free to order more if you fancy!

For mains, it is a good mix of variety, with up to seven options from the likes of Grilled Salmon Fillet, Flaked Cod, Origin’s Open Steak Sandwich, 35 Days dry aged John Stone Striploin and Origins Lot which is akin to a big breakfast. We tried the John Stone Striploin and the Origin’s Open Steak Sandwich, both of which come in very generous portions. If you intend to share, I will recommend going for a steak or beef dish and probably something lighter like the salmon to balance the palate.

The dessert spread is not very exhaustive but sufficient for me, with options like Tiramisu, Earl Grey Panna Cotta and Granny Smith Apple Mousse, along with a good selection of cheeses.

The Sunday Vintage Brunch at Origin Grill is priced at S$108++ for food & non-alcoholic drinks, S$168++ for food, unlimited wines & cocktails, and S$208++ for food, wines, cocktails & vintage wine pouring.

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Rants Prices are relatively steep at Origin.

Will I Return Again? The concept of Origin Grill is strong, and it is evident from the conceptualisation of its menu and interior design. While prices are steep, the quality and dining ambience make up for it. This is a restaurant to impress your date or clients.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Overall Experience: 3.5/5

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

Make your reservation instantly at Origin Grill & Bar here.