What’s Buzzing? I visited The Gyu Bar when it opened back in 2018 and three years forward, it is still a restaurant which focuses on quality beef offerings. With the introduction of new menus recently, The Gyu Bar offers two different 8-course omakase menus, each with a highlight of quality beef prepared yakiniku-style.

New to the line-up is a 9-Course Wagyu-focused Omakase Menu (S$238++ per person) highlighting various regional livestock where diners are taken on a wagyu journey through seven different prefectures of Japan, from Furano in the north to Kagoshima in the south. The 7 wagyu breeds are prepared in the style that displays the beef to its best advantage.

Another noteworthy highlight for me which I appreciative that the restaurant uses Shinpo grills, a smokeless grill with advanced smoke ventilation technology, so you need not worry about smoky hair after your Yakiniku meal.

What To Expect? For a start, you get to choose your preferred sake glass from the owners’ prized 150-piece personal collection; and the first drink is on the house.

You can also request for personal cooking assistance at the table. Yakiniku is served with no less than five house-made condiments; shabu shabu with six; and diners are welcome to choose their way ofenjoying sukiyaki – Kanto or Kansai style.

For the 9-Course Wagyu-focused Omakase Menu (S$238++ per person), here’s what to expect:

First Course – Snacks
I started with the Uni Yukke Cone which features beef tartare made with Wa Oh wagyu chuck rib and onions, tossed in a house-blend tare and filled into a mini waffle cone crowned with Hokkaido uni.

The second snack is the Uni Tempura, featuring Hokkaido uni on crabmeat and crispy seaweed tempura, topped with caviar.

Love both the snacks here, especially if you are a Uni lover as there is so much umami.

Second Course – Roasted Wagyu Salad
Mixed greens with Japanese wakame, Japanese white fungus, and thinly sliced Satsuma wagyu dressed in Japanese white sesame sauce and finished with sakura ebi. The highlight here is the Satsuma wagyu from Kagoshima which won first place in the Wagyu Olympics 2017.

Third Course – Seasonal Platter
There are with 4 items here – Ohmi wagyu temari, Deep-fried hotaru ika, Kanimiso tofu dashi jelly, and Kumamoto tomatoes. Visually, it is beautiful and there is a good balance of ingredients as well.

Fourth Course – Wagyu Katsu with Homemade Curry
The Wagyu steak katsu is served with homemade curry sauce and pickled radish. My impression of the curry stands out more from the beef here, as the house-blend curry is made from a blend of beer, coffee, and red wine. Interesting.

Fifth Course – Yakiniku Platter
This is one of the main highlights of the Omakase meal for me, as it consists of 3 different cuts of Miyazakigyu. The 3 different cuts are briefly seared on either side and it features the Sankaku (chuck rib), Chateaubriand and Sirloin.

The sirloin is the best cut for me as the flavour is really rich. It is served yaki-shabu style – so the way to enjoy it is to dip it into the local free-range egg with warishita, truffles. I can have this over and over again.

The condiments are elaborate as well, where house blended tare, housemade garlic and leek sauce, pink sea salt, freshly grated wasabi, and deep-fried garlic chips are served to complement the beef.

Sixth Course – Shabu Shabu
This is a hotpot course featuring thinly sliced Sanuki beef slices, and an array of condiments. I had the Sanuki Wagyu from Kagawa.

Seventh Course – Uni Wagyu Chirashi Don or Inaniwa Wagyu Udon
The Chirashi Don features aburi beef cubes, tamago, yellow radish, zucchini, ikura, and topped with Hokkaido uni. It is a beautiful bowl of rice and it packs a lot of my favourite ingredients.

Alternatively, the Inaniwa udon is served with cold kombu dashi shoyu broth and aburi beef cubes, ikura and garnished with chopped spring onions. If you fancy a lighter option at the end of the meal, go for the udon.

Eighth Course – Hamaguri Clam Soup

Ninth Course – Japanese Seasonal Dessert Platter
I really don’t need fancy desserts, and this platter of Shizuoka melon, Japanese cheesecake and Japanese mochi is perfect.

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

Make your reservations instantly at The Gyu Bar here.

The Gyu Bar
30 Stevens Road, #01-08
Singapore 257840
(near the entrance of Mercure Hotel)
Tel: +65 6732 0702 / +65 9150 3164

Opening Hours
Mondays to Sundays
Lunch: 12pm to 3pm
Dinner: 6pm to 10pm

Ranted by The Ranter