Expat Choice | A Festival of Snow-Aged Delicacies at The Gyu Bar

A Festival of Snow-Aged Delicacies at The Gyu Bar

Published - 27 November 2021, Saturday

Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year at The Gyu Bar with a remarkable festive menu that showcases snow-aged produce such as wagyu, sake, and genmaicha. The special a la carte dishes are available for lunch and dinner from 1 to 31 December 2021 for dine-in or takeaway.

Selected dishes are available for dine-in only. Snow-aging, also known as yukimuro, is a 200-year-old Japanese method that originated in Niigata, renowned as one of the regions with the heaviest snowfalls in Japan.

The people tapped on this natural resource to develop the unique technique of preserving food naturally in a snow-cooled storehouse. The stable conditions enhance the rich umami of wagyu and the natural sweetness of vegetables for exquisite dining experiences.

The beef specialist hails the joyous festivities with snow-aged A4 wagyu from Niigata featured in special a la carte dishes. The luscious wagyu is also offered as the special festive beef highlight on the signature 9-course omakase menus only for the month of December.

Snow Aged Wagyu Katsu Curry

For starters, indulge in a refreshing wood-smoked Snow-Aged Wagyu Tataki ($32) that is topped with caviar and spicy radish to complement the beef’s umami notes. Snow-Aged Wagyu Katsu Curry ($28) pictured above presents a wagyu katsu that is deep-fried to perfection – crisp and golden on the outside and juicy within. It is served nestled in house-blended curry made with minced wagyu, as well as coffee, beer and red wine.

The Gyu Bar_Shabu Shabu

The Snow-Aged Wagyu Yaki-shabu Egg Dip ($55 for 60g) presents thinly sliced wagyu cooked over the grill, then folded into a bowl of local free range egg, warishita, and truffle.

Relish wagyu prepared yakiniku-style with the Yakiniku Cut Snow-Aged Wagyu Sirloin ($78) or the succulent Steak Cut Snow-Aged Wagyu ($98), both served with condiments to pair with the buttery wagyu. Bringing together warmth and conviviality for a cosy meal is the Snow-Aged Wagyu Shabu Shabu pictured above or Sukiyaki ($218 for 2 persons).

The Gyu Bar_Sukiyaki

Enjoy 250g of snow-aged wagyu slices in one’s preferred style – dipped in light dashi broth or sweet and savoury sukiyaki.

Each set includes:

Two appetisers of sakura ebi crackers and truffle edamame
Assorted vegetables and tofu, konnyaku noodles, and Hokkaido rice
2 litres of house-made dashi broth

In addition, the sukiyaki set is packed with an additional 1 litre of sukiyaki broth, while the shabu shabu set includes ponzu sauce, sesame sauce, freshly grated radish and garlic, and spring onions.

For takeaways, guests may supplement their Japanese hot pot experience at home by renting a portable tabletop gas stove and pot for an additional $40+, inclusive of delivery and pick-up.

More snow-aged treats perfect for festive revelry

Complete the festive meal with an icy cold delight beloved by the Japanese. Kakigori ($18), a flavoured shaved ice dessert, resembles a petite mountain made of fine ice shavings as light as snow.

Available for dine-in only, the dessert is dressed in the festive hues of red or green with a choice of either matcha or strawberry flavour. Savour snow-aged wagyu paired with natural sweetness of snow-aged sake.

The unique Hakkaisan 3 Years Snow-Aged Junmai Daiginjyo ($45 per 180ml carafe; $168 per 720ml bottle) is gently aged and develops an exceptionally smooth and well-rounded profile.

For a non-alcoholic snow-aged beverage, pick the rich and toasty Snow-Aged Genmaicha with Matcha ($6 per cup), served either hot or iced and for dine-in only. Matcha is blended with Koshihikari rice from Niigata and green tea from Shizuoka, then snow-aged to heighten the tea’s naturally sweet and umami notes.

a. 30, #01-08 Stevens Rd, Singapore 257840

e. [email protected]

t. +65 6732 0702

w. www.thegyubar.com.sg

s. www.facebook.com/thegyubar

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Sylvia Fernandes

22 Nov 2021 , Mon

386 comments

ELITE

RATED 7.5 / 8

Tucked in to an enclave of restaurants on Stevens Road is The Gyu Bar, a specialist in premium beef. Known for yakiniku since opening in 2018, it has extended its offering to include shabu-shabu and sukiyaki.

If you are a Wagyu lover then come on down to experience the ever-so-specialised marbled meat from a variety of prefectures across Japan. The new nine course Wagyu omakase showcases these delicate and superior selections, all of which are amazing in their own right.

For $238++ per pax and 24-hour advanced notice, The Gyu Bar will blow your mind away. Diners will taste seven Wagyu breeds, every single one a melt-in-the-mouth experience.

Hard to match anything I had ever had before in terms of taste and presentation, the nine-course fare was served in beautiful Japanese crockery that boasted stunning colour and design.

Being an art lover, my attention to detail like this made my experience even more enjoyable. The Gyu Bar styled in a modern interior of clean lines, seats 35 people in this intimate restaurant.

Not much of a Japanese curry lover, I devoured the steak katsu curry (surprisingly) with Tankaku wagyu. Crusted on the outside and served on a bed of dry curry this turned out to be one of my favourite dishes.

An interesting story for the night was the Sanuki Olive brand of meat that hails from the Kagawa Prefecture. Pressed olives are added to cattle feed which lends a rich umami flavor to the marbled meat.

As the courses were consumed I noticed the difference between one Wagyu and another. The Satsuma from Kagoshima Prefecture had an intense buttery flavor, different to the one I had in the dish before.

This meat won the 2017 Wagyu Olympics, another bit of trivia I learnt through the night. If you are planning to visit The Gyu Bar, do challenge yourself to observe the different flavours in each type of Wagyu served.

Now I know that Wagyu is not just Wagyu, especially in specialist restaurants like The Gyu Bar, where fine meats are distinguished and a discerning palette helps.

The omakase meal includes different styles of cooking - yakiniku, sukiyaki, shabu-shabu and more. With smokeless grills at each table you don’t have to worry about smelling like meat by the end of the night.

To end this most exquisite meal I was offered a Furano Wagyu from Hokkaido with a choice of rice or udon. I had the rice option as my preference is always for a warm meal. Other diners at my table raved about the cold udon that presented a refreshing end.

Feeling completely satiated at the end of this most refined meal, I could not resist the macaroon and cheesecake that completed this elegant fare. From numerous condiments that accompanied every dish to presentation and quality of food, The Gyu Bar certainly trumped the night.

If you have but a petite appetite, then consider a quick lunch with main, soup and salad, though the five-course Executive lunch omakase menu is also a fine choice.

Other meats, seafood and vegetables are also on offer for those who steer away from red meat. Personally I feel it would be a shame to miss out on the superior Wagyu varieties on offer at The Gyu Bar.

It is obvious that there are culinary masters behind the scenes, one in particular being Chef Tomoo Kimura of the one Michelin starred restaurant at Palais Renaissance.

This meal was an ode to Wagyu gastronomy and I thoroughly enjoyed it!