Journeying to far flung places for the best food and drinks is one of our favorite pastimes, whether we’re doing so in Singapore or otherwise.
Knowing that very well, and hoping to capture that romanticized concept of travel (specifically on old, rustic locomotives) as a theme is soon-to-open Origin Grill & Bar. Found at the lobby level of Shangri-La Hotel Singapore (where Nadaman used to be) from Dec 27, Origin takes on an aesthetic best embodied by today’s Orient Express trains.
Upon entering Origin’s wooden turnstile doors, you’ll first notice the exterior of the bar, which can very well be a standalone venue given the attention dedicated to the place, and with barman Adam Bursik (formerly from The Library and Nutmeg & Clove) at the helm.
The bar menu at Origin is inspired by five of Singapore’s districts, namely Orchard, Chinatown, Little India, Boat Quay and Marina Bay. Expect local produce and spices to be keenly used in concoctions like the eponymous Origin—a gin-based cocktail made with sugar cane honey, nutmeg, pepper, charred pineapple and lime husk wine—and the Buona Vista—made with coffee, fig, distilled hazelnut, chocolate and Campari.
Over at the restaurant area, the focus shifts to ingredients-forward cuisine. Australian Chef de Cuisine Heidi Flanagan offers a menu of line-caught sustainable seafood from the region, and a selection of beef featuring grass and grain fed; pure, cross and full blooded Angus and Wagyu cattle from Australia, Ireland and Japan.
When the restaurant opens, we know which item on the menu we’re gonna go for first. Our sights are set on the Shiro Wagyu from Queensland and the Snow-aged Full Blood Wagyu from Niigata, both of which are being exclusively served at Origin.
