TBH, I’ve never been a fan of hamburg patties. While this might be a controversial opinion, it always felt like an incomplete hamburger… can anyone relate? You can understand my hesitance then, when I heard about Gyu San Charcoal Bar — a concept restaurant specialising in grilled wagyu Japanese hamburgs.
If the brand Gyu San sounds familiar, you’re probably thinking of the popular Japanese butchery and sando shop located in Tanjong Pagar. Fans of their melt-in-the-mouth wagyu sandos, you’ll be delighted to know that Gyu San Charcoal Bar is their first ever concept that offers a whole new way of enjoying wagyu.
Located at Forum, Orchard, the restaurant actually has two sections — one where you can enjoy their sandos, drinks, and more (no butchery here, sadly!), and the other being the charcoal bar. At the moment, there’s only one main on the menu — the A5 Wagyu Japanese Gyu San Hamburg Set (S$23.80), which comes with two 90g wagyu patties, salad, and unlimited rice and miso soup.
Featuring an open concept grill station, diners will be able to watch their orders being prepared a la minute. The hamburg patties are prepared from freshly ground wagyu daily, expertly grilled over the binchotan charcoal grill and served on a personal mini grill to keep them warm.
At first glance, it didn’t look any different from the other patties I’ve had in the past. But as I took my first bite, I was truly blown away. It was juicy, tender, and oh-so-flavourful — simply chef’s kiss. The fattiness of the luxurious A5 wagyu beef truly shone, especially with the addition of sweet onions and other seasonings within the patty. At this point, I was ready to take back all my reservations about hamburgs.
The experience was only elevated even further as I experimented with the various condiments available at the table. Think shio lemon, kimchi, house-made sambal paste, and more — but I particularly enjoyed using the chimichurri and Japanese chilli oil as accompaniments to the patty. Plus, the personal grill was a really nice touch, since I managed to have all my food at the perfect temperature throughout the meal (perfect for slow eaters, if I may).
If you have a larger appetite (like me), you can add on another wagyu patty for just S$8.50, or enjoy other sides like Shiitake (S$3.50), Asparagus (S$4.50), Wagyu Skewer (S$9.50), and more. However, I’d recommend getting the Onsen Egg (S$2.50) to mix into your rice — trust me, it adds yet another dimension to the meal.
At just S$23.80 for A5 wagyu, I have zero complaints — it’s practically a steal for the quality of beef you’re getting. Because of that, I’d reckon that it’s going to get pretty busy when word gets out. I don’t know about you, but I’m defo running to Forum for a hearty meal the next time I’m in town!
Gyu San Charcoal Bar
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???? 583 Orchard Road #01-28 Forum The Shopping Mall Singapore 238884
???? 11am—3pm, 5pm–10.30pm (Daily)
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