I love my meats — barbecued meats that is. Here’s a restaurant in the heart of Bugis that specialises in woodfire T-bone steaks, beef short ribs, ribeye steaks and more. Plus, they’re Muslim-owned too! I hope you’re ready to indulge in some juicy meat.
Kandahar Street is home to some delicious food, but no one serves food quite like the folks at OUD Restaurant. The restaurant is helmed by Michelin-studded chefs Indra and Ridz — the same folks behind Burgs by Project Warung, so you know their food will not disappoint.
Step inside the cosy establishment and you’ll be greeted with the smoky aroma of grilled meats, which will certainly get your tummy grumbling — I know mine did. On the menu at OUD Restaurant are some interesting appetisers that are best enjoyed when you “Use ‘Em Hands”, as well as starters that will certainly leave a good “First Impression”. Everything on the menu promises to take you on a gastronomic journey — and boy, they definitely did.
Each table is also served a basket of focaccia made fresh in-house, with a special house-made butter. Fun fact, the flavour of the butter changes regularly and we were served the furikake butter. It was a blend of creamy, sweet, and savoury with bits of sesame seeds and nori inside. If only this butter was sold in jar form, I would totally buy it to eat with my toast.
For appetisers, you definitely must get the OUD Fries with Avocado Mousse. Unlike your regular thin cut fries, this one is a thick potato wedge that’s fried to a golden crisp and comes generously topped with your choice of Beef Tartare (S$4), Spicy Salmon Tartare (S$4) or Sea Scallops (S$4.50).
My favourite was the Sea Scallops which were fresh and sweet with a light sour cream and onion aftertaste that blended well with the crunchy potato. If you don’t know which to get, go for the One of Each (S$12) so that you can try all the flavours — trust me, you won’t regret it, especially if you love potatoes like I do.
Another dish that really stole my heart at OUD Restaurant was the Truffle ‘Explosion’ Mushroom Croquettes (S$4/piece). One thing’s for sure is they were not lying when they said ‘explosion’ as the filling really does explode in your mouth — so maybe don’t be greedy and let it cool down for a while before eating it.
The shell was nice and crispy, and as you bite into it, you get a burst of truffle mushroom flavours which reminded me of a really rich mushroom soup of sorts. The filling was creamy with a well-balanced truffle mushroom fragrance. It was so yummy, I was tempted to get seconds!
Seafood lovers will enjoy the Tempura Prawns with Nori and Tamarind Dip (S$18) which features fresh whole prawns nicely coated in nori-infused batter and deep fried to a golden brown. The prawns are yummy as it is but you can dip it in the tamarind dip for a slight spice kick. However, the bold flavours from the tamarind dip does steal the show so if you’re not a fan of the spice maybe skip the dip.
The OUD Salad (S$14) certainly left a good “First Impression” on me. It’s a bowl of grilled broccoli topped with walnut dressing, edamame puree, and yogurt espuma. As someone who doesn’t like broccoli, this dish totally blew my mind. The broccoli was grilled on the same woodfire as the meats which gave it a nice smokey aroma — kinda like those you get at lok lok eateries
The yogurt espuma was the star of this dish. It was light, sweet, and creamy with a hint of garlic that added a nice savoury touch to the dressing. It contrasted well with the crunchy broccoli and elevated the smokiness of the veggies. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I’m a broccoli convert now but I definitely wouldn’t mind ordering this again.
For mains, we of course had to get the Argentinian Ribeye (S$38) with truffle sauce and pumpkin puree. But you can also choose to have it with bearnaise or peppercorn sauce. This was one of the best steaks I’ve had. We had it done medium-rare and it had a nice pink-ish centre with a good fat-to-meat ratio.
The steak was super juicy and when paired with the pumpkin puree, it was a lovely medley of sweet and savoury flavours. The steak also had a nice buttery aftertaste to it — that’s how you know that the steak is of top quality. I’m definitely coming back to try the T-bone steak next!
If you’re not a steak lover (we can’t be friends), you can go for the Atlantic Sea Bass (S$26) which comes with potato puree and brown butter garlic sauce. The fish was fresh and I loved the lightly crispy skin that added a nice crunch to the dish. The potato puree was smooth and creamy and the brown butter garlic sauce added a touch of sweetness and fragrance.
After enjoying a hearty meal, you’re gonna need something to help wash down the greasiness. The Raspberry Rhapsody (S$7.50) which is a mix of orange, raspberry, cranberry, and lemon, topped with a torched meringue. The drink reminded me of a tangy fruit punch while the meringue helps to add a touch of creaminess and sweetness to balance out the sourness.
If you’re looking for something more refreshing go for the Basil and Mint Virgin Mojito (S$7.50). This may have been one of the best virgin mojitos I’ve ever tried. It was super minty (just the way I like it) with a squeeze of lime — the perfect drink to end your meal with on a hot sunny day. It’s also OUD Restaurant’s most popular drink so you definitely don’t wanna miss out on this.
If you’re looking for an affordable date-night spot with hearty grilled meats, you know where to head to!
Reservations can be made here.
OUD Restaurant
Instagram | Website
???? 48 Kandahar Street, Singapore 198899
???? 11.30am—3pm, 6pm—10pm (Mon to Thu), 11.30am—3pm, 6pm—11pm (Fri to Sun)
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Photos by Marcus Leong
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