Oushin Steakhouse – Good Quality Iwate and Omi Steak!

Suntec City has finally finished its revamp and there are so many new restaurants we can look forward to. One of them is definitely Oushin Steakhouse. Opened by the Akashi Group of Restaurants, Oushin is a semi-fine dining restaurant serving premium Japanese Beef in an elegant dining setting. It is easy to miss the restaurant because of its small entrance. Not a complaint actually, it makes us feel like we have found a secret. They have curtains between tables that gives us some privacy.

As mentioned, the restaurant focuses on good quality beefs from Japan, U.S. and Australia. With a culinary background in Japanese and French cuisine, handsome Executive Chef Fukushima has successfully weaved both flavours into the dishes.

An alumnus of the Dons de la Nature, one of Tokyo’s finest steakhouses, Chef Fukushima works the Mibrasa charcoal oven—also known as the world’s hottest indoor barbeque—with ease, and serves up steaks literally fit for a king.

We started our lunch with a Hokkaido Crab Tart ($22). Not exactly tart-looking, I think it resembles more of a sandwich. The savoury crab roe mousse is sandwiched between two crab cakes, which is made of cream cheese, crab and Japanese mayo. The boyfriends love the crab tart very much, as it is compact and luscious, surrounded by a truffle-mushroom sauce. The crab mousses gave a different texture to the dish.

What impresses me most is the Japanese Iwate Beef Consomme ($28). The broth is cooked in omi bones for a day, then cooked in minced Omigyu meat for another day before reducing it to its perfect flavour. The clear yet very rich base is served with some lightly torched Iwate beef, which will enhance the taste further. Omigyu have a sweet characteristic while Iwate have a salty characteristic. When the juices from the Iwate meat drips into the soup, there is a good balance of sweet and savoury flavours.

Omigyu Japanese Hamburg ($28) uses hand-minced Omi beef with soft cooked egg. If you do not have enough tummy space, you can probably skip this and jump directly to the steaks.

Everyone was raving about their 48 hours Braised Pork Belly in Red Wine and Sake ($28) for its tenderness. Unfortunately, the meat I had that day turns out slightly dry which was probably due to the fat distribution of the meat. Nevertheless, I appreciate that no sugar is added to this dish and the sweet umami sauce is the result of 48-hours of braised red wine and sake over charcoal.

The menu’s highlight is, unsurprisingly, high quality Japanese beef from the Iwate and Shiga prefectures. Iwate faces the Pacific ocean to the east and on the west is generally formed by the highest points of the Ou Mountains.

The cows grew up in a relaxed environment amidst the great outdoors, grazing on highland pastures that are not treated with agricultural chemicals. Cattles feed are rice straw of Iwate Junjyou Mai. Under strict control of the monitoring system, they yield a healthy beef with high-quality protein and Omega 3 interspersed fats created the juicy melting texture that blow you away.

The steaks are grilled over Japanese Bincho charcoal and wild sakura wood chips at over 900 degrees to give a sweet smoky flavour. Iwate A3 Sirloin from Iwate Prefecture, Honshu ($98) has a glistering exterior and melts in the mouth. Drizzled with some garlic sauce, this is enough to make me finish a bowl of rice.

Now here comes the most precious dish in Oushin – Omi A5 Sirloin from Shiga Prefecture, Honshu ($180). My Omi sirloin is less chewy than Iwate but the meat is much sweeter. And of course, it is gloriously tender!

Omi beef is one of the three most famous type of Japanese wagyu (Omi, Kobe, Matsuzaka). It is served to the Japanese Emperor as the inital official Japanese Wagyu. Up to this day, Omi beef is the official beef of the Japanese Imperial Household.

Each paddock keeps only 2 cattle in order to provide them with a companion and a spacious and stress free environment. Besides, the nature of Shiga prefecture has contributed the most desirable, unpolluted, tranquil environment and the clear, clean water from the Mother Lake Biwa to raise the cattle. Those are the reasons why Omi beef is so different from other Wagyu.

To go with the beef, you can have some sides such as Hokkaido Potato Puree ($8) or Carrot Cold Salad with Orange Dressing ($6.80) which took 6 years for the chef to perfect it.

Because the steaks were too good, Chef’s Special Plated Dessert for the Season ($21) didn’t leave much impression on me. Besides the ice cream and sorbet, I think there’s also creme brulee and chocolate cake.

I think I had meat overload that day. But I really enjoyed my lunch at Oushin that day. Staffs here know their dishes well and they even wear black gloves when holding plates so as not to leave fingerprints on them. How meticulous! With Chef Fukushima’s devotion to quality, I think Oushin can go far.

Oushin Steakhouse
Address: #02-391/392 Suntec City Mall, 3 Temasek Boulevard
Tel: 6884 4805
Opening hours: Mon to Fri 11.30am to 3pm; 6pm to 10pm. Sat to Sun 11.30am to 10pm