Beef-tongue specialist Gyutan-Tan opens new Orchard outlet with exclusive afternoon tea

Has the unusual thought of “I wonder what cow’s tongue tastes like” ever occurred to you? Because if you did, you might want to pay a visit to Gyutan-Tan’s newest Orchard outpost.

Beef tongue at Gyutan-Tan

Some people might not know this but beef tongue, or gyutan, is considered a delicacy in Japanese cuisine — usually grilled up yakiniku style.

As with most off-cuts, it’s not a common order, even at the more authentic izakayas in Singapore. But those who are in the know are well aware of how delectable good beef tongue can be.

Created to spread a love for beef tongue to the masses, Gyutan-Tan is a unique concept that specialises in the less-seen dish. 

It originally opened in Tanjong Pagar late last year, but Gyutan-Tan can now also be found in Orchard, too, with the recent opening of a second outlet at Ngee Ann City.

Diners can expect the same beef tongue specials but with some brand-new outlet-exclusives, including a dainty afternoon tea set!

Gyutan-Tan’s new Orchard store

The menu at Gyutan-Tan’s Orchard outlet will feature a few exclusives. 

For those new to beef tongue, we recommend trying out the Combo Gyutan (S$30).

Featuring a medley of charcoal-grilled premium- and regular-cut beef tongue, you can get the best taste and texture, straight from the charcoal grill.

Each sliver of tongue is lusciously grilled and rich in beefy umami while sporting a delicate bounce; the premium cuts also come punctuated with luxurious fattiness that adds more oomph.

Besides the meat, Gyutan-Tan also provides you with a choice of homemade sauce (original, ponzu Oroshi, Korean, negi shio or lemon pepper) and an array of accompanying palate cleansers to cut through the heaviness.

Said palate cleansers include pickles, light soup and tororo — a pile of sticky, grated yam that is clean and mild in flavour — that pairs well with the rice.

Though if straight beef tongue doesn’t quite appeal to you, the outlet-exclusive Gyutan-Tan don set (S$26) is a good alternative: The Japanese rice bowl comes with braised beef tongue that is mixed in with tender slices of shabu beef.

If you’re craving something very heavy and saucy, the Gyutan curry (S$26), another outlet exclusive, is an equally reliable choice, featuring braised beef tongue drenched in a pool of Japanese curry.

That said, even though the flavourful curry helps mellow out the more intense, beefy taste of the braised tongue, we found the curry slightly too salty and can be jelak.

Gyutan-Tan Orchard’s exclusive afternoon tea

It’s not all just beef tongue, though.

A new Orchard-only addition to Gyutan-Tan’s menu is its afternoon tea, which runs from 3pm to 5.30pm.

It’s great for those looking for a chill, Japanese-inspired high tea sesh while shopping in the area.

The highlight is an afternoon tea set (S$42 for two) that features a wooden serving tray loaded up with goodies, including Japanese-style desserts such as fruit sandos and savouries such as the mini gyutan sliders.

Other than that, the afternoon tea menu also includes another interesting addition: A matcha fondue (S$20) served with fruits and confectioneries.

The components are meant to be dunked into a pot of silky matcha white chocolate until they’re coated in the sweet treat. The mochi and sponge cake were our favourites, especially the cake, which soaks up the matcha flavour very well.

During afternoon tea hours, the menu will also feature the entire selection of desserts and a few select snacks from the regular menu, as well as a tea-time exclusive: Sandos.

The sandos are kept simple but hearty with options such as roasted gyutan and caramelised onion sando (S$16), as well as an affordable teriyaki chicken sando (S$10) which comes with a succulent grilled chicken thigh — pretty good value for the price.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on must-try Japanese buffets in town and the only wanton mee guide you need, with 30 stalls tasted and rated.

Gyutan-Tan is on the GrabFood delivery service and offers free delivery (up to S$3 off) with GrabUnlimited. 

Do explore the new GrabFood Dine-in service for awesome deals.

You can also book a ride to Gyutan-Tan’s new Orchard outlet at Ngee Ann City for an afternoon tea sesh.