Gyutan-Tan’s latest outlet takes over the former premises of the now-defunct MOS Cafe outlet at Ngee Ann City in basement two — other F&B establishments located around its vicinity within the mall includes that of the equally-new outlet of Kenangan Coffee (replaces Drips Bakery Cafe), Dulcet & Studio and the outlet of Tampopo in Ngee Ann City as well. Much work has been done to the interior of the shop space, which sees the space now looking more like a casual bistro rather than a casual diner when it was still occupied by the previous tenant. Gyutan-Tan has adopted a contemporary interior design featuring geometrical elements as well as a vast use of red amidst more earthier tones and wooden accents to add a visual pop to the otherwise minimalistic interior that evokes a zen sort of vibe; one can even observe their efforts in using plants to spruce up the space for a livelier look that brings it closer to nature. For those whom are unaware of Gyutan-Tan’s speciality, the establishment is one that centres its focus on ox-tongue as a main ingredient used in their offerings — Gyutan-Tan also offers different menus for its lunch and dinner service. Visiting Gyutan-Tan during a lunch service on the weekend, it is noted that the menu is segmented into sections dedicated to Salad & Hot Appetisers, Charcoal Sumiyaki Sets, Don Sets, Curry & Stew Sets, and Desserts — the items listed on the Charcoal Sumiyaki Sets, Don Sets and Curry & Stew Sets sections being exclusively available during lunch service. Beverages served up at Gyutan-Tan at Ngee Ann City includes espresso-based specialty coffee, teas, soft drinks, and alcoholic selections like beers and highballs, as well as sakes. Some entremets are also on display in the display case at the counter facing out of the establishment, which adds on to the number of desserts that they have to offer.
Having wanted to give Gyutan-Tan a try since it had opened their very first location at Tras Street, it was needless to say that the item that we were looking forward to give a go for would be their Gyutan and Beef Karubi which is an item off their Charcoal Sumiyaki Set section of the menu which is exclusively available only for lunch. It is noted that the menu mentions all items in the Charcoal Sumiyaki Set comes with Mugimeshi (i.e. barley mixed with regular rice grains), pickles, soup, salad and Tororo (i.e. sticky grated yam). Patrons also do get to pick between five different sauces for their Charcoal Sumiyaki Set order — the five sauces being Original (a soy-based sauce), Ponzu Oroshi (grated radish and Ponzu sauce), Korean (sweet and spicy sauce; probably akin to the spicy sauce served with Korean fried chicken) , Negi Shio (seasoned chopped leek), and Lemon and pepper (lemon and black pepper). We found ourselves opting for the Ponzu Oroshi for our order. It is needless to say that the item which we excitedly went for first on the tray would be the Gyutan and Beef Karubi — all these were being charcoal-grilled and came with obvious grill marks that adds on to the presentation of the dish.
It was pretty easy to distinguish between the Gyutan and Beef Karubi slices in terms of texture, with one being thicker than the other and the thinner one carrying more tension when one chews upon it. That being said, both cuts of meat were well-marinated in a sweet-savoury sauce and came absolutely smoky from the charcoal-grilling process; tender and does not require much effort to chew nor did it come with a prominent gaminess — absolutely delightful to have. Pairing it up with the Ponzu Oroshi sauce that we had opted for to have with a bit of rice, this gives the rice sufficient moisture and flavour; a little sweet and refreshingly earthy that gels the meat and rice together without it being too heavy on the tastebuds. At $26++; thought this came at a decent quality at a price point that fits — may not be a “cheap” enough item to have for some, though is quite satisfying in the way that it was executed nonetheless. Other items which we have had at Gyutan-Tan includes the Spicy Gyutan Don; described on the menu as “slices of beef tongue pan-fried with special spicy sauce served on rice” that was pretty much like a good stir-fry — think Yakiniku Don featuring beef tongue slices in a spicy sauce that also comes with bits of chopped pepper for a spicy note. The Strawberry Zenzai is a little bit of a misinterpretation of the Zenzai; the dish being more of a Monaka wafer in the way that it was presented and executed. While Gyutan-Tan does seem like an informal concept with a slightly upscale touch serving up food at a quality befitting of the price it calls for, we felt an ounce of a confused identity considering how it bears a contemporary look and its offerings of desserts and entremets alongside specialty coffee — feels lesser of a Japanese dining establishment and more of specialty coffee joint, though this also highlights the versatility of the concept as well. All in all, an establishment which we will gladly revisit for some charcoal-grilled ox tongue especially on days where we don’t fancy doing the grilling on our own.