Dine Inn Singapore – Asian-fusion Omakase With Grilled Meats

I can’t express my love enough for Omakase. I love the tenacity behind preparations, the precision in each execution and the wow factor that determines each bite.

Simply trust the chef and let him or her whip up a series of courses that can make you surprise, squeal in delight or scowl. Creativity juices are challenged especially when it comes to chefs’ dilemma in serving dishes adhering to their own signatures and/or second-guessing what the guests love to have.

But some chefs will tel you coolly they cook what they like. That’s the spirit and confidence.

Jo Ann, owner of Vanilla Bar & Cafe famous for the realistic potted plant dessert, showcases her skill in an eight course Asian-fusion Omakase. Featuring her favourite dishes while incorporating the tastebuds of her parents, herein lies an asian and western mix of ingredients and cooking methods.

The Omakase comes with a complimentary glass of Prosecco.

The course starts with four small plates, followed by three types of meats straight off the grills before ending on a sweet note.

Presentation scored high on my plate when the Uni (Sea Urchin) & Ikura Crostini arrived exquisite-looking. Stacked on a garlicky toast were dashi jelly, negitoro, uni, tobiko while garnished with seaweed. Creamy, crunchy and savoury altogether.

The Shrimp Guacamole & Chipotle Aioli Toast, on the other hand, was comparatively lighter with the homemade aioli cutting through my palette, providing a tangy and spicy kick. Very tasty!

Duck Rillette was recommended to be savoured next for its rich and creamy filling encased within a flakey croissant.

Most of the dishes have their components grilled at the BBQ pit. That said, we were actually seated at the BBQ area overlooking the grilling station. It felt like an open kitchen with a huge grill where you could grill to your hearts’ content without any worries for poor ventilation.

The Mini Canadian Air Flown Pork Belly had one side caramelised and torched to give the extra crunch on the crispy edges. Sandwiched between what reminded me of maple pancakes, these were unique burgers I never had before.

On to the highly anticipated moment – Grilled meats!

The Angus Beef Medallion in Red Wine Salt might look typical but the highlight of this dish went to the flavoursome pumpkin puree which made us polished the entire plate.

Jo Ann shared that the pumpkin was sautéed with onions for the robust flavours before adding in other ingredients such as herbs and pepper. The beef, though, could be a tad on the dry side perhaps due to its doneness.

I would really applaud Jo Ann’s styling of food with the lamb racks arriving in what appeared to be fine dining plating. Glad that the Basil & Manuka Honey Lamb Rack with Truffle Mustard looked as delicious as tasted, not too gamey and was tender.

Before I let you in on the price, the quality of the food is definitely well-worth your penny.

The last savoury item we had was the Flame Grilled Lobster with Spicy Cod Roe. Each of us got half a Boston lobster.

My initial worries that the meats would be grilled to a rubbery texture dissipated as I sank my teeth in.

Great control of the fire which gave this a pass with flying colours.

I was feeling very well-fed by then and the desserts seemed light and refreshing enough to tank.

Fresh Yuzu Shot accompanied with Petite Strawberry Teacakes with Rose and cheese-infused vanilla sauce had just the right portion to end off the meal on a sweet note.

For the Omakase, we even brought our own alcohol as it’s BYOB. With the grilled meats and richness of the food, it would be best paired with wines that could cut through or elevate the flavours better.

At only $150, you get to indulge in luxurious ingredients such as uni and premium meats like beef, lamb and lobster, all of which prepared and plated to restaurant standard. Alcoholic drinks are even free of corkage.

Seriously, where else can you find such quality Omakase dinner so worth your penny!

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Explore more great food from my Dine Inn Experiences here

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Check out Jo Ann’s Omakase course here.