The next time you’re craving some meat (without your plant-based friends, of course), perhaps you’ll want to head to the best Japanese yakiniku restaurant in Singapore.
Grilled meats aren’t an unfamiliar concept here. After all, you’ll find throngs of guests waiting in line outside plenty of Korean barbecue restaurants along Telok Ayer street.
Yet, though yakiniku is conventionally believed to have been brought to Japan by Korean immigrants who settled in Osaka, and adapted to local tastebuds, not many think of the cuisine when they hankering for some grilled meat.
It’s easy to see why too: yakiniku spots and joints in SIngapore tend to use pricier meats like wagyu and Kobe beef, as the main focus of the cuisine is to draw out the natural flavour of the meat, and many cuts of beef do not come marinated or pre-seasoned.
Here’s where to find the best yakiniku joints in Singapore:
(Hero and featured image credit: Magosaburo)
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1 /7
Syohachi Yakiniku in Guoco Tower is the Hong Kong chain’s first overseas outlet, armed with a original A5 wagyu yakiniku concept. The restaurant has been gaining a steady fan base since its inception in mid-November last year, mostly due to its use of Sendai wagyu beef from an award-winning ranch in Japan as well as its all-you-can-eat mode of dining.
(Image credit: @syohachi_yakiniku_sg via Instagram)
2 /7
Yakiniquest might be an odd name at first glance, but you’ll quickly realise the name stems from its managing director Suguru Ishida, who once ate at more than 150 yakiniku joints a year in Japan for 15 years. It seems like the yakiniku quest is truly over for diners in Singapore — we recommend dining on a whole selection of meats on the Wagyu Foodie Omakase, which features six cuts of grilled wagyu, wagyu and uni sashimi, and a beef curry rice or cold noodle side.
(Image credit: @yakiniquest via Instagram)
3 /7
If you’re looking for top-quality meats, your best bet would be Yakiniku Yazawa. The Robertson Quay mainstay sources some of the most premium kuroge wagyu that’s flown directly from Japan, featuring choice cuts like the misuji, chateaubriand and ribeye. Don’t sleep on the silky smooth Wagyu Tartare Don either — it presents a luscious raw egg yolk and marbled beef that rests atop a warm bowl of sticky, sweet rice, which, when mixed together, creates a delicious, silky smooth treat for bovine fans.
(Image credit: @hubertczc via Instagram)
4 /7
Magosaburou, a Japanese chain from the Kumamoto prefecture, features excellent grade meats like Ohmi and Kobe beef with gorgeous marbling that renders itself to tender, juicy meat after its put to the grill. Apart from consistently good quality meats, what we enjoy most about Magosaburo is its powerful exhaust system that leaves our clothes oil and smell-free even after a hearty dinner out.
5 /7
Nestled in a quaint shophouse in ann Siang Hill, Yen Yakiniku is where you’d go to if you can’t trust yourself with the cooking. Here, the restaurant’s experienced chefs will be grilling your meats upon order in front of you, so you’ll get to taste the meats in its full glory. Here, feast on mouthwatering cuts like the Wagyu Oyster Blade, Ox Tongue – Thick Cut and the Wagyu Rib Eye, or dive down under with their selection of seafood like the succulent Hokkaido Scallops.
(Image credit: @aokyuen via Instagram)
6 /7
If you’ve gotten your license at ComfortDelGro Driving Centre in Ubi, you’ll probably remember the relatively remote industrial area its located in, with a small coffee shop next to it which used to be the hangout spot for private driving instructors in the day. What you probably don’t know is that the same coffee shop downstairs will continue to run during the day, while Mr Yakiniku will operate upstairs from Mondays to Saturdays for both lunch and dinner service.
The Instagram-worthy location has fairy lights, a tori-gate entrance and neon to make sure every angle is picture-perfect, while sets here start at a affordable price of $8.80 to $28.50, depending on the size and type of meat. All sets come with rice, soup and a salad too. Vegetarians friends also more than welcome to stop by: they’ve partnered with Next Meats to serve slices of ‘harami’ and ‘karubi’ (read: plant-based meats) alongside mushrooms and lettuce.
(Image credit: @myfoodiegallerysg via Instagram)
7 /7
You’ve heard of Yakiniku-GO, but what about Yakiniku-GO Plus? The premium concept of its sister restaurant, Yakiniku-GO Plus differentiates itself from the rest of the offerings on this list as the only yakiniku restaurant in Singapore to offer the A5 Miyazaki Wagyu at a waller friendly price of S$18.80 onwards. Here, they also offer 16 new items that are exclusive to the outlet: The GO+ Wagyu A5 Platter, for instance, comes with three kinds of wagyu cuts and thick-cut beef tongue, while the Supreme Beef Platter is a beef lovers dream ofA5 Miyazaki Wagyu Karubi, diamond cut beef short plate and thick cut beef tongue. Highball selections start from a neat S$5, which means you can drink and feast to your heart’s desire.
Jocelyn Tan
Senior Writer
Jocelyn Tan is a travel, food and design writer who loves to explore lesser-known cities abroad and chat with locals about their favourite eats in town. When she's not writing, she's probably indulging in serial killer podcasts or reading one too many books on East Asian history.
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