A cornerstone of Japanese cuisine is amazing ingredients, and there is no better way to enjoy Japan’s best meaty offerings than by grilling them up simply at the table and enjoying them will little more than a few dipping sauces. Here are Singapore’s best yakiniku restaurants, where you can do just that.

Aburiya

For a solid mid-week DIY Japanese grilling experience without the frills, look no further than this reputed casual joint that usually draws the Japanese expat crowd. Each table comes equipped with a charcoal grill—opt for an outside table if you’re worried about smoke in your hair—and the menu offers a lengthy list of various cuts like skirt, short rib and tenderloin. The house sauces that come with are really half the fun.

Ito-Kacho

It doesn’t get more glitzy than this spot at the fancy Mandarin Gallery, which specializes in chilled, not frozen, Japanese black wagyu, offering cuts like flank steak, skirt steak and short rib. On the non-beef front, there is Kurobuta pork jowl and pork belly. To be clear, though, with a location this central and a decor this refined, you can expect the meal to be a splurge.

Kinoshita

Not only does this Osaka chain specialize in yakiniku, it also serves gyu nabe, or hearty beef hot pot. Inside the 50-seater, booth seats make for cozy dining around the grill, while customized ventilation hoods make sure diners don’t walk out smelling like grilled meat. While decor is sparse, there is an arresting feature mural of the iconic Mount Fuji. Yakiniku fans should get the Kinoshita Special BBQ set, with several cuts of Hokkaido beef.

Niku Katsumata

Duxton Hill frequently sees new Japanese additions, but this one is worth taking note of. The standout feature at this modern 28-seater is their use of crystal grilling plates instead of the usual metal grills. These plates, specially imported from Japan, retain heat very well so only a low heat is needed to grill the meats. This helps retain the meats juices and produces no smoke. This dinner-only yakiniku joint imports its high quality beef from Kagoshima and Kumamoto. Their non-cooked beef, like the wagyu tartare and wagyu sashimi are also great.

Prime Gyu Kaku

This huge yakiniku chain may have over 600 outlets in Japan and four in Singapore alone, but you would never guess it from the cozy, dimly lit and modern atmosphere of their renovated branch at Chijmes. Their big thing is Kagoshima wagyu, and the Kurobuta pork selection is good, too. You even have the option of grilling up a Chateaubriand with little more than truffle salt.

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Tajimaya Yakiniku

Not only is this yakiniku spot well-located in bustling Vivocity, it’s also right next door to its sister venue, Shabuya Shochu Bar, making it a great spot for meaty dinner followed by casual drinks. And with their high-performance exhaust system over each table, you can head on over to your next party without worrying about smoke in your hair. Highlights of the meat-centric menu include Japanese Miyazaki beef and Kurobuta pork, both highly prized for the premium quality.

Tenkaichi

Tenkaichi is so confident about the affordability and quality of its produce that it offers a “best price guarantee”, promising to beat any restaurant with a cheaper price by a further 10 per cent. What’s more, there’s a view of the Marina Bay waterfront. On the menu are a variety of premium and more affordable cuts, but the highlight has got to be the wagyu tokujo karubi, a grade A5 finely marbled black cattle wagyu from Miyazaki prefecture.

Yakiniku Heijoen

Since the first store in Ayase, Tokyo, Heijoen has expanded over nearly half a century to 30 outlets all over Japan. Its glorious debut in Singapore is at none other than the buzzing Japan Food Town at Wisma Atria, sporting a modern, clean-lined woodwork interior, with soft lighting. The highlight of the menu has to be the deluxe cuts of A5 Wagyu Beef directly imported from Kagoshima, but don’t be surprised to also find some Korean staples like kimchi, namul, or bibimbap on the menu.

Yakiniku Yazawa

Robertson Quay may have tons of Japanese places but this BBQ joint specializes in Yazawa wagyu beef from Japan. It does come at a pretty penny with cuts like a chuck-eye Zabuton costing over $60 per serving. The place also has other beef options like kalbi, Kurobuta pork and some chicken in spicy miso, too.

Yakiniquest

This sleek and minimalize space specializes in omakase-style barbecue including dishes like niku somen (raw wagyu sliced into thin “noodles” and topped with dashi stock, grated yam and seaweed) and yaki suki (sliced wagyu with sweet sukiyaki sauce and raw egg). Each course menu comes with rich cuts like chuck eye and sirloin, plus more adventurous cuts like beef tongue—all from Miyazaki, Kagoshima and Iwate prefectures.

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