Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave, you would have noticed Yakiniku restaurants popping up in a mall near you.
Yakiniku-what? For those familiar with Japanese food, Yakiniku means “grilled meat”, usually thin cuts of beef and chicken marinated to goodness. It is similar to the Korean barbeque (KBBQ) concept such as bulgogi and galbi. Many Yakiniku restaurants today offer a smoke-free grill, making it perfect for dining in without worrying about smelling like barbeque food after your meal.
While Yakiniku dishes have always been available in Singapore, there has been an increase in Yakiniku chains offering more affordable set meals. Tired of hotpot? Try Yakiniku restaurants because they are great for bonding as you and your friends or family chit chat while waiting for the meat to cook.
Now for the good news, Yakiniku Shokudo, a relatively new Japanese yakiniku restaurant, recently received its halal certification for two out of three outlets at IMM and Lot One. How’s that for a end-of-semester celebratory meal?
YAKINIKU LIKE FOR SOLO AND COUPLE DINERS
Diners can choose from a variety of meats like beef, chicken, pork and even seafood. Yakiniku-Like offers a variety of meats with different cuts, suited for all preferences. Sets start from $8.80 nett and come with rice, kimchi and soup. If you cannot decide which meats to get, you can have them all with their trio set ($11.80 nett) consisting of beef short plate, pork jowl and chicken thigh.
Yakiniku Like offers both solo grills and shared grills for two, perfect for a date or even some alone time. They also have four free-flow sauces at your table: Like’s Original Barbeque, Garlic Soy sauce, Sea Salt sauce and Spicy Miso sauce. For spice lovers, you can add fresh chilli or even the garlic chilli sauce which balances the fatty, tender meat perfectly.
VISIT THEM!
Yakiniku Like Outlets: AMK Hub, Compass One, Clementi Mall, PLQ Mall, Vivo City
Nearest MRT: Ang Mo Kio, Sengkang, Clementi, Paya Lebar, Harbourfront
Opening hours: 11am to 10pm daily
Yakiniku-Go offers sets with rice, kimchi and soup starting from $6.80++ for their DIY Sushi Niku Set where you can grill your own meat and make “sushi”. Yakiniku-Go have tables that cater to larger groups so you can bring in more friends with you.
Yakiniku-Go also offers more beef options and has a steak set for $15.80++ if you prefer thicker cuts of meat. They also offer a Manzoku Platter ($17.80++) consisting of five different cuts of beef, beef tongue, chicken and lamb for meat lovers who want to sample different cuts.
Yakiniku-Go Outlets: JEM, Jurong Point, Nex, Suntec City, Seletar Mall
Nearest MRT: Jurong East, Boon Lay, Serangoon, Promenade/Esplanade, Fernvale LRT
Opening hours: 11am to 10pm daily
Yakiniku-Shokudo with Muslim friends
Not everyone enjoys cooking their own meats and for those with differing dietary requirements, Yakiniku Shokudo offers affordable sets starting from $9.90++ as well. They offer three different sauces to go with your meat: original, spicy and shio tare (salt seasoning).
In addition to the grill-it-yourself sets, Yakiniku Shokudo offers other dishes for those who fancy other Japanese food. These include ramen as well as Japanese curry rice.
Yakiniku-Shokudo Outlets: IMM (halal-certified), Lot One (halal-certified), Northpoint
Nearest MRT: Jurong East, Choa Chu Kang, Yishun
Opening hours: 9.30am to 9.30pm daily
While there are many Yakiniku chains, these are some of the most affordable places with wallet-friendly sets. If you want to enjoy barbeque without the heat and smoke, try these Yakiniku spots today!
