The best yakiniku restaurants in Singapore

There is more to an omakase experience than just seafood and sushi. At The Gyu Bar, they bring to the table rare wagyu breeds from Japan – served in ways both simple and striking.The beef specialist, opened by the same people behind Michelin-starred Sushi Kimura, has set up a temple for all beef-lovers. Wagyu is sourced from prefectures around Japan, then air-flown to provide a premium selection of choice cuts.

TRY The Gyu Bar Signature Wagyu Beef Platter, which comes with a hefty 300 grams of Wagyu for $238.

This upscale Japanese barbecue spot prides itself as Singapore’s first ohmi wagyu yakiniku restaurant. If you didn’t know, ohmi wagyu is one of Japan’s top three wagyu brands, prized for its rich marbling and buttery tenderness. At Ushiyama Yakiniku, you get to grill it just the way you like in a smoke-free setting, where all the nasty odours are sucked up. Add a well-curated selection of fine wines and sake, plush banquette seating, and private rooms, and you’ve got yourself a yakiniku experience that’s perfect for celebrating a special occasion or simply indulging in high-end Japanese barbecue. 

TRY: The Ushiyama ohmi experience platter (from $138) is a wagyu lover’s dream, featuring five exquisite cuts of ohmi wagyu (45 grams each), all directly imported from Japan. Pair it with its signature garlic fried rice for a well-rounded meal. While the ohmi wagyu is a highlight, the tender, flavour-packed Australian wagyu tan and the Hokkaido pork are equally worth savouring. 

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This is one dining experience that seeks to take diners on a yakiniku journey like no other. Expect exclusively premium wagyu grade meats with exquisite marbling and occasional rare cuts that are masterfully seasoned and expertly grilled with surgical precision to serve up melt-in-your-mouth meats. This 64 seater also includes four private dining enclaves with smokeless ceramic charcoal gas grills – so you’ve got more control to grill the meat to your liking.

TRY The classic dinner omakase ($138) which comes with an assortment of delish cuts. There’ll be Wagyu-focused appetisers, a niku (beef) somen, and seven premium cuts of beef.

Don’t come expecting a cloudy den filled with raucous beer drinkers. At Yakiniku Yazawa, thanks to the powerful built-in suction installed on the sides of the grill, the place is relatively smoke-free, and it’s quite a good looker, to boot, with banquette seats in semi-private cubicles. They only serve Japanese Wagyu here, that’s directly imported from Japan so you’ll know that everything’s of excellent quality. 

TRY The thinly-sliced cuts, with a range including ichibo (rump) and nakaniku (beef hind leg). This starts from $40 for a platter, and you can choose between shio (salt) or tare (soy sauce glaze). 

They’ve got two branches: one in Ann Siang Hill and the other in Duo Galleria. But whichever you pick, Yen Yakinku offers a solid selection of grilled meats ranging from ox tongue to more premium cuts like the Japanese Wagyu A4 oyster blade. 

TRY Their in-house dry-aged cuts for a more tender, flavourful rendition. They do have quite a range, from 21-day dry-aged A5 ichibo to 30-day dry-aged A4 striploin. Pre-orders are required though, so make sure to make your reservation early.

It’s one of the more convenient joints to satisfy your yakiniku fix: Yakiniku Like, a casual restaurant chain that’s in heartland shopping malls like PLQ Mall, Sengkang Square, and Compass One. Since it’s so popular though, there is a limit on dining time so you’d need to grill your chosen meats fast.

TRY The premium karubi trio set for some of their best selections, from A4 Wagyu to US karubi. The best thing? It costs an affordable $29.80.

As a Hokkaido-style barbecue joint, The Hitsuji Club differs slightly from other yakiniku restaurants. Here, they’re known for some of Hokkaido’s best lamb: jingisukan, which is a popular grilled mutton dish. And when it’s a healthy choice compared to other red meats – supposedly, the amount of cholesterol is similar to fish – there’s every reason to head down for a hearty meal.

TRY The standard jingisukan set ($45), which comes with 160g of marinated lamb along with side veggies like onions and beansprouts – it’s a good intro to Japanese grilled mutton.

Marbled fresh cuts of imported prime beef from Hokkaido and A5 grade wagyu from Kagoshima await at this Japanese barbecue restaurant and steakhouse. Order the Wagyu platter and have the three cuts of Wagyu barbecued yakiniku-style over hot charcoal – it comes with a complimentary Wagyu hamburg too. 

TRY Tuck into some of the more interesting grilled meats such as the thinly-sliced negi tongue ($14) that’s well-seasoned with leek and garlic, or the Wagyu rosu ($22) which is a leaner cut of Wagyu.

While this might be one of the popular yakiniku chains that typically has snaking queues around meal peak times, Yakinku Go is a constant favourite for good reason. Prices are affordable – a chicken set starts from just $8.80 and a karubi beef set starts from merely $9.80, all for 100g of meat. The electric grills don’t have any smoke either, so you wouldn’t need to worry about jumping into a shower right after dinner. 

TRY Go all out at this yakiniku chain (they’ve got at least six around Singapore), and splurge on the Angus ribeye steak set ($16.80) which comes with a bowl of rice, salad, and either kimchi or a salad.