What started as a quest to unearth the best yakiniku spots turned into a deep-rooted appreciation of the underappreciated craft which lit up flames of passion within the Ishida’s to spread their love of yakiniku with everyone. Together with a few friends, the husband-and-wife duo ate their way through some of Japan’s finest yakiniku restaurants and even started a blog in 2004 to document their mouth-watering yakiniku adventures – which happens to also be named Yakiniquest.
Conquering an annual average of 150 yakiniku establishments across Japan since they started in 1998, they would religiously convene on the 29th of each month as “niku’ in Japanese not only translates to beef but also, the number 29. With such significance to their commitment, they have managed to cover over 2000 yakiniku restaurants till today and they aren’t stopping just yet – a fact that still leaves many bewildered.
But it wasn’t until 2014, that the Ishida’s gave up their careers at a renowned Japanese advertising agency to build upon the legacy in honour of the Yakinuquest blog that climbed to fame by kickstarting Yakiniquest in Boat Quay, Singapore. Since placing a heavier emphasis on delighting the palates of meat-lovers in Singapore through curated omakase menus, they have not looked back.
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. An alternative form of therapy in its own right.
With the spanking new location comes a new dining experience that seeks to take diners on a yakiniku journey like no other. This 64 seater includes four private dining enclaves with smokeless ceramic charcoal gas grills that offer more control to produce a finessed grilling outcome that retains the integrity of the choice cuts. Well, history class is over, it's high time we got to the food.
We eased into our omakase journey with a soul-comforting stew to start which saw the likes of fork-tender chunks of wagyu beef and sweet savoury onions. Perfect rainy day nosh if you’d ask us. Next up, the meat omakase begins with a medley of 6 different cuts that are prepared individually by the yakiniku master as they share the origin and characteristics of the cuts.
First up, we had the tongue, a lean muscle that is flash grilled to deliver a supple clean-tasting bite. Followed by the Kamenoko aka ball tip which is an unusual cut that is usually considered an offcut and unbeknownst to most. But in the hands of the skilled grill master, this sinewy cut resulted in a flavourful textural experience that amplifies with each bite.
Our favourite cuts were the striploin and the ribeye centre. The former saw thinly sliced well-marbled striploin grilled and served sukiyaki style with an umami-ladened sweet soy sauce and a luscious yolk for an overall slam dunk of a dish. While the latter was a thick slice of melt-in-your-mouth fatty meat served alongside a grated radish ponzu sauce to introduce some bright notes that help balance each unctuous bite.
Watching the Ishida’s work the grill with such care and precision, dining in Yakiniquest almost feels ceremonial but without the airs.
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