While I have been a fan of solo-dining-themed Japanese BBQ restaurants as of late (love you Yakiniku-like), I still appreciate a good old-school Japanese BBQ Restaurant. And here comes my recent visit to Yakinikutei Ao-Chan to celebrate my meat-loving dad’s birthday. A bit of a splurge, the Japanese Wagyu Assorted ($66/ 170g) came with the option of salted or sauce and we went with the former to get the natural beefy flavours. They were indeed well-marbled, robust and cooked pretty quickly on the grill. However, for an affordable (more satisfying) cut, the beef Belly Tender Prime ($22.80) came recommended by the staff. With better value, the rather fatty, (wee bit) thicker cuts arrived nicely seasoned with sauce. We also had the thinly sliced Ox Tongue Prime with Salt and Pepper ($22). I have tried Ox tongue less than a handful of times and generally don’t like it for its usual chewiness but theirs was one of the better ones as the mild-tasting cut was surprisingly melty and succulent. Lastly, we had the Iberian Pork Assorted ($50 / 300g) with cuts of secreto, ton toro and ton toro karubi. They were decadently fatty, moreish and offered up more varied textural bites.
Their garlic rice ($7) was really good & cheap compared to other japanese restaurants. Although the total bill came out to be a bit hefty, the whole experience was worrh it. There was 5 different type of beef to try. Great to try out their different cuts.
This. Literally. Melted. In. My. Mouth. It doesn’t taste like beef at all because it melted the moment it was in my mouth. It was $38 for 8 slices of beef but i would say it is definitely worth trying since you can’t travel to Japan right now. SO GOOD.
The ume was hard and so difficult to eat, but it does a nice job or perfuming the rice with a citrusy fragrance to cut thru the fattiness of the meat
Tell me that doesn't look like A5. Totally melts in your mouth, really lucky to get such a marbled piece despite it being supposedly A4. Flame the exterior, rest it as the fat renders more, and enjoy. Gets jelak so don't order too many of this first
It's the intercostal muscles I believe. Really difficult to cook, it's slightly dry despite being marinated and doesn't have a sheen unlike the other meats once u cook it. Kinda sticks to the grill. Ideally it's seared on all sides without overcooking the interior, but I ended up undercooking the interior for some pieces(they are not uniformly thick).
Not to mention it curls up and twists, making it even harder to cook each surface properly.
By right there's quite a lot of flavour, but only if u do it right. I'll advise only order if you know what you're doing
The thinly sliced tongue cooks very fast but this you can afford to go lower on the flame(and cook at the side) to achieve a super satisfying and less chewy bite. Though there's no way u can slow cook it until it's tender. Highly recommended if you know what you're doing and you enjoy tongue
P.S. what I do is quickly sear both sides on high flame to get some colour, before "slow" cooking them at the side at low heat
AUS wagyu is more marbled, finally tastes abit like wagyu and not so chewy. Quality was ok except that one of the cubes was 90% fat.
P.S. they don't use charcoal, it's an electric? stove that lets you adjust the strength of the flame. I much prefer charcoal though, even if just for the authenticity
Slathered with a sweet sauce, the liver shrinks upon cooking. Tendon was super chewy and quite hard, really difficult to cook. I guess u just have to accept that texture
Quite a generous portion, this was not bad, esp if cooked well. If u like beef tongue, order the thick slice or the Sendai aged tongue
Karubi, belly prime and roast.
Decent, abit more marbling than I expected for US beef but there's definitely gonna be a chew. Guess the price matches the quality
P.S. finally got to this institution but don't really get the hype. Yes it's value for money, but the highest grade they serve is A4. Also doesn't seem super authentic, only one of the staff is Japanese and the rest are Chinese/Singaporean, not that it really matters. The staff also don't really know the cuts/origins of the meat
This came highly recommended by my Japanese colleagues. The best wagyu there melts in your mouth. Super good value if you order the lunch set!
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The A5 Toro Karubi was to die for, and will really melt in your mouth ($42++). .
In the next picture, we tried the Ox Tongue, which was also of very good quality ($17.80++). .
Overall a very cozy Japanese eatery with relatively affordable prices. I definitely coming back here again in the near future!
visit this place quite often! i wouldn’t say that it’s cheap but it’s affordable because japanese bbq are usually quite expensive. try it!
Go!!!
Good quality yakiniku in the heart of town. The A5 Toro Karubi Hokkaido Snow Beef is so sinful but yet at the same time worth every calorie. Melts in your mouth no doubt!
Read more about Yakinikutei Ao-Chan here: https://littlemissramen.wordpress.com/2018/02/02/yakinikutei-ao-chan/
Set within Concorde Hotel Singapore, this understated yakiniku restaurant is a hit amongst Japanese expats as well as local families, all of whom flock here for an authentic Japanese barbecue experience. Prices are on the higher side, but Burppler Yeung Kai Ho guarantees that the quality of the meats more than justifies it — make this a pay-day splurge, if you must! Burppler Lionel Ong likes that the meats are marinated very lightly yet so flavourful you can do away with salts and dips. The selection of beef here is stellar and you won't go wrong no matter which cuts you choose. Consider the Special Cube Belly Prime ($19.80) and Belly Tender Prime ($19.30). According to Burppler Neko Eats, they also offer Sets (averaging $40) — the cuts in the beef have great marbling, while the non-beef set sees a good variety including prawns, scallops and venison. Pro tip: Seats are limited, so call ahead to book.
Avg price: $60
Photo by Burppler Yeung Kai Ho
The beef was really tender and I really like it. Added some seasoning and it tastes Super yummy!
It's really yummy and the meat is so tenderrrrr! It's on the pricey side but it's really worth it. They are usually very busy and it's best if you call in for reservations. You have to grill the meat yourself which I like as I usually prefer it medium rare or more rare.
They have beef sets and non-beef set. Which is around $40. The non-beef have prawns, scallops, deer meat etc. But prepare to splurge when you go there!
The marbling is really nice and there's Japanese and Koreans there. That's when you know that place is Super legit and good. Would love to go back to try the potato salad and lunch sets.
Very juicy and the meats were marinated very lightly that you don't need any other dips or salt and at the same time grasp the full flavour of the meat. I am impressed.
