Prime Gyu-Kaku @ Chijmes ~ Japanese BBQ Restaurant For Delicious 100% Purebred Kagoshima Wagyu

The meal at Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Restaurant was one of my more memorable ones recently. Ooh luscious slices of prime Kuroge Wagyu Beef, how would I ever forget you?!

Gyu-Kaku, meaning "horn of the bull" in Japanese, has undoubtedly strike the bull's eyes with their concept of offering good food at reasonable prices with excellent service and atmosphere. Okay, you might say, isn't there a whole load of restaurants holding similar promises yet falls short on delivery? Well, not Gyu-Kaku. Their popularity could be the best attestation to that.

Since the opening of their first restaurant in Japan in year 1996, to the expansion of 1000 outlets within the country alone, and not counting the numerous franchise in Asean, Canada as well as USA, Gyu-Kaku is undeniably a success. There's certainly no stopping this BBQ restaurant chain from charging forward.

In Singapore, you can find Gyu-Kaku at Anchorpoint, OneKM, UE Square, Velocity@Novena and Chijmes, the outlet which I went to.

I was lured over with the bait of their new menu which features Kuroge Wagyu beef.

Kuroge what again? Most of us might more familiar with Kobe, Matsusaka or Omi beef, but the thing that Kuroge have with them in common: They are all premium Wagyu, albeit from different areas of Japan.

Kuroge Wagyu, from the 100% pure Japanese Black Hair Wagyu breed, is famed for its intense marbling. The cows are barn-raised in Kagoshima prefecture in Kyushu, Japan and is said to be sweeter and tenderer than its field-bred Australian Wagyu counterpart.

The Prime Kagoshima Kuroge Wagyu which Gyu-Kaku serves is directly imported from its birthplace in Japan. I thought the pricing will be correlatively high, but the damage wasn't that bad at all. A 80 grams portion is at $35, while 210 grams is at $41.

My fail-proof way to enjoy these premium meat is to grill it over the hot charcoal heat, give it a quick flip once the fat starts melting and sizzling to ensure it doesn't overcook, and send each slice of succulent deliciousness into my mouth. It was so bliss-inducing!

Even though Gyu-Kaku provide a variety of sauces to complement their beef, I thought just a bit of salt was sufficient to enhance its natural flavours. Still, I would recommend you to try the garlic chilli dip which paired exceedingly well with the Fire Karubi ($7). The spiciness level of the chilli dip was just about right, and the bits of aromatic crisp garlic made it irresistibly addictive, perfecting the short rib in this delightful union.

The thicker-cut King Harami ($10) was good enough on its own, but equally enjoyable when eaten with Vegetable Wrap Set ($5) comprising of fresh lettuce, mayonnaise, spicy miso, chilli padi and garlic.

Fans of sushi wouldn't want to miss the Aburi Wagyu Sushi ($8) too, and there are also a host of other dishes such as fresh, crunchy Shrimps in Garlic Butter ($5), Assorted Mushrooms with Butter ($8) cooked within a foil over the charcoal grill, and Seafood Chige Soup ($12) brimming with prawns, scallops and silky tofu in spicy broth. I whacked everything! Lol!

Dessert-wise, we were recommended the Sweet Potato with Vanilla Ice Cream ($3.90), which I overheard someone describing it as "soggy fries with ice cream". It wasn't that bad but it's not exactly something which I would crave for again.

The Gyu-Kaku Signature Milk Pudding ($3.90) was another story altogether. Velvety smooth pudding with brown sugar syrup and a sprinkling of soya bean powder, it was a subtle beauty which doesn't scream immediate attention at once, but soon won me over gradually with each spoonful of its delicate loveliness. Its level of sweetness suited me just fine, but that was a sweetest ending to the wondrous yakiniku dinner.

The only grouse I had was that the place felt a tad warm as I progressed further into the meal, and the burning fire from the charcoal grill didn't help, but foodwise, there wasn't anything I want to complain about. I would definitely return to Gyu-Kaku for those Wagyu beefy goodness again.

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Restaurant
Website: http://www.gyu-kaku.com.sg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GyuKakuJapaneseBBQ

Outlets
Anchorpoint
Address: 368 Alexandra Road, Anchorpoint, Singapore 159952
Contact: +65 6479 4001
Opening Hours: Daily Lunch 12pm-2.30pm / Dinner 5.30pm-10.30pm

Chijmes
Address: 30 Victoria Street, #01-01/02, Singapore 187996
Contact: +65 6333 4001
Opening Hours: Daily Lunch 12pm-2.30pm / Dinner 5.30pm-11pm

OneKM
Address: 11 Tanjong Katong Road, #01-16 OneKM, Singapore 437157
Contact: +65 6362 4001
Opening Hours: Daily 12pm-11pm

UE Square
Address: 81A Clemenceau Avenue, #01-18/19 UE Square, Singapore 239918
Contact: +65 6733 4001
Opening Hours:Daily Lunch 12pm-2.30pm / Dinner 6pm-11.30pm

Velocity@Novena
Address: 238 Thomson Road, #02-46 Novena Square, Singapore 307683
Contact: +65 6252 4001
Opening Hours: Daily 11.30am-10pm