Yakinikutei Ao-chan

Warning: This post features a lot of raw meat. So if looking at raw cow parts disturbs you, please close your browser now.


I absolutely love yakiniku. There's something special about cooking your own pieces of meat, getting them hot and seared on the outside and still juicy on the inside, dipping it in a sweet savoury sauce and chewing it up contentedly. It does something special to your emotions and makes you a happier person.

But in Singapore, the challenge is to find that special place that will serve you meat that you want to eat. Fortunately, a good friend who studied in Tokyo was generous enough to share this discovery with me. Yakinikutei Ao-chan is tucked away on the second floor of the Concorde Hotel shopping mall (the hotel formerly known as the Meridien). You'll recognise it from the red lanterns and the rows of chairs outside, as queues inevitably form if you don't make reservations or go early enough.

They serve several different cuts of meat, mostly beef. They also have pork, lamb, chicken and seafood if you want. But most of the diners, including us, will go there for the beef. Depending on the cut, the price of each plate will vary between $15 and $20.

They also have a wagyu menu - since AVA just lifted the ban on Japanese beef a couple of weeks ago, I doubt the Japanese wagyu has come in yet. And given the prices, it's most likely to be Australian wagyu.

We started the evening off with drinks: beers for the boys and sake (not pictured) for me.

Fat slices of lemon for dipping the beef tongue into.

The first meats arrived: wagyu harami. The meats are all pre-marinated, and they give you a sweet and savoury dipping sauce to dip into after its cooked. But the marinade is so good that the dipping sauce may not always be necessary.

karubi

tongue

Grilled to the right degree of done-ness and dipped into the lemon. This was unbelievably good.

It wasn't all meat, of course. We were diligent enough to order some veggies. Cucumber kimchi appetizer pictured below.

Japanese tomato simply sliced and served raw. This was fabulous.

We ordered a plates of mixed vegetables for grilling.

The veggies were so sweet that it prompted a discussion on how Japanese agricultural produce is always so perfect, yummy and sweet.

And we ordered more meat again! Rosu fillet pictured below.

In addition to a bowl of rice, I also had a small bowl of cold noodles. It's a clear, sour soup base and the only noodles I've seen that come with a slice of watermelon.

The noodles were springy and chewy. Perfect with the hot grilled meat.

Some pics of cooked (or half-cooked) meat)

Almost there now

PERFECT

They also serve yukke, which is raw beef marinated with korean/japanese pear.
Probably the best yukke in Singapore

And to conclude the meal, we also had negi belly tender....and.....

.....beef rib, with the bones still attached.

And the cooked product:

I realised last night that they don't advertise in mainstream publications, but only in Japanese magazines and newspapers. Which explains why every time we eat here, the locals are usually a minority group.

Pictured below is the owner of the restaurant, Ao-san, who came over to chat with my friend. Apparently she used to run a comic book shop opposite the restaurant, which he had earlier patronized and subsequently came to know about this restaurant. Watching them speak made me want to learn Japanese, if only to talk about food. This picture was taken after all the other customers had left, when she very kindly agreed to pose (for this blog).

Yakinikutei Ao-chan

100 Orchard Road #02-22/26

Concorde Hotel and Shopping Mall

Tel: 6735 6457

Opening Hours:

Weekdays - 12.15pm-2.30pm, 6.00pm - 11.00pm

Weekends & PH - 3.00pm - 10.30pm.