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Hey! Yakiniku is a yakiniku restaurant serving affordable and quality set meals that won’t break the bank. Located at one end of Bugis Junction just opposite the National Library, the spacious and brightly lit place is hard to miss. I have some Hey! Yakiniku hacks right at the very end of this post so be sure to read all the way till the end!

The interior is warm and well spaced out, with enough seats to hold at least 60pax without feeling claustrophobic. During all my visits on a weekend, I was seated immediately even though the restaurant was fairly packed.

The concept is simple: order your meats from the QR code provided, and start grilling at your very own grill in front of you. What’s great about their grills is that they are smokeless! No need to worry about the smell when you continue your activities for the rest of the day.

There are many set meal combinations you choose from and here’s what I’ve tried so far over multiple visits.

The Hey! Wagyu set comes with premium Australian wagyu MB 4/5 and wagyu tongue. If you’re not a big fan of cow tongues, you can get a similar set (180g) sans tongue for $29.90, although I would strongly recommend you to try the wagyu tongue because it’s extremely chewy (in a good way) and aromatic. The grilled tongue comes with its own shio tare so any gamey taste is toned down. Hey! Wagyu set has a smaller portion (120g for $25.90) but to be honest, just go for the bigger portion because it’s more fulfilling.

The Hey! set is for those who want a piece of everything. It has beef tongue, short plate (karubi) and skirt steak. This set is something that you would not get bored with because you will be rotating your meats and savouring each piece like it’s a new experience. The smaller portion (150g) is going for just $15.90, value for money for those who are not big eaters but still want a variety.

Also, having tried both the normal cow tongue and wagyu tongue, I can assure you that the wagyu tongue is definitely worth the upgrade you’re paying for.

The karubi set is something that I’d always order during my visit. In its most affordable state, the 100g set will only set you back by $9.90! But having yakiniku means eating to your heart’s content, and having the 300g portion is one of the best ways to achieve this.

If you’re game to splurge a little more during your visit, the prime karubi can fit that bill! Compared to the normal karubi, the prime version is visibly more marbled, bigger and thicker.

One thing about Hey! Yakiniku is that they will launch special sets every now and then. These sets are win-win on top of being value for money: (1) for regulars who are used to eating the same few items but welcome the occasional change in palate or (2) for first timers who are unsure what to eat and would like a bit of everything. For Christmas 2021, Hey! Yakiniku launch a Christmas Set with three types of meat — karubi, pork belly and venison. I usually only head there for the beef, so the pork belly and venison were a refreshing change.

Hey! Yakiniku offers rice bowls as well! This would appeal eapecially to those with children or to those who simply do not want to go through the hassle of grilling their own meat.

The Black Pepper Don had a surprise I was not expecting. I thought it would simply be slices of karubi beef lathered with black pepper sauce on warm, fluffy rice but lo and behold, there was a bed of sautéed bean sprouts in between the beef slices and the rice! It did feel like I was having teppanyaki, but in a bowl form. There was also a slight hint of spice from the black pepper and bean sprout seasoning which contrasted against the slightly sweet sauce and rice.

The marumi pork has got to be the cleanest and sweetest tasting pork I’ve ever eaten! I can guarantee you it’s nothing close to the pork you’re familiar with. There is absolutely no porky smell (yay to that!) at all and it’s so good on its own that I didn’t have to dip it in any sauces after grilling.

Few restaurants in Singapore carry the marumi pork because of its slightly higher price tag but I’m glad Hey! Yakiniku took the leap of faith and brought it in for their customers — first yakiniku restaurant in sg to serve this if I’m not wrong!

Hey! Yakiniku hack: They have a loyalty card which entitles you to a stamp for every $20 spent. Upon reaching the 5th stamp, you’ll be awarded with 100g chicken. Reach the 10th stamp and you get 100g pork belly while the 15th and 20th stamp bags you 100g karubi and 120g Australia wagyu respectively. I once redeemed the chicken and paired it with 300g of karubi. More than enough food and total price for 2 pax was only $19.90. What a win!

With the popularity of affordable self-grill yakiniku restaurants gaining traction in Singapore’s food scene, gone are the days where a yakiniku meal is reserved only for very special occasions. My average spend for two pax is about $45 each visit, which is considered a steal considering the experience, quality and quantity of the meats offered at this place. If you have yet to try a yakiniku restaurant, Hey! Yakiniku is a recommended choice for a great first experience.

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