Yakiniku Like: Its Cool to BBQ Solo!

Yakiniku Like revolutionized traditional yakiniku dining when they started their first restaurant in Japan in 2018. Since then, the brand of solo yakiniku dining has quickly spread across Asia and spawned other fast food yakiniku brands . They opened their first restaurant in Singapore in 2020 to long snaking queues. With their latest outlet at Tampines One, they are the largest Yakiniku restaurant chain with 11 outlets across the island.

We identified the key factors behind their success and reviewed some of their popular value sets below.

Ohitori Sama Culture

Yakiniku has traditionally been a social and time-consuming affair. By offering individual smokeless electric grills at each seat, they have designed a restaurant concept that makes it acceptable for diners to enjoy grilled meats while enjoying some “me time”.

It’s a predictable development in Japanese culture which is renowned for its quirky innovations like capsule hotels and solo karaoke booths. This concept stems from the “ohitori sama” culture, which gained traction in the early 2000s. Late journalist Iwashita Kumiko wrote a novel in 1999 called O-hitori Sama Kojo Iinkai (the Committee for Advancing the Interests of People Who Do Things Alone). It popularized the trend of single women enjoying activities on their own.

Although there aren’t individual booths here, you do get some privacy with a partition placed in front of you. This prevents eye contact with the person seated across the table. You also have your own personal smokeless grill, with only the sauces shared with the person next to you. For those who prefer not to dine alone, they have tables with slightly larger grills where two or more people can sit opposite each other.

Keys to Success

The concept focuses on speed and convenience without sacrificing quality. Meals are prepared to be served in just a few minutes. This is ideal choice for busy individuals looking for a satisfying meal without a long wait.

If you have to wait, it will likely be outside the restaurant, if it’s crowded. One hack is to get a queue number even before heading down to the restaurant. But note that you need to be at the store to hear your number being called.

The menu features a variety of meat cuts and set meals at affordable prices, catering to a broad customer base—hence their tagline: Tasty, Quick, and Value!

Tasty Sets with Nett Pricing

As a yakiniku restaurant, the spotlight is on beef, though they also provide a limited selection of pork, chicken, and seafood. Diners can choose from U.S., New Zealand, and Japanese Wagyu options. To keep prices affordable, the menu features mainly secondary cuts like short plate, blade, and skirt. The most popular beef choice is the short plate (Karubi). It is appreciated for its layers of meat and fat that render nicely on the grill.

In keeping with their Value proposition, they’ve made a conscious effort to offer nett pricing. That is even with GST hikes. That way, you know exactly how much you need to fork out. All their sets come with a bowl of rice, seaweed soup and a choice of Kimchi or Salad. We like that they use good quality Hokkaido (Nanatsuboshi) rice and you have a choice of how much you want.

If you are not overly hungry but needing a quick fix of some grilled meats, you can settled for a Pork and Chicken (100g) set meal for just $9.90 nett.

For a more indulgent experience, the Japanese A5 Wagyu Misuji (oyster blade) delivers that unctuous melt-in-your-mouth texture that Wagyu is known for. They also have other premium cuts like Japanese A5 Wagyu Karubi (short rib) for those looking for crazy marbling. If you are after something with more flavour and chew, then the harami (skirt) is what you should be gunning for.

Sides and Sauces

Another thing that makes them special is their selection of sauces which we felt were very well formulated to go with the meats. Our favourites are the Garlic Soy and LIKE Original BBQ sauces. Only in Singapore and some South East Asian countries, you’ll find Chilli Padi and Garlic Chili sauce at your table too! They also offer different sides to enhance your Yakiniku experience.

Ways to enjoy your grilled meats

While the classic method of grilling the meat and dipping in a sauce is always a favourite, there are other creative ways to enjoy yakiniku here.

For the more adventurous, try this unique twist: the Tamago Sando. This is where grilled meats are sandwiched between two slices of lightly grilled, sweet Japanese egg omelette. It may sound weird, but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!

For those on a keto diet, you can simply order some sanchu lettuce to wrap your juicy grilled meats with. For us, we love to simply kiap (pinch) some rice with a piece of grilled meat and pop into our mouths!

Conclusion

This is the perfect spot for a quick, delicious, and affordable meal of grilled meats and rice. They especially cater to solo diners, so there is no need to round up friends to indulge in yakiniku! With individual grills at each seat, you can savour your meal at your own pace and enjoy some “me time”. They also cater to groups, of course!

Disclosure: This post is written in partnership with Yakiniku Like. Opinions expressed are those of our own.