Yakiniku Heijoen’s wagyu doesn’t really make the cut

NEW RESTAURANT 

Yakiniku Heijoen #05-31 Ngee Ann City 391 Orchard Road Singapore 238872 Tel: 6634-1411 Open daily for lunch and dinner: 11am to 3pm; 6pm to 10pm

THERE’S a new yakiniku in town and its claim to fame is that it has relatives in Japan with the same name. But what we want to know is which branch of the family tree it hangs on - the original lineage or some secret offspring that took the name and a few dodgy cows, and flew cattle class to Singapore to open a joint in Ngee Ann City. 

It must have been in a hurry too. Instead of establishing its own identity and look, it took over everything but the name plate from the previous Magosaburo restaurant on the fifth floor. So when you step into Yakiniku Heijoen, it’s not to the freshness of a spanking new barbecue concept but the dim, defeated air of an old restaurant that’s lost its will to grill. 

Granted, some of the best yakiniku eateries in Tokyo are not the prettiest. They’re so old, dim and grubby that you don’t dare to stretch in case your hands touch some debris that hasn’t been discovered since the Edo period. But they know their beef. They know every part of the cow from its ribs to its three stomachs and they serve it all fresh, well-marbled and expertly cut, sourced from reliable suppliers. And their prices are so down to earth you can eat till it hurts and roll out to the tune of under S$250 for two. With drinks. And that’s considered a splurge. 

It’s hard to say if Heijoen knows its beef. It apparently has a branch in Tras Street which we’ve never been to. But going by the Ngee Ann outlet, one suspects a good heart-to-heart with their suppliers would be a good idea. 

THE BUSINESS TIMES INSIGHTS

Powering Asean's Future 2026

Find out how enterprises are navigating power constraints and sustainability targets

ACCESS THE INSIGHTS

For what they charge, the quality is surprisingly average. To cover our bases, we pick the Wahousen assortment (S$169), which covers the house-picked steak cuts, kalbi, rosu (chuck meat), non-wagyu tongue, and other secondary cuts. It comes splayed out like sashimi in a sampan-shaped vessel - a mix of pink marbling and varying stages of oxidation. 

They label it as A5 marbled Kagoshima beef and it could well be true, but the question is how long they kept it for and how it was processed. It’s fatty but greasy, and some give off a whiff of eau de damp-rag for good measure. 

Tellingly, it’s the only non-wagyu item - beef tongue - that is halfway decent, cooking to a pleasant tender-crisp resilience. 

SEE ALSO

Soul-searching needed at mod-Japanese eatery Wagatomo

If you want the ‘real’ McCoy, be prepared to shell out S$109.90 for 150gm of ribeye or fillet steak, and S$149.90 for chateaubriand. But there are cheaper cuts of kalbi and outside skirt in the S$25.90 to S$49.90 range. 

We compromise with one slice of ‘chack flap’ (pretend to cough while pronouncing ‘chuck flap’) at S$25.90. It’s heavily marinated but pleasant enough when draped over the fire for a few seconds and then dipped into raw egg yolk for a velvety, rich mouthfeel. 

If you’re into offal, this isn’t the place for it. It’s very cheap at S$16.90 for the first stomach (the other two got away) and S$15.90 for the large intestine. We don’t recommend these anywhere in the world anyway, unless you like squeamish, fatty textures that end up as unchewable latex. 

As a side dish, the Heijoen salad (S$14.90) is surprisingly good. A mountain of greens is doused in too much creamy dressing but it’s the stracciatella-like cheesy tofu that gives it an extra level of oomph.

By the same token, skip the cold noodles (S$14.90) - long strips of transparent pasta that would stay cold and hard no matter how much you plead with them. The ice bath of broth - kimchi flavoured water - does not improve their mood. 

Service is typical yakiniku-style - non-existent unless you call for it. But the staff are friendly and efficient, even taking the stomach away to the kitchen to cook when we give up ourselves. But it still comes back inedible. 

Yakiniku Heijoen benefits from a great, convenient location and still has the potential to turn around if it gives people what they want - good meat at good value. Or at least just fresher stuff. Until then, Japanese yakiniku family ties are all they have but for us, that’s not enough.

Rating: 5