BBQ may not always be just about the food; it's also about the fun of doing it by yourself. And the fun in getting all busy with your food on the BBQ pit with your own hands is what this is all about. And of course, premium-quality ingredients offered at this DIY BBQ is another key reason why you should head down for a sizzling night of good food and fun.
While BBQ is an art and a science, it can be a lot more uncomplicated and fun.
At Ryo Yakiniku, it's definitely more of a fun thing than anything complex. I, for one, enjoyed the DIY BBQ experience, although I had my fair share of boo-boos being a BBQ noob. Fortunately, everything turned out to be edibly delicious! LOL!
Can't resist some finger food
Above: The Mentaiko Fries were an umami bomb that are so good! Other deep-fried finger food dishes are also available, if you're in the mood for some
I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of deep-fried finger food. But when every other table around me seemed to be tucking into at least one of these finger food dishes, I succumbed to the temptation.
And while there's guilt, there wasn't any regret.
I started off with the delicious Mentaiko Fries, which was nothing short of an umami bomb. Mentaiko sauce is my all-time soft spot and lapping up all that sauce with the yummy French fries really made me a happy man! And I'm glad that that set a happy tone for the evening to come.
The Chicken Karaage and Prawn Tempura added to the variety, but they probably aren't as impressive as the Mentaiko Fries in my opinion.
Fresh meats, seafood & veggies
Above: The grilled salmon belly was fresh and tender with a nice charred flavour
And the real show began when I lit up the grill and tried my hand at the BBQ. I started off with the skewered salmon belly and clumsily grilled it skin-side up, when I should be doing it the other way round. As you can see, the skewered salmon belly turned out to be salmon belly flakes in the end!
Despite that, the grilled salmon belly was what I enjoyed most from the grill. It tasted really fresh with a nice charred flavour, and the texture was really tender and moist. I could eat that all night!
Above: Love the chicken that's so well marinated
Chicken is my staple meat and the chicken here is really fresh and well marinated. So good that I wiped out everything. And I think I probably did a better job grilling the chicken, compared to the salmon belly.
Above: I'm not a lamb person but I'm impressed with the well-marinated lamb
Lamb seems to be a crowd-pleaser here, and so I tried that as well, even though I'm not quite a lamb person. And I've got to say that I'm pleasantly impressed by it. The fresh lamb wasn't as gamey as I thought it would be as it's quite well marinated, and probably because the Garlic Teriyaki Sauce totally levelled up its flavours.
For those who take beef, premium-quality beef can also be found on the menu. And that includes Wagyu beef from Japan as well as Angus beef from the U.S.
Above: I love grilled veggies and this platter is right up my alley
In case it gets all too meaty for you, there's also a selection of vegetables, including a variety of mushrooms. I love the colourful sweet vegetables, which added more flavours to the grilled meats, and I especially adore the grilled mushrooms. Yums!
A shout-out to the delicious oysters!
Above: Super-fresh sashimi-grade oysters from Japan's Hyogo Prefecture with torched Japanese mayonnaise, seaweed, and sesame seeds
The grand finale of my meal were a pair of huge sashimi-grade oysters from Hyogo Prefecture in Japan, topped with torched Japanese mayonnaise, seaweed flakes, and sesame seeds, on the recommendation of one of the business owners.
There's literally nothing fishy (pun intended!) about the oysters, as they were super-fresh. And they actually tasted sweet, savoury, and really umami — especially when the mayonnaise and seaweed added to the overall umami-ness. But I didn't exactly taste the sesame seeds; that's probably because the flavours of the mayonnaise had overpowered it.
Nevertheless, this dish easily scored a resounding "wow!" from me.
And just to highlight this to you: you can actually choose to either eat the oysters raw or heat it over the grill. But as I was told that they were "sashimi-grade", I had to validate that by eating it à la sashimi. And they truly lived up to their grade.
A sizzling night to enjoy
Ryo Yakiniku is nestled within an industrial property's non-aircon coffee shop, which is well ventilated and breezy. And when night falls and the fairy lights light up, this place looks kinda dreamy. I'm not sure if I can call this "ambience", but I personally think that the fairy lights gave the place some chill vibes.
If there's anything I think could be done better, it would be swapping those one-off disposable crockery and cutlery with something more proper and reusable. To me, they made the food look like takeaways and didn't do justice to the premium-quality ingredients that they carry.
Otherwise, this is an interesting place to explore if you're in the mood for some grilled food, and don't mind being your own chef for the night.
Locate it
Address:
Ryo Yakiniku
61 Tai Seng Avenue
Singapore 534167
Operating Hours:
Opens daily, 5 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Call:
9066 0981
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