We Tried Japan’s First Nose-To-Tail Yakiniku Restaurant With A $50++ Wagyu Omakase

Yakiniku Gyubei has nose-to-tail yakiniku in Tanjong Pagar

If you’re not familiar with “nose-to-tail”, it’s basically a philosophy that uses the whole animal in cooking, resulting in near-zero waste. In 1999, a Japanese restaurant by the name of Yakiniku Gyubei broke new ground by being the first to apply that concept to yakiniku.  Now, some 20 years later, that restaurant has arrived on our shores.

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To see what their unique approach would yield, we dropped by their new Singapore outpost at the Tanjong Pagar mall 100 AM. What we found was a solid yakiniku experience, though not without its flaws—or, you could say, not quite “nose-to-tail” in perfection.

Food at Yakiniku Gyubei

The menu features 24 cuts of meat, sourced from cattle raised in and imported from Kyushu Prefecture. Though you can go ahead and order them a la carte, we were told that one of the best ways to enjoy the nose-to-tail concept is via the Omakase Lunch Set for Two ($100++). This set gets you six cuts of meat from one Wagyu cow, as well as two sets of salad, a side dish, and rice.

That’s quite a lot of meat to get through, so we’ll just focus on the notable ones. Our favourite cut was the Rib-maki, which is derived from the back of the ribs, sitting between the chuck and sirloin. A near-perfect meat-to-fat ratio set this cut apart from the rest, and as you’d expect from good Wagyu, it was succulent and incredibly juicy.

Its rich, beefy flavour can be further enhanced by the yakiniku sauce, salt, or lemon squeeze, depending on your preference.

The Nakaochi-kalbi, or the meat between abdominal bones, was another good cut. This was even softer than the Rib-maki, with a buttery flavour to boot. We did find it a little stringy, however, but perhaps that was down to the subpar grilling on our part.

We had clear issues with the Kamenoko, considered a rare cut of beef from the lower thigh of a cow. This cut had an overly chewy texture that kept us munching for longer than we’d liked, making it more unpleasant to eat than the other cuts.

The Uwa-bara, meanwhile, was a mixed bag. This was easily the fattiest of the bunch, and while that meant it melted in the mouth with a buttery richness, it also verged on being overwhelmingly greasy.

If the omakase is too pricey for you, you can opt for more affordable lunch sets such as the Signature Gyubei Lunch ($33.90++). This set gets you three cuts of meat, namely Wagyu beef ribs, Akami beef, and the cut of the day, as well as salad, a side dish, rice, and soup.

All three of these cuts were well-marbled and tender, and so if you’d like to minimise the risk of getting a less-than-satisfactory cut, perhaps this would be the safer option.

Ambience at Yakiniku Gyubei

With its Japanese-inspired decor and functional furnishing, Yakiniku Gyubei has fairly standard interiors for a Japanese restaurant. We appreciated the spacious and comfortable layout, with ample legroom and enough distance between tables—especially important for a barbecue setting.

Yakiniku Gyubei is a five-minute walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station.

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The verdict

Yakiniku Gyubei delivers a solid yakiniku experience with quality Wagyu beef, though not every cut impresses. If you’re after variety, the omakase set offers an interesting introduction to nose-to-tail dining, but the safer bet might be the more affordable lunch sets.

For the first Ohmi Wagyu yakiniku restaurant in Singapore, read our Ushiyama Yakiniku review. For Japanese buffets to check out, read our best Japanese buffets in Singapore guide.

Address: 100 Tras Street, #03-11, 100AM, Singapore 079027
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 10pm
Tel: 6543 6248
Website
Yakiniku Gyubei is not a halal-certified eatery.

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Photos taken by Marcus Neo.
This was a media tasting at Yakiniku Gyubei.