Gyu Kaku Review

Gyu Kaku is a Japanese restaurant specialising in BBQ. It is part of the chain of Japanese yakiniku restaurants. There are a couple of branches in Singapore and we went to the one in Marina Square, which has a google rating of 4.4 stars. It is known for its great service and food!

Gyu Kaku

Ambience at Gyu Kaku

The interior of the gyu kaku restaurant in Marina Square is pretty simple, with its usual dark wood, Japanese theme to it. I think it would be nice for groups to gather around the charcoal grill and have a good meal and chat over it.

Food at Gyu Kaku

At Gyu Kaku, you have the option of choosing either their buffet selection or ordering ala carte. We went for ala carte this time round.

Kagoshima Wagyu Premium Loin – $38.80 (80g)

Gyu Kaku offers the premium Kagoshima Wagyu, which means we have to try it right?
We ordered the Kagoshima Wagyu, which is known for its tenderness and full-bodied flavour. Throughout the muscle fibres, you can observe the well-balanced fat marbling.
Since the platter we ordered has the Kagoshima Wagyu Chuck Karubi, we added this loin as well.
We were told to grill the wagyu on the side of the grill plate instead of the middle so it will not be overcooked.
The meat was so tender, and the high amount of fat marbling allows the meat to melt a little in the mouth, yet still retaining the bite to it. As you chew on, the flavour of the beef fills up your entire mouth.

Gyu-Kaku Recommended Platter – $68.80 (400g)

We also ordered the recommended platter, which comprises of:
– Kagoshima Wagyu Chuck Karubi
– Gyu-kaku Karubi
– Fillet Cube Cut
– Pork Belly
– Chicken Basil

The Kagoshima Wagyu Chuck Karubi tastes more oily as compared to the loin. This cut of the meat is more flavourful and tastes more fatty and oily as compared to the loin. It is still tender, and still melts in the mouth, but the oiliness of the meat does make it taste a bit ‘cloy’ the more you chew on it.

The Wagyu Karubi is written as the “All Time Best Seller in Japan” on the menu, but don’t be fooled. This is not the Kagoshima Wagyu, but from the US. Similar to the Kagoshima Wagyu Chuck Karubi, the flavour of this cut of meat is stronger, and it is also oilier. In terms of the fattiness and oiliness when chewing, this is definitely stronger than the Kagoshima Wagyu Chuck Karubi. It is also not as tender as that. Hence, this cut is not really our favourite.

The fillet cube cut, on the other hand is surprisingly delicious. The cube shape of the meat offers more bite to the cut. The meat is tender and flavourful. Overall, a rather decent cut.

The pork belly here taste really crispy and the fats melts into your mouth when you bite into it. The charcoal grilled taste and the pork belly fats flavour burst in the mouth when you chew. This is really nice.

The chicken basil on the other hand, lacks flavour. It tastes like it was not marinated beforehand and just tastes awful and bland. Do not recommend ordering this.

Pork Belly (Garlic Chilli Oil) – $7.80

This pork belly was the best dish we ordered. The meat is sliced in the right thickness. When you bite into it, the crispiness of the surface of the pork belly, alongside with the charcoal-grilled fragrance and taste, and the flavourful pork belly fats melting in the mouth really wow-ed us immediately. Both of us looked at each other with surprise on how good the pork belly was.
The garlic chilli oil adds on to the pork belly another layer of flavour. The oil is more fragrant rather than spicy, but complements the pork belly really well.
This pork belly was really good and we highly recommend you getting it!

Scallops with Butter and Soy Sauce – $6.80

We also ordered scallops as everything else was meat. However, this dish was rather mediocre. The scallops were rather tasteless, and even when you cook it in the butter and soy sauce, the flavours doesn’t penetrate in. It does not taste as good as it looks.

Service

The service here is really good! The waiter and waitress attended to our needs promptly.
Additionally, when the food was served, the server took the extra step to explain the way to cook the meat, or if the sauce was for dipping or for adding into the dish. I really appreciate such services.

Price: $$$
Overall Rating: 3/5

Gyu-Kaku @Marina Square
6 Raffles Blvd, #02-106 Marina Square, Singapore 039594
Opening hours: 11:30am – 10pm, Daily