Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Restaurant (Chijmes)

I had heard of this place some time ago that actually serves quite good Japanese BBQ food, however it always looks very classy from outside and dare not walk in and give it a try. On a special day (and well someone giving me a treat), and since I am in the area, decided to walk in and give this place a try regardless of the price. Hee…. Feeling brave huh? You can say that. Haha……

On outside, the decoration of the place reminds of those old Japanese restaurants in Japan. It does have a old tradition touch to it. Once we walked through the door, we were immediately greeted with the normal kind of Japanese greetings and echoes of it were heard throughout of the place. We were ushered to our seats. Inside the decoration were the same as outside, traditional kind of decoration. There are small little sections that can seat up 4 to 6 people and also large sections that can hold up big groups as well. They got private rooms as well.

Once we were seated, menus were served and we were sort of overwhelmed by the variety of food, from different kind of meat from beef to chicken and to seafood and vegetables as well. There are also set meals with wine included but these were kind of out of our budget. It seems that all the food are to be BBQed and there are no cooked food on the menu.

In the end, we ordered a seafood assorted set, a plate of chicken, a plate of sirloin beef and a plate of assorted vegetables.

Once the order is done, also immediately, they will serve up a pot of hot burning charcoal in front of you. The special thing about this charcoal is it is smokeless so it will not really be smoky for the whole place while cooking and it does not leave a burning smell on you when you leave the place as well. They are hot but they do not have any lit fire. Sitting near them can actually feel the heat already.

Next came the food, please note that the food came raw as we have to cooked them ourselves.

Assorted vegetables - A big plate of vegetables are served up. They include, corn on cob, leeks, asparagus, mushroom, green pepper, carrots. The portions are quite big and fresh as well. It is interesting to cook them on the stove and have to keep in mind that the stove is very hot, therefore the vegetables actually get cooked very fast, leave them any longer on the stove, they will be burnt. Well that happened to the first few anyway. Haa…. With a little burnt on the outer, they actually tasted quite good, especially with the green pepper and corn. The mushroom actually managed to retain its juice inside, making it crispy outside but full of juice inside.

Chicken – The chicken came marinated and cut into smaller but thick pieces. It will take some time to cook due to the thick slices. However once they are cooked, they are very good. The meat is tender and will not lost its flavour when BBQ. It is cooked to a bit burnt on the outer side.

Beef – This came in cube slices and it is also marinated as well. Beef is easier to cook as they no need to be fully cooked. However the stove being very hot, it will take a very short time to cook the meat. The beef here although not being the top grade, it is tender as well and juicy as well, with the fats slightly melted.

Assorted seafood set – This came as a surprised as the portions are really huge! It got big tiger prawns, scallops, a big full sotong, and two big slices of salmon. It was great! The seafood is really fresh as if they just got out of water. Cooking them is a breeze. The hard one is the sotong, as it is in full size and need them to cut up into smaller pieces as the outside is cooked but the inner is still not cooked. They provided butter for the salmon, and they are placed in the aluminum foils as well, it is like frying them instead. This is really worth the money especially on the big portions on seafood, even they only come in 2 pieces each.

The service of the crew is good and very detailed. They are always on the look out of the stove every time they walked past. They will either change the grill (if it turns black) or they will add in charcoal. They are also pro active, like the case of the sotong, they offered to cut it into smaller pieces for me so that it will be easier to cook as well. They do serve ice water and never fails to top up the water as well. When they served the food, they will also advise on how long to cook the food. Good for first timers like us. Hee…

Oh yes, don't worry, tongs will be provided to make yr bbqing easier and more fun. It is like bbqing inside a room.

Overall the meal; cost around $90 for 2 pax if my memory did not failed me. A bit on the expensive side but then it is a good experience. I am quite happy with the experience except that I dun think I will return soon because fo the price.

The place does get packed rather soon during meal times so if possible make a reservation before going down. it does save you from not getting a table and being disappointed.

Between this and Korean BBQ, well of course there are difference and each got its own pros and cons. However, if they are like the Koreans, able to cook it right in front of us, it will be better. Especially for lazy people like me. Haha….. Korean BBQ also have a lot of small side dishes whereas this does not have. For me, both are as good, just depends what I feel like having then. Hee….. What about you?