Tajimaya: Yakiniku and Omakase, Best of Both Worlds!
I’d drool over the thought of grilled meats - who’s with me? The next time you’re craving some quality, melt-in-your-mouth cuts without breaking the bank, perhaps you’ll want to head to Tajimaya Yakiniku, an authentic Japanese charcoal grill restaurant.
At Tajimaya Yakiniku, you will find Miyazaki A4 Wagyu, Kagoshima A4 beef, and A5 Ribeye beef. The main experience here in Tajimaya Yakiniku is to have your luscious, mouth-watering meats grilled directly over charcoal and drawing out the natural flavors of the meat. To add on, Tajimaya offers delivery for their Yakiniku - with the options of delivering the meats raw with/without their disposable charcoal grill that you can easily make your own barbecue experience at the comfort of your home, or opting for it to be grilled before delivery.
Apart from that, Tajimaya Yakiniku’s new outlet in Great World now serves the Omakase dining experience too! You can expect 8 extensive courses at a reasonable price! I am sure adding this to my list of affordable Omakase spots in Singapore.
Read on as we review their new 8-course Omakase set and their Tajimaya Yakiniku Tasting Platter!
Tajimaya 8-course Omakase (Lunch: $88++, Dinner: $128++)
Note: Depending on the seasonal items and the chef’s creativity for the day, the courses in the Omakase will differ.
Sakoshi Oyster with Sawakaya lemon
Kaisen Chawanmushi with Lobster, Ebi, and Gindara Sablefish
Agemono - Ama ebi, Ohba, and Asparagus
3-Sushi platter (Chidai, Hokkaido Scallop, A4 Kagoshima Short Ribs)
Otoro and Isaki
A4 Miyazaki Striploin
Inaniwa Udon
Matcha and Durian Daifuku Mochi
Kick-starting this 8-course meal with some fresh Sakoshi oyster with Sawakaya lemon. For a great additional sweet touch, the chef also recommended peeling the lavender off from the stalk and add it together with the oyster!
The Kaisen Chawanmushi follows after. Kaisen means fresh seafood in Japanese. Within a bowl of warm steamed egg packs some super fresh ebi shrimps, lobster, gindara sablefish (black codfish), and ikura (salmon roe). Some of you might think, “It’s just Chawanmushi. How great or different can it be.” And that is exactly what I had in mind when it was served. Surprisingly, Tajimaya’s chawanmushi is one of the best I had. As someone who doesn't fancy the conventional and basic chawanmushi, I like that they added fresh shrimps, lobsters, ikura, and CODFISH - the highlight to me. The codfish and lobsters are especially fresh and tender, making a plain chawanmushi taste extraordinarily different.
Agemono - Ama ebi, Ohba, and Asparagus
My tastebuds are starting to switch to something deep-fried. Instead of the standard traditional prawns that most Japanese restaurants use for their tempura or agemono, Tajimaya uses Ama ebi (sweet shrimp), which I pretty like it personally because it makes this classic deep-fried dish extra sweet and appetizing.
From right to left: Chidai with Ponzu Daikon Oroshi, Hokkaido scallop with Yuzu Kosho, A4 Kagoshima Short Ribs with Wasabi Shuyu Zuke
The Chef recommended enjoying this sushi set from the right to left.
Chidai is a Japanese sea bream. Smeared with the right amount of ponzu grated daikon radish and wasabi between the Chidai and rice, this sushi is what makes the Omakase experience so worthwhile.
In the middle, we have Hokkaido Scallop sushi with Yuzu Kosho condiment. Apart from the beef, this is probably one of my favorites out of this Tajimaya Omakase experience. The scallops are super succulent and soft. What stands out most is that it’s also drizzled with yuzu condiment - making a hotate sushi here taste different from other hotate sushis you can find elsewhere.
Last but not least, we ended this course with some A4 Kagoshima Short Ribs sushi. Need I say more? A nice cut of unseasoned A4 beef, juicy and melts in the mouth. Perfect duo with the sushi rice at the bottom.
Otoro and Isaki
Otoro - the fattiest portion of the tuna, and we all can affirm that Tajimaya has a good fresh cut when it literally melts in your mouth. Apart from that, I also had the Isaki (a Threeline Grunt Fish) which was remarkably sweet! I paused for a moment after taking the first piece - trying to process if it's the soya sauce dressing that contributed to the sweetness or if it's the freshness of the fish. I was definitely impressed. People who love sashimi, you'll definitely love this!
A4 Miyazaki Striploin
Thick and juicy A4 Miyazaki striploin slices, slightly torched to the best proportion. Good and super flavourful on its own! Enjoy some slices with the unique matcha sea salt and fried garlic at the side for a next-level pleasure. I love this so much I wish it came in a bigger portion!
Inaniwa udon
A different kind of noodle compared to the traditional udon, Inaniwa udon is made in the Inaniwa area, Akita prefecture. The udon is slightly thinner than regular udon and it’s well-known for being one of Japan's best regional dishes. While there are many varieties of udon noodles produced in Japan, only three are considered to be the best in flavor and quality. Inaniwa udon is one of them.
This is my first time trying Inaniwa udon, and I love how it is almost as thin as a soba noodle but yet retains its chewiness that udon fanatics (me) love. Paired with the hot savory broth, this staple bowl of udon is very satisfying and acts as a great end to the hot food courses in this Omakase experience. It's hard to turn back to ordinary udon after having tried Inaniwa udon!
Daifuku Mochi
Ending off this lunch course with matcha Daifuku mochi and seasonal durian mochi!
Yakiniku - Tajimaya Tasting Platter (Set for 1: $99.80, Set for 2: $198.80)
Tajimaya is known for its charcoal-grilled yakiniku. Serving both ala carte and platter sets options, Tajimaya is a go-to restaurant if you are looking for an authentic yakiniku experience like no other.
We tried the Yakiniku tasting platter this time, a highly recommended choice if you are someone who likes variety or if you are someone indecisive.
What the platter consists of:
Saga Striploin A5
Tochigi Ribeye A5
Miyazaki Chuck Short Ribs A4
Miyazaki Short Plate A4
Kagoshima Flap Meat A4
Kagoshima Ribs Finger A4
Australian Wagyu Tongue
Shirobuta Pork Collar
Kurobuta Pork Belly
Each piece and cut blows my mind away (especially the Saga Striploin A5 and Miyazaki Short Plate A4), and within a week after, I ordered the same platter for delivery for my family's mini celebration.
Current Delivery Promotion
As mentioned earlier, Tajimaya offers islandwide delivery for their Yakiniku sets, with the options of it delivered raw (with or without their disposable charcoal grill) or having it grilled beforehand. The latter is the option I went for because I was lazy to grill it at home and the need to clean the house after.
From now till 18 August, Tajimaya Yakiniku is running a whopping 50% discount on their Gourmet Takeaway Set!
Each set features different special cuts ranging from Wagyu Striploin, Kagoshima Ribeye, to Kurobuta Pork, as well as rice, soup, and other Japanese sides.
Simply check out at Oddle with promo code ‘CEtreats’ to enjoy 50% off!
*Note: Above promo is only valid for orders via Oddle (delivery and takeaway), and only applicable to Gourmet Takeaway Sets for 2 pax only. Ala carte orders are not included. Also, delivery for this gourmet takeaway set is available from 11 am to 9 pm (last order at 8:30 pm). Once dine-in is resumed, delivery hours will be switched back to normal operation hours.
Order here right away!
Tajimaya Yakiniku - Great World
*Yakiniku and Omakase are available at this outlet.
Address: 1 Kim Seng Promenade, #B1-115, Singapore 237994
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday: 12 pm to 3 pm, and 6 pm to 10 pm.
Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays: 11.30 am to 4 pm, and 6 pm to 10 pm.
Contact Number: 6970 5976
Tajimaya Yakiniku - Vivocity
*Only Yakiniku is available at this outlet.
Address: 1 Harbourfront Walk, #01-102/103, Vivocity, Singapore 098585
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday: 12 pm to 3 pm, and 6 pm to 10 pm.
Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays: 11.30 am to 4 pm, and 6 pm to 10 pm.
Contact Number: 6377 0070
This post is brought to you in collaboration with Tajimaya Yakiniku, but all reviews are independent.
