Yakiniku Kagura

Kagura is a new yakinuku (Japanese-style barbecue) restaurant, located in the vastness of Elements in West Kowloon. Its use of dim lighting and raw, earthly wood and brick decor however, allow it to stand in stark contrast to its clinical surroundings, creating a surprisingly cosy interior.

Hong Kong marks the first overseas expansion of this popular Japanese chain owned by Haruyoshi Kashiwaba. In true farm to fork style, the top notch Mirai beef is reared and sourced from his own farms, thus ensuring freshness and quality.

Barbecue dining can be fun but it can just as easily be ruined by excessive smoke and spitting fat and oil. Enter Kagura; with smoke extractors within the grills themselves and a stylish bib, they’ve ensured neither affect your dining experience. 

And so onto the menu. Appetisers range from $60 to $80 and centre around variations on kimchi and salads. We opt for the mix of kimchi – featuring cabbage, cucumber and radish – which is great but, given the small portion size, it qualifies as more of a side than a starter.

For mains, there’s everything from rice dishes to steak and bibimbaps. But with your personal griddle taunting us, it has to be a meat platter that we order. These range between $450 and $500 dependent on size and variety. We opt for the assorted supreme yakinuku platter, which comes with six types of meat – four Mirai beef cuts, chicken thighs and pork belly – all fresh and delicious and the perfect amount for a couple to share.

For dessert we can’t resist the matcha and yuzu ice creams that come beautifully presented in frozen stone bowls. The yuzu is by far our favourite – tart and with delightful floral notes.

All in all, Kagura is pretty great and compares well with many other similar joints around the city like Yakiniku Great and Woo Tung Yakiniku. The only thing that really lets it down is the friendly but inattentive service. Michael Ratcliffe