No one does beef quite like the Japanese, especially in restaurants that have special access to rarer types of Wagyu, setting the gold standard for meat. Bringing this elevated level of dining from Ginza to Singapore is Nikuya Tanaka – a kappo-style steakhouse that’s been rated Japan’s number one in the 101 world’s best steak restaurants for two years running. In the most recent edition of the awards list, it was also named the 27th best steakhouse in the world and one of the top three in Asia.
Nikuya Tanaka was born from decades of meat mastery by the Tanaka family. Helmed by third-generation owner Satoru Tanaka – whose father and grandfather were a butcher and cowherd, respectively – the grill restaurant prides itself on its purebred Tajima Wagyu, which accounts for less than 0.1 percent of Japanese beef. Each cow is personally selected by chef-owner Tanaka himself to maintain top-notch quality for optimum marbling and texture.
The same precision is applied to preparation methods, which include binchotan charcoal grilling and sashimi. At the original outlet in Tokyo, seating is kept intimate with just nine coveted counter spots in front of an open kitchen, ensuring that each diner and their meal receives sufficient attention. The Singapore outpost – also Nikuya Tanaka’s first international opening – mirrors this with only 10 counter seats, and five in a private dining room.
Melty cuts of beef aside, diners can also look forward to slurping up a bowl of refreshing chilled citrus-infused noodles, served in hand-carved bowls fashioned out of pure ice.
Nikuya Tanaka’s Singapore outlet is located at 1 Teck Lim Road, open daily for lunch and dinner. An omakase lunch starts from $280, while dinner starts from $420. Make your reservation here.
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