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It used to be that when you saw a viral Japanese restaurant pop up on your For You page, you'd have to book a flight to Tokyo to try it for yourself. Increasingly, that is no longer the case. Following in the footsteps of China's F&B chains, Japanese brands have been steadily setting up shop in Singapore, bringing cult favourites like Torikizoku, Cheese Wonder and more to our doorstep.
The newest to land on our shores is the Tokyo-born Hikiniku To Come, a hamburg steak specialist which recently opened in VivoCity. Its name literally means "steak on rice", and that's exactly what you are served. In fact, there is only one thing you can order at the standing kiosk: a signature set ($27.90), which comes with three patties, refillable rice, miso soup, a side dish (your choice between potato salad and kimchi), and a raw egg.
You are then guided to your seat, which is one among a series of 28 stools angled towards a central grilling station. All eyes are on the binchotan charcoal grill, where each round is shaped by hand and fired up expertly, developing a uniform sear on each side. The three pieces are served in succession for you to enjoy them at their absolute freshest, and placed on your own personal grill, which is also kept warm by charcoal. There is also a detailed guide in your drawer with a rundown of all eight sauces and condiments on the table.
First, try the patty on its own. It's incredibly juicy, with each bite coating your lips with an oily sheen. The rounds are made of 100 percent Japanese beef (albeit unspecified), finely ground with an even texture, well-seasoned, and cooked through all the way. There is noticeably no deep, beefy flavour, just the slightest trace of smokiness from the charcoal. It's easy to wolf it down in several bites, but take time to savour it over fluffy and slightly sweet Japanese pearl rice, which pliantly absorbs every drop of oil and juice from the meat.
When you are almost done with the first portion, the staff plates up the second serving, which is meant to go with pickled daikon radish and a splash of ponzu vinegar. This turns out to be our favourite combination of the day, with the crunchy texture of the radish complementing the tenderness of the patty, and the ponzu adding a slight hint of acidity. Though by now, we are in dire need of a rice refill.
For the third and final piece, you are encouraged to dip in raw egg, mixed in with a bit of soy sauce. This is not the time to get squeamish – the yolk adds a luxurious silkiness to the meat, and with a few shreds of soy sauce flakes, you get an even deeper, more savoury mouthful. Or, pour a bit of the egg mixture over your rice for a hearty tamogo kake gohan (egg over rice) moment. There are still other condiments to try – the Japanese pepper sauce and oil-marinated green chillies are lovely, but our favourite is the salted lemon green chilli sauce, which gives a zingy contrast to the intense flavours.
For something more unique, reach for the Xin Jiang spice mix, which completely transforms the flavour of the steak thanks to the cumin, fried garlic flakes, or plum vinegar-pickled Chinese cabbage as an intermission between servings. The combinations are endless. If we were to nitpick, the heavy-handed seasoning of the patties does leave less room for sauce pairings, so don't be surprised if you catch yourself polishing off a second or third bowl of rice – at least they come free.
With the hamburg steaks holding their own so well, the other side dishes become rather unmemorable, save for the kimchi, which is not quite kimchi in the Korean sense, but more of a fresh cabbage salad with a spicy dressing. But we highly recommend ordering the house-made ginger soda, which is punchy, refreshing, and just what you need to wash down the grease and oil before reaching for another bite.
Time Out's rating: 5/5
It's hard not to draw a comparison between Hikiniku To Come and the recently opened Niku Niku Oh!! Kome – now with two locations at Westgate and Resorts World Sentosa. At $27.90, Hikiniku's set is almost twice the price of Niku Niku's basic $16.80 meal. But this is also a more polished experience from start to finish, and the proof is in the... patty. Hikiniku's is juicier, more tender, evenly textured, well-seasoned, cooked through, and perfectly enjoyable on its own, without having to rely on sauces to do the heavy lifting. So if you ask us if the price jump is worth paying for, we'd say yes.
Note: Hikiniku To Come currently only accepts walk-ins, with a digital queue system put in place once the restaurant reaches full capacity. As there are only 28 seats, make sure to arrive early and be prepared to wait.
Hikiniku To Come is open daily from 11am to 10pm at 1 Habourfront Walk, VivoCity, #01-102/103, Singapore 098585.
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