In a row of pre-war Joo Chiat shophouses lies this Japanese yakitori restaurant. It’s nothing fancy, nothing particularly striking. But it’s the wafting scent of freshly grilled meat, lit-up neon signages, and kitsch Japanese knick-knacks that stops people right in their tracks. That’s how we ended up here one late weekday night, after finding out that most of our favourite restaurants in Katong were closed for the day.
Nee Yakitori first opened in late 2020, just before the Covid outbreak. As it goes for any newly-opened F&B joint of the time, it was a struggle to pull through the pandemic – but now, they’ve reached a sound level of popularity. Not that people are forming snaking queues outside their doors, but it’s still filled with hungry diners on the regular.
You’ll be seated by the friendly waitstaff. The service here is impeccable and goes beyond a warm smile – one of them might very well be the owner herself. In any case, flip through the menu. It might appear fairly run-of-the-mill at first glance, with skewers like gyuniku shioyaki (beef with salt, $6.50) and tebasaki (chicken mid wing, $3.50) but granted, they are izakaya faves for good reason.
We ordered a range, from asparagus gyuniku ($4.50) to a plate of shishamo shioyaki ($8.80), grilled saltwater smelt with roe. Everything was not bad and came out swiftly, still warm and smokey from the grill. The tako wasabi ($8) though, was mediocre – perhaps just a day or two over its best before date. Of everything we tried, the garlic fried rice ($6.80) was the most decent with its egg-fried rice and fried garlic chips scattered atop. Like most izakayas, there is also a sake list so order up a carafe of junmai daiginjo to pair with the grilled skewers.
By no means is it the most impressive yakitori joint in Singapore, as it still has a few things to work out in the kitchen. Yet, the service was top-notch and left a lasting impression – it’s a yakitori joint that promises a good night out if you’re in the area.
Time Out Singapore reviews anonymously and pays for all meals. Read our restaurant review policy here.
What the stars mean:
★ Poor ★ ★ Promising ★★★ Good ★★★★ Very good ★★★★★ Exceptional
