Wa-En Wagyu Yakiniku at Jewel Changi Airport offers an indulgent yakiniku dining experience with top-grade Miyazaki wagyu beef.
If you love Japanese wagyu beef like I do, you may be keen to note that Hong Kong’s MICHELIN Guide-listed Wa-En Yakiniku has come to town. Brought in by the EN Group, Wa-En Wagyu Yakiniku brings the famous Kowloon Japanese-style grillhouse here with its initial flagship Singapore outlet at Jewel Changi Airport.
Yes, I’m calling it. Chances are very high that Wa-En is going to do so well for EN Group – the sprawling Japanese restaurant empire that counts EN Dining, Ka-EN, Aburi-EN, Chura Sushi Bar and many more among its food concepts – that the debut Jewel restaurant is likely going to be the first of many Wa-En outlets here. Singaporeans, after all, love Japanese food. And also because there’s really nothing quite like the sight and sounds of glorious slabs of wagyu sizzling away over hot coals!
Unlike many other yakiniku places, Wa-En specialises in using top-quality wagyu. This includes highly-regarded grades such as Miyazaki A4/5 wagyu, imported directly from Japan.
For carnivores who love their well-marbled wagyu, the Luxury Wagyu Beef Platter is a must. This is a sprawling selection comprising of perfectly-sliced Miyazaki wagyu sirloin, ribeye, and marbled karubi, as well as premium Australian thick-cut wagyu beef tongue. Otherwise there’s the Wagyu Beef Platter consisting of five or seven cuts some of which are slightly less premium – such as wagyu chuck roll and regular Australian wagyu – but are delicious in their own way. In fact for those who prefer more robust, meatier flavours, Australian wagyu may work better than the more indulgent, melt-in-your-mouth top grade Japanese beef. If you love gyutan, go for the Thin-sliced Beef Tongue; I find this offers a lovelier chew than its thicker-cut sibling.
Wa-En Wagyu Yakiniku offers quite a number of sides with many Korean-inspired (for the uninitiated, yakiniku is a dining tradition of Korean origin). Some of them are worth considering, particularly the Morioka Cold Noodles and the Miyazaki Wagyu Beef Tartare.
If you like cocktails, Wa-En has a small but inventive cocktail programme with Japanese influences. The Mikan Martini is suitable for those who enjoy a less dry Martini that’s laden with Mikan orange notes, while Miyazaki Wagyu Fat-Washed Old Fashioned is a clever way to infuse a little Wa-En in a classic cocktail. The fat-washed Japanese whisky gives the classic cocktail a richer texture, and the slice of seared Miyazaki wagyu that comes as a garnish? Genius.
Wa-En Wagyu Yakiniku adjoins two other EN Group concepts – Tempura Makino and Kiwami Ramen & Gyoza Bar; presumably you can also cross order from those outlets as well. Kiwami, in particular, has a fun drinks menu that focuses on craft beers and craft cocktails with a Singapore twist.
Wa-En Wagyu Yakiniku
Address 378 Airport Boulevard, #01-224 Jewel, Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore 819666 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 11am to 4apm and 5pm to 10pm Mondays to Fridays; 11am to 10pm Saturdays and Sundays
Tel (65) 6246 7488
Web wa-en.com.sg
Facebook WaEnSG
Instagram @waen_yakiniku
