The Place A Japanese izakaya concept has quietly opened at Zion Road. By the Les Amis Group, Yujin Izakaya is located beside Zion Road Food Centre and is right opposite Great World City. The industrial chic space spots a bar counter at the entrance, whereas the interior space is an intimate size with mainly small tables and counter seats.

The Food The most anticipated dish for me on the menu is no doubt the Katsu Sando (S$18), or beef sandwich which I fondly remember from the one I had at Wagyumafia in Tokyo. As with my high expectations for this toast, it fell short of what I was expecting. The US beef on toasted bread here is simply not tender enough, and at some points I had difficulty chewing the meat. That is a pity.

For grilled chicken, both the Tebasaki (S$5) and Tsukune (S$6) are not too bad. The chicken wings are well-marinated, while the handmade meatball is flavourful enough.

You can’t go very wrong with the Eringi (S$8) or king oyster mushroom as well.

The Tontoro (S$15) is a delight to have. This grilled iberico pork jowl is very tender and has the right amount of fat in the meat such that it is delicious.

I also had the Inaniwa Udon (S$18), a relatively small serving of udon with prawn tempura in a prawn broth. My first thought while having this, is the stark familiarity with Singapore’s hawker version of prawn noodles in terms of the prawn broth. For the price, it would be much better if the serving is larger.

Weirdly, the Beef Tataki (S$16) which is part of the starters on the menu was only served towards the end of my meal, after the various hot dishes. The char-grilled US beef here is garnished with onion and ponzu, and it is reasonably competent though without any surprise element in terms of flavour.

Drinks selections are aplenty at Yujin Izakaya, which boasts a wide selection of Japanese sake, and there are a few cocktails on the drinks menu too.

Rants Service can definitely be stepped up. The sequence and pacing of the dishes could be better.

Will I Return Again? Frankly, the Rantee and I were pretty underwhelmed by our experience here. There were no standout dishes, and this might just be Les Amis Group weakest link at the moment.

Make your reservations instantly at Yujin Izakaya here.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 3/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 3/5
Overall Experience: 3/5

Yujin Izakaya
56 Zion Road
Singapore 247781
Tel: +65 6235 0429

 

 

Opening Hours
Monday to Thursday: 5pm to 11pm
Friday to Saturday: 5pmto 12am
Closed on Sundays

Ranted by The Ranter