The Place While the restaurant is called Meow Barbecue, there are no cats in this restaurant. I checked out the popular Meow Barbecue at Bugis+ recently, an award-winning Chinese BBQ restaurant which just opened its first overseas outpost in Singapore. For the uninitiated, Meow Barbecue was first founded in 2012 by Uncle Meow (猫叔) with over 30 outlets across 10 major Chinese cities with the likes of Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing. It has consistently ranked Top 10 BBQ Restaurant in China in various polls and awards, as well as won Dianping’s Must-Try Restaurant for four consecutive years.

The Bugis+ outlet is located facing Victoria Street, and spots a bright casual dining vibe with cat symbols. 

The Food The prices are relatively wallet-friendly at Meow Barbecue and there are a couple of Meow Signature meats which I recommend to have if it is your first time here. For a start, the Meow Signature Chicken with Cheese Dip (S$15.80) is delicious. The chicken meat is well-marinated, tender and the melted cheese dip enhances the flavour of the chicken as well.   

My other favourite meat is the Meow Signature Spicy Beef (S$23.80), which is not as spicy as it sounds. You get a slight hint of spiciness which makes the beef very appetizing where the grain-fed 129-day old sliced beef is marinated with pickled chillies. 

The presentation of the meats here are also quite intricate, just like the Rose Beef Tongue (S$25.80) and the Diamond Cut marinated Beef Ribs (S$28.80). The latter is marinated in their in-house secret sauce and cut into irregular diamond shape so there is that extra surface to grill the ribs more evenly. Expect a tender and flavourful beef ribs here, which I enjoyed. 

For pork, go for the Iberico Pork Belly with Garlic (S$19.80) and the Iberico Pork Collar Marinated with Pineapple Sauce (S$22.80). The pork belly is extremely fatty and the garlic lends the meat that extra aroma.

Alternatively. The pork collar has more lean meat ratio and the pineapple gives it an extra sweetness. 

If you are undecided of what to have, there is the Meow Signature Family Platter (S$66.80) which is an assortment of meats – Meow Signature Beef Cubes with Onion, Premium Iberico Pork Belly, Marbled Beef Chunk, Teriyaki Chicken Thigh and the Iberico Pork Collar in Smoky Sauce. 

Rants The seats between tables are relatively close and it can be a little squeezy. There is also a strong BBQ smell in the restaurant as well. 

Will I Return Again? I am surprised by the quality of the meats at Meow Barbecue, which are overall quite tender and flavourful. Prices are quite wallet friendly as well, and I am sure this will be a popular dining spot in Bugis.    

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

Meow Barbecue 
Bugis+, #01-17 
201 Victoria Street 
Singapore 188067  
Tel: +65 8038 4659 
 
Opening Hours 
Sunday to Thursday: 11:00am to 21:30pm 
Friday, Saturday & PH: 11:00am to 01:00am 

Ranted by The Ranter