The Place A new Japanese omakase restaurant has opened at Teck Lim Road. Meet Nikuya Tanaka Singapore, the first international outpost of the award-winning steakhouse from Tokyo’s Ginza district. Nikuya Tanaka Singapore is discreetly located on level two of the shophouse unit, and it spots a contemporary and minimalist interior designed by Morita Yasumichi, one of Japan’s most celebrated interior designers who also designed Nikuya Tanaka’s Ginza flagship.

The concept of Nikuya Tanaka is kappo-style dining with a focus on premium Japanese Wagyu.

It is a an intimate 10-seat counter space and a private dining room for five, along with warm lighting and artisanal finishes.

A brief background about the brand is that Nikuya Tanaka was crowned Japan’s No.1 steak restaurant in both 2024 and 2025 and ranked World’s No. 27 by the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants, helmed by Chef Satoru Tanaka, a third-generation meat master known affectionately as “Boss” who now operates 20 meat-focused restaurants across Japan, including his Michelin-selected restaurant Nikuya Setsugekka Nagoya.

The Food In terms of the menu, only tasting menus are offered for lunch and dinner where lunch is priced at S$280 & S$360, while dinner is at S$420 & S$550.

At the heart of the experience is purebred Tajima Wagyu, representing less than 0.1% of Japanese beef. Tajima Wagyu is raised exclusively by designated farmers under exacting standards and is prized for its refined marbling and tenderness.

At Nikuya Tanaka, the team purchases only whole cattle, where only female cattle raised for over 35 months are chosen to ensure the highest quality. In terms of preparation of the courses, minimalist techniques such as binchotan charcoal grilling and sashimi-style preparation allow the Wagyu’s natural flavours to take centrestage.

I had the 12-course Signature Omakase (S$550) and here is what to expect:

Fig Shira-ae with Caviar
The fig is served with housemade cream sauce and topped with caviar. 

White Fish and Kobe Beef Lean Meat rolled with Seaweed
An interesting mix of sashimi grade fish and wagyu beef in a seaweed roll.

Abalone Somen
Traditionally a summer dish as the cold somen provides a cooling effect.  

Kobe Beef Tataki
The marbled slices are seared for mere seconds over binchotan charcoal and is expectedly tender and delicious.

Owan – Clear Soup with Hokkaido Hairy Crab Shinjo
My favourite way to enjoy hairy crab is when it is all deshelled. This comforting soup comes with heaps of crab meat.

Kobe Beef Tenderloin Tempura
It is not easy to do a good tempura, especially one which involves beef and glad the beef here still retains the moisture despite being coated in a fried tempura batter.

Overall, the batter is light and crisp as well.  

Kobe Beef Sirloin “Shabu-shabu”
There are many ways to enjoy wagyu beef and how can we miss out on shabu-shabu?

Served with sesame sauce, the shabu-style Kobe Beef is one of the best ways to enjoy the rich flavour of the beef for me.  

Kudzu Somen Served in an Ice Vessel
A light somen course is up next before the signature steak. Kudzu Somen is a refined Japanese noodle dish made from kudzu starch, which is extracted from the root of the kudzu plant.

It has a delicate and translucent appearance and a silky, smooth texture.

Kobe Beef Tenderloin Steak
Definitely the main highlight of the meal here for me – the rich and highly marbled Kobe Steak.

I like it on its own to appreciate the fullness of the flavours, though it is also served with fried garlic chips, freshly grated wasabi and a signature sauce.

Matsutake Mushroom Rice with Kobe Beef Shigure-ni
The last savoury course is a mushroom rice which is very light in flavour, served alongside thinly sliced and flavourful beef to go along with the rice. Hot hojicha tea and cold pickles are also served with the rice.

Seasonal Fruit of the Day
Dessert is a freshly sliced Shizuoka rick melon.

Signature Warabi Mochi

Rants The prices are on the high spectrum of Japanese omakase in Singapore.

Will I Return Again? Overall, it is a good meal at Nikuya Tanaka and if you love beef, this is one spot to splurge on. The dinner prices are definitely on the high side but given that it is very rare to get Kobe beef in Singapore, it probably justifies why the prices are set this way. There is nothing to nitpick otherwise.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4.5/5
Ambience: 4.5/5
Overall Experience: 4/5  

Nikuya Tanaka Singapore
1 Teck Lim Road
Singapore 088379
Tel: +65 8280 8860

Opening Hours
Daily: 12pm to 3pm, 5.30pm to 11pm

Ranted by The Ranter