Yakiniku Like should be on your bucket list when visiting Japan if you’re into fire-grilled bbq meat – not only are they cheap, you also get to have your own personal yakiniku grill in your own little semi-private nook and have your meat freshly cooked for you – by you.
This yakiniku-chain has been steadily growing with many different branches across Japan so you’ll probably find it when you’re in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, or any major city in the country.
And unlike proper yakiniku grilled meat restaurants that offer thick-cut meats, Yakiniku Like’s menu focuses on thinly-cut meats, and this is probably the best way to go since it’s the customers that does the cooking. Yakiniku Like offers different kinds and cuts of meat and the spread also depends on the season. And they have a wide variety of sauces to keep each yakiniku bite exciting – you can choose from lemon sauce, garlic sauce, soy sauce, garlic soy sauce, spicy miso, among many others.
Yakiniku Like’s main strategy is to provide cheap, quick, and tasty yakiniku meals. They mainly focus on the solo dining experience where customers get to have their own little space with a dedicated solo grill.
Everything is in your table so you wouldn’t have to call service for essentials (water tap, sauces, napkin. Need an extra chopstick? Just pull the drawer right in front of you.
If you need to order something from the menu (as well as request for a rice refill or an apron), just use the touch-screen tablet to order (it has an English-language option too). The only time you’ll need to call and talk to their staff is when you get up to make a payment if you’re paying in cash – quite unusual that thay don’t have the automated cash paying machines for that, but it’s probably because they have an extensive menu where you can mix and match different cuts and types of meat as well as order add-ons.
1. You can get drinking water from the spout right in front of you.
2. Get your chopsticks, towels (wet wipes), and toothpicks from the drawer underneath your table.
3. If you need rice refill or maybe an apron, simply call for service.
4. To light up your grill, simply press the A and B buttons both at the same time.
The Yakiniku Like Experience
I went to Yakiniku Like’s Shibuya location and at first I wasn’t really too sure about my yakiniku cooking skills and I didn’t want to waste money on overcooked meat. But I went ahead anyway and I was surprised I cooked my yakiniku just right and I got to enjoy it.
I ordered the Beef Rib Plate (Tsukimi Kalbi) with two kinds of pre-marinated meat slices, onion slices, soup, rice, and one raw egg for just about ¥950 and a glass of draft beer for just ¥380 (although the glass is small it’s still pretty cheap because the same will cost ¥500 at other restaurants).
For a whopping total of just ¥1,300, it’s a pretty decent price considering the amount and the quality of meat as well as the overall experience which is pretty much unique to Yakiniku Like at this point in time.
The thinly sliced marinated meat is easy to cook and it tastes too good, even without the sauce. Of course I had to try each of the sauces which added a different depth of flavors, but know what, I still prefer the pre-marinated meat on its own, without the sauce because their yakiniku marinade is just so tasty and flavorful already.
The second main star of the show for me was the raw egg – I know it’s just an ordinary egg but seriously it added richness to each bite and added more umami to the already flavorful yakiniku meat.
If you’ll ever try Yakiniku Like in one of your trips to Japan, do try ordering the raw egg option as it just makes the difference.
