Buddy back from USA for a short break and we met up at Yak Kin! at Jalan Riang in Serangoon. I love everything here - it was a great experience ๐บ
Yak Kin! is located in a quiet residential enclave not far from NEX in Serangoon. Street side car parking is ample around the small row of restaurants.
Stepping in, I like the decor and ambiance at Yak Kin! The quality furnishings and warm colours gave the place a slightly elegant feel while still remaining casual and cosy.
I am always fascinated by these alien UFO looking contraptions that keep cooking fumes and smells from the air and my clothes ๐ฌ
As usual, I arrived early, so relak one corner first with a large cold stout. So nice!
They actually have a good range of whiskeys, cocktails, wine and sake but stout is what this unker wants ๐ฌ
These little fried critters joined me with my stout. Good company, these.
All here, we started with appetisers like these fresh Japanese oysters which were on special offer ๐ฌ
Each of us were given three sauces, an Isaan (Thai) sauce for meat, a talay (Thai) sauce for seafood, and tare (Japanese) for meat. All sauces were made in-house.
Ate the plump, creamy, slippery smooth, ocean fresh oysters with Thai style zesty spicy tangy sweet savoury talay sauce. Fresh fat oysters and Thai sauce work well together.
Yak Kin! Tako Wasabi. Chewy tender spongy chopped octopus with perfume fragrance of lemongrass, Thai basil, etc. Japanese - Thai fusion works. Double confirmed.
Our host co-owner chef Rayner started his career at Three Michelin Star L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon and is now a corporate culinary instructor. Rayner and partners opened Yak Kin! as they found that Japanese yakiniku worked marvellously with Thai style sauces. The owners called it Thai - Japanese fusion but after our dinner, I personally feel it felt more Japanese - Thai. Partly because I like to eat my grills neat without sauce as the ingredients were super fresh. (Anyway, it's just me lah... .)
Fresh yakiniku ingredients like Japanese flying squid, A5 wagyu and two plump house made moo ping ๐
These slices of Japanese A5 wagyu literally melt in the mouth and flood our palate with warm savoury juices.
Paper thin sliced ox tongue ๐ฎ
Chunks of marbled beef on the grill!
It was great, I mean very tasty - tender, spongy chewy, juicy, beefy and smoky.
The thickest moo ping (Thai pork satay) that I've seen so far.
The Thai style marinated boneless chicken leg doesn't look pretty but it was one of my favourite things from the dinner. The chicken thigh was tender, juicy, sweet savoury with gentle spice flavours and smokiness.
Parking the flying squid a while here before we enjoyed it ๐
Tentacles are my favourite part of squids because they are springy chewy and usually gets more of the smokey caramelised taste (than wings or body) ๐ฆ
We just kept going because the food was great and company awesome.
Seeing the next table enjoying their fat stalks of leek, I was suddenly overcame with an uncontrollable feeling of leek envy ๐ We must have some too ๐ฌ
Oh... It was great. Eat only the sweet juicy inside and discard the charred outside layer.
Thick bacon steak.
Tontoro or Japanese pork jowl. Be careful to keep it moist and tender for the best texture and flavour.
Yam Mamaung. If you must have green mango salad with every Thai meal ๐ฌ
Get this ice plant salad with goma (sweet sesame) dressing for its fascinating light, subtle crunchy texture like eating snow flakes. Really. I could have one all by myself.
Rounded up our wonderful dinner on a sweet note with an assortment of imported Japanese ice cream. We had matcha, sesame seed, yuzu, Hokkaido sea salt, etc.
We enjoyed ourselves very much. Great place, excellent food, wonderful company. Bon Voyage and wish you all the best in your future endeavours my friend.
Thank you Rayner for your hospitality. We will be back ๐
Menu ๐ click
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