Singapore – My BFF and foodie, Hilda never ceases to surprise me in her choices for our impromptu girls’ night out – BINCHO at Hua Bee. A hole in the wall – the entrance was a gray metallic door next to trash bins and under air conditioners. It was no ordinary “hole” – the yakitori was non-conventional.

I trust Hilda’s choices completely, and didn’t even google this place before our visit. What an unusual yakitori experience this was!

As soon as we stepped through the gray door, I felt like we had gone to some underground club. The walls were installed with bronze cages and metallic panels. The first room was the bar area where a mixologist busily mixed away cult cocktails. Then we walked into the yakitori bar area, where the chefs were engulfed in smoke from the sizzling yakitori. We were seated in the third room, decorated like a Singaporean local café.

The menus were on chalkboards, so we tried our best not to obstruct other people’s view while deciding on our order. We decided to order a la carte, instead of opting for the omakase sets.

Smoked Tako (Octopus) came in a glass cake stand. There was plenty of “smoke”. The octopus was succulent and juicy.

Chicken Gizzards & Chicken Necks – the gizzards were chewy and necks were so tender.

Chicken Hearts & Chicken Livers – the trick to eating these are to avoid thinking about the arteries in the heart. So yummy!

Grilled Sea Scallop with Sea Urchin Miso – This was my favorite dish! The dish arrived on a flaming platter with the scallop with miso sauce boiling away inside the giant shell. Truly decadent!

Grilled Lamb with Ooba Miso – I was not sure what Ooba Miso was, but this piece of lamb chop was cooked perfectly.

Grilled Sugiita Chicken Thigh – Hilda told me that this restaurant owns a chicken farm, so the quality of chicken is superb. Wow, this chicken thigh was golden brown on the outside and the meat moist. This dish is a-definite-must-order for those who loves chicken!

Grilled Angus Rib with Kobe Tomatoes – This was another standout dish! Tomatoes were super sweet! The steak was one of the best I have had at a yakitori restaurant.

While we ate the Angus rib, we realized that we haven’t ordered any vegetables. We were delighted with the Grilled Vegetables Platter –  water bamboo, edamame, corn and eggplant, topped with Bonito flakes.

It was time to return our table for their next round of patrons. The waiter moved us to the bar area for our dessert.

We ordered the Monaka – charcoal ice cream with chestnuts and azuki beans sandwiched between two thin crisp wafers. The charcoal ice cream tasted like a lighter version of sesame ice cream. Highly recommended – two thumbs up!

Menus at yakitori-ya are usually filled with chicken dishes. I would recommend ordering some chicken skewers, but also other meats or seafood and vegetables to make the meal less monotone.

Bincho is headed by Japanese Chef Asai Masashi and part of Unlisted Collection, a dining concept group. Since I am a fan of Chef André Chiang (#5  Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants & #46 World’s 50 Best Restaurants), it was interesting to find out that he is also a partner in Bincho.

Bincho – #01-19, 78 Moh Guan Terrace, 162078

All photos were taken by Mrs. King.