Hachi Yakiniku has long been one of our favourite Japanese BBQ places. Having been a fan since their first opening at fudo dori all those years ago, we were pleased to hear they were relocating to larger premises but not so pleased with the wait we would have to undertake to get our next fix. Thankfully their opening coincided with my annual Birthday celebration and we were easily able to make a booking for a big group.
Arriving on time, our table was set and menus were laid out. Compared to previously, their prices had gone up a bit, more or less in line with the level of inflation that other restaurants had, and they had the addition of drinks which looked super cute so we ordered some.
The BBQs were set up just like their old store, with small table top charcoal grills. Again, the nets were a slight risk of moving when cooking food.
The Dr had a lemonade sour while I had a watermelon sour. They both came with an ice block in them, which was the reason why we ordered it. It was undeniably adorable, but basically tasted exactly as it looked, sweet with a slight tanginess and a generic icy pole in it. It was fresh and delicious but not particularly difficult to recreate at home. It was very complimentary with our fiery BBQ though.
Kicking off with a tofu salad, this was fresh and umami with a fragrant sesame dressing. I loved the crunchy veggies which was invaluable to balancing out our meat heavy meal.
Our first meat dish was the wagyu rib garlic soy tsubozuke. Whenever I see garlic on the menu, I knew I would have to have it. It was indeed very fragrant, sharp and spicy but the meat was a little bit chewy for my liking.
Next up was the wagyu rib with spicy miso. The plate appears very big but it is actually two serves on one plate. The seasoning was rich and creamy but also had a decent amount of heat to it. The beef texture was also wonderful and fatty without being too rich.
Pork Jowl is always a must order for me. This was glazed with original miso. It had the creamy umami savoury flavours of miso without the spice that the wagyu had. This was quite fatty but I love the crunch and difference in texture that jowl provides.
We also had some cooked food, this was Karaage chicken, topped with a generous amount of tartare sauce. There was an ample amount of chicken and it was done well, crispy on the outside and juicy inside. If anything, I would have liked the batter to be less thick but that's about it.
Our favourite dish of the night was Wagyu beef rib. We liked it so much we had several serves of this. Buttery and tender with a delicious sweet soy marinade, I also really appreciate that the meat was thoroughly marbled throughout and the fat content wasn't excessive, it was the highlight of our evening.
In terms of cooked food, we also had Takoyaki. This was standard fare with a moist dough-y filling with a bite of octopus in the middle and a crisp fried exterior, doused in an ample amount of mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce. It was good, but tasted more or less like frozen supermarket varieties.
I'm not sure why we always order LA short rib. It always seems very appealing but we end up having difficulty with the bones. Having said that, it was also marinated in the delicious sweet soy and meat textures was on point. I just wish we had more scissors for me to cut the bones out.
Lastly, I ordered a serve of Beef Tube Horumonyaki in original miso flavour out of curiosity, because I have a particular affinity for intestines. This was chewy and crisp on the outside but the inside was definitely way too fatty for my liking. The flavours were good, but I probably won't be ordering this next time.
All round, we had a great night. The food represented good value (given today's prices) and we all rolled out after our meal. I'm really glad they've kept up their quality and now its a lot easier to get a table. Can't wait to come back soon.
Price Range: $40 - $60pp
Taste: 8.5/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 8/10
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