Restaurant Review: Wakanui Grill Dining - Beef Concept from Tokyo Arrives in Marina Bay

The UTW (“Under Ten Words”): Japanese New Zealand beef and lamb restaurant in Marina Bay.

The must-orders (if any): Wakanui Spring Lamb Chop, any New Zealand grilled beef option.

Summary: Hailing from Tokyo and recently-launched at the new Marina One complex near Downtown MRT, Wakanui Grill Dining is a restaurant which lovingly showcases New Zealand steak and lamb cuts grilled over Japanese Binchotan charcoal. Wakanui was previously operated at Boat Quay as a joint partnership between the original Japanese concept and a local partner, but this time the concept is operated fully as a franchise, resulting in a much closer alignment to the original Wakanui concept in Tokyo.

The Japanese-influenced interior and lush views from the restaurant make it a lovely choice for both romantic liaisons and blazered business meetings alike. The spring lamb, served by way of a chop as a starter and also fully as a grilled main, is quite possibly one of the best lamb cuts I have had the fortune to encounter, possessing not a smidgen of lamb’s customary gameyness and instead possessing a delectable, almost beefy roasty tenderness. It has redefined what lamb should be like, at least to me. Elsewhere, the various beef choices at Wakanui were excellent – the nicely done Canterbury Grass-Fed Fillet is perfect for the beef beginner, while the Ribeye Bone-in was very well-received by the beef-appreciative, bloodlusty company I had during my meal there. One of the stronger beef concepts launched in recent times.

Wakanui Spring Lamb (Lunch: $32 for half rack for mains; Dinner: $42 for half rack, $82 for full rack).

Hot Smoked Salmon (Lunch: $39 for 3 pieces as mains; Dinner: $24 for 2 pieces as starters).

Seasonal Hassun (Lunch: $24 (2 types); Dinner: $32 (3 types)).

A meat platter consisting of Bone-in Ribeye ($199 for 1kg), Ribeye Cut ($79 for 350 grams, $109 for 500 grams), and Canterbury Grass-Fed Fillet (Lunch: $45 for 150 grams as mains; Dinner: $78 for 250 grams, $138 for 500 grams).

Pavlova ($14).