Of all the tremendous amounts of cooking methods available to us, be it fancy or rustic, barbecue still remains one of our all-time-favourite ways to have food cooked. It’s hard not to give in to a platter of smoky, seared meat, and thanks to a slew of new openings, the barbecue trend is bigger than ever in Singapore.

Nearly every culture has their own form of barbecue, in fact, the whole concept of barbecue dates back to caveman times where food was literally cooked over an open fire on a spit (or a stick). Now, with Singapore playing host to so many varieties of cultural influences and cuisines, we get to enjoy so many varieties.

Whether it’s a sweet, marinated Korean bulgogi beef you crave, good-old Louisiana-style baby back ribs, Filipino pork lechon or even a humble mookata, here is our guide to 13  BBQ restaurants in Singapore.

SUPERSTAR K

Talk about the hottest Korean BBQ restaurants in Singapore, and we all think of Superstar K at Tanjong Pagar. The outlet specialises in using charcoal grills for its Korean BBQ, and the authentic dining experience explains its popularity among Singaporeans and tourists alike.

Side dishes are modest yet not overly ambitious, unlike many other Korean eateries. Our personal favourites to order here include the beef short rib as well as the pork belly. It is also good to note that they open until 4am daily which is great if you ever find yourself craving for Korean barbecue after a night of heavy drinking.

75 Tanjong Pagar Road,
Singapore 088496
Tel: +65 6224 0504
Daily: 12pm – 2pm, 5pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Tanjong Pagar

I’M KIM JUNIOR

Located conveniently at Orchard’s *SCAPE, I’m Kim Junior is a casual Korean BBQ restaurant that is popular amongst the young crowd. Following the success of its sister restaurant—I’m Kim—at the School of the Arts (SOTA), I’m Kim Junior has a menu that features new items such as Korean Army Stew.

On the barbecue, you can look forward to a pretty insane spread from pork belly, a myriad of marinated meats, seafood as well as their bacon-wrapped enoki mushrooms which is a surefire hit among the little ones.

2 Orchard Link
#03-01 *Scape
Singapore 237978
Tel: +65 6634 0420
Daily: 11.30pm – 3.30pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

DON DAE BAK

What we love most about Don Dae Bak Korean BBQ is that the restaurant uses charcoal grills instead of the usual gasoline grill. That sure makes a lot of difference to our meats in imparting that deep charred aroma that every good barbecue should have.

This small outlet along Kreta Ayer is just like any usual Korean BBQ place—round communal tables surrounded by kimchi and pickles that are entirely free-flow, an abundance of sauces and upbeat Korean pop songs on loop in the background.

35 Kreta Ayer Road,
Singapore 089000
Tel: +65 6226 1727
(Closed on Sundays)
Daily: 11.30am – 3pm, 5pm – 1am
Nearest Station: Outram Park

WANG DAE BAK KOREAN BBQ

Wang Dae Bak Korean BBQ Restaurant is one of the most well known Korean BBQ restaurants in Singapore for serving up high-quality BBQ dishes at affordable prices. They specialise in charcoal barbecue which sets them apart from many other Korean BBQ establishments.

Here, you can get a free-flow of fluffy egg that is poured around the side of the barbecue pan.

22 Cross Street, #01-64
China Square Central
Singapore 048421
(Closed on Sundays)
Mon to Sat: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Chinatown

EIGHT KOREAN BBQ

Korean BBQ is all about the meat, but at some barbecue joints, you end up paying lots for subpar cuts or under-marinated meats with little or no character—well, not at Eight Korean BBQ. These folks here pride themselves with their extensive knowledge of meats and they focus only on exquisite cuts from premium varieties of beef and pork.

In true Korean style, you can have your meats seared unadorned, coated in a punchy marinade, or served up in a nourishing stew. The next time your carnivorous tendencies act up, stop by Eight Korean BBQ to experience some of the best meats the world has to offer.

6 Eu Tong Sen St, 02-79/90,
Singapore 059817
Tel: +65 8692 1188
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30am – 10.30pm
Sat & Sun: 11.30am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay

TENKAICHI JAPANESE BBQ RESTAURANT

An award-winning Japanese BBQ Buffet Restaurant in Singapore that specialises in Wagyu Beef BBQ, Tenkaichi Japanese BBQ Restaurant is the perfect place to visit if you are looking to satisfy your meat and barbecue cravings.

During your visit, make sure to order the Premium BBQ Menu which entitles you to free-flow tender wagyu beef, along with a variety of sashimi.

Tenkaichi Japanese BBQ Restaurant
6 Raffles Boulevard, #03-129 Marina Square,
Singapore 039594
Tel: +65 6250 8918
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 11.30am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Promenade

GYU-KAKU

For a truly authentic Japanese Yakiniku experience, Gyu-Kaku is definitely the place to go. With barbecue as their main focus, the restaurant takes pride in bringing in only the finest of ingredients. Which means you can look forward to the likes of Kagoshima Wagyu and more!

Have some refreshing appetisers to go with your barbecue feast not just because they’re mighty tasty, but because they also help to cleanse your palate, allowing you to dive right back into the meat.

81 Clemenceau Ave, 01-18/19,
Singapore 239918
Tel: +65 6733 4001
Mon to Fri: 12pm – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 11pm
Sat & Sun: 12pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Fort Canning

ABURIYA

A popular name that pops up at the mere mention of solid Japanese barbecue along the Robertson Quay area, Aburiya is one that promises exceptional quality meats and proper grilling using charcoal.

The menu offers a pretty substantial array of meaty options from beef, pork, chicken and even lamb but we recommend opting for the sets. The wagyu set, although a tad pricey, is worth every penny.

60 Robertson Quay, #01-03
Singapore 238252
Tel: +65 6735 4862
Mon to Sat: 6pm – 11.30pm
Sun: 6pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Fort Canning

888 MOOKATA

Founded by local celebrities Chew Chor Meng and Zhou Chongqing in partnership with cousins Esmond and Ronnie, 888 Mookata—at the coffee shop in Blk 212 Hougang Street 21—is a hot spot for those craving for decent Thai mookata without having to make a trip to Golden Mile Complex.

Ordering is relatively straightforward at 888 Mookata as they only have 2 options on their main menu—Platter For 2 and Platter For 4.

212 Hougang Street 21
Singapore 530212
Tel: +65 9656 2655
Mon to Thu, Sun: 5pm – 12am
Fri & Sat: 5pm – 2am
Nearest Station: Kovan

AROY MAK MOOKATA

Aroy Mak Mookata prides itself on offering authentic traditional Thai Cuisine BBQ and steamboat. You can indulge in Chiang Rai style Mookata marinated pork and chicken sliced meat, non-MSG soup stock and authentic homemade Thai chilli dips.

Located along Macpherson Road, this eatery offers an all-you-can-eat buffet with no time limit! At just S$17.80 per pax from Mondays to Thursday, you get to choose between 60 dishes including pork, chicken and vegetables.

Aroy Mak Mookata
476-478 Macpherson Road
Singapore 368191
Tel: +65 9052 0555
Daily: 5pm – 1am
Nearest Station: Tai Seng

LADYBOY MOO-KA-CHEESE

A fairly new addition to Geylang’s cluster of eateries is Ladyboy Moo-Ka-Cheese—a Thai mookata-forward restaurant that is quite possibly the first of its kind to boast a stunning array of tantalising, innovative cheese dips along with the traditional Thai-style barbecue.

Their buffet menu features a whole host of options from salmon, scallops to even jumbo prawns and you can expect to enjoy them with the likes of their stellar truffle cheese dip or even their rainbow cheese dip that makes for a pretty neat photo—did we mention that drinks and ice cream are all free-flow?

644 Geylang Lorong 40
Singapore 389574
Tel: +65 8138 3836
Mon to Fri: 6pm – 2am
Sat: 5pm – 2am
Sun: 5pm – 1am
Nearest Station: Paya Lebar

BURNT ENDS

Voted 10th in the Asia’s 50 Best and 53rd in the World’s 50 Best 2017, Burnt Ends is a modern Australian barbecue restaurant along Teck Lim Road—just off the food-laden Keong Saik Road—that offers casual dining with beef as its main star.

This humble restaurant takes pride in its custom-built four tonne, dual cavity ovens and three elevation grills of which ensure that each beefy dish is grilled to utmost perfection. As far as barbecue and meat go, these folks don’t mess around. No one ever leaves Burnt Ends disappointed. Period.

20 Teck Lim Road
Singapore 088391
Tel: +65 6224 3933
(Closed on Sundays & Mondays)
Tue to Thu: 6pm – 12am
Fri & Sat: 11.45am – 2pm, 6pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Outram Park

Photo Credit: Iskina Cebu

ISKINA CEBU

Iskina Cebu over at TImbre+ is a Cebuano-owned brand which aims to promote Cebu food culture and dining experience. Their cooking comes from the heart whether its their insanely tender pork Lechon, Spicy Belly Chon and Non-Spicy Belly Chon.

Here is where homesick Filipinos can get a taste of home and Singaporeans can treat their palates to something rustic, delicious and possibly new. Go on, try yourself a portion of their Lechon and watch it slowly change your life from its paper-thin crispy skin to its aromatic, melt-in-your-mouth flesh.

#01-27, 73A Ayer Rajah Crescent,
Timbre+
Singapore 139957
Tel: +65 9326 2920
(Closed on Sundays)
Mon to Sat: 12pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: One North

Bringing the very best of China’s skewer cuisine to Singapore, a colossally popular barbecue skewer restaurant chain, called The Hungry Caveman. Located on the 6th floor of Orchard Central, this new barbecue skewer restaurant aims to blaze the trail in Singapore’s meat skewer scene by being the first to adopt automated barbecue skewers. Just how cool is that?!

There is just something about seeing skewered chunks of meat slowly cooking over an open fire; we love the charred aroma of caramelised fat.

Have we got you salivating yet? If we have, then it’s time to unleash your primitive side and have yourself a unique, meat-driven feast at The Hungry Caveman.

Our readers can quote ‘ladyironchef’ upon making your reservation to enjoy 1-for-1 signature meat skewers at The Hungry Caveman from 12 to 28 Feb 2018. Read more details at the end of the post.

Easy to grill, hold, eat and discard, the food skewer represents a brilliant bit of prehistoric dining and as its name suggests, The Hungry Caveman is all about hands-on cooking and rustic eating. Better yet, instead of having servers on standby to assist you (which they will upon request!) diners will have the chance to experience how cooking over an open flame feels like.

The process of grilling here is fairly easy. Simply lower your skewer onto the grill and align the pinion gear that’s on the metal skewer onto the moving rack gear to allow your food to rotate and cook evenly.

SIGNATURE LAMB & BEEF SKEWERS

As we mentioned earlier, every country has its own version of meat on a stick, but in Beijing, China, you’re likely to find lamb as the predominant protein of choice when it comes to skewered meat. Here at Singapore’s The Hungry Caveman, the Signature Lamb Skewer (S$2.20 per skewer) is, too, a must-try.

Rubbed generously with chilli peppers and cumin, the lamb—that had a perfect meat-to-fat ratio—was juicy and incredibly flavourful. You get prominent notes from the cumin followed by a mild kick at the back of your tongue from the chilli peppers—both of which did well to round out the distinctive lamb flavour beautifully.

To contrast the gamy lamb, we highly recommend you to order their AUS Grain Fed Beef Skewer (S$2.60 per skewer) that not only boasts a deep, beefy flavour but is also distinctive in terms of sheer tenderness.

CHICKEN WINGS APLENTY

Where chicken wings are concerned, you will find no shortage of it here. Choose from a selection of marinated Chicken Mid-Joint Wings (S$2.80 per skewer) that come in a variety of flavours such as savoury Xiang La, spicy Cajun, kid-friendly Honey Glazed as well their perspiration-inducing Extreme Spicy.

FRESH MARINATED SEAFOOD

If like us, your love for seafood is unfathomable, then you will definitely be impressed by their range of seafood options. What we love most about The Hungry Caveman is their massive range that comprises fresh marinated seafood and even ones that come already grilled and ready to eat immediately.

Some of our favourites include the Spear-The-Salmon Skewer (S$3.80 per skewer), Premium Scallop with Garlic Vermicelli (S$4.80 per piece), Grilled Ink Fish Skewer (S$2.60 per skewer) and not forgetting, the slightly pricey but oh-so-worth-it, Grilled Oysters (S$7.80 per piece).

COOKED DISHES

Priced at an affordable S$8.80, the Special Fried Noodles is ideal for sharing between 2 or even 3 diners and is quite the tummy filler.

Fried with a simple mix of onions, bell peppers and a light seasoning to bring it all together, this noodle dish makes for a great accompaniment to the heavier, meatier dishes.

Ge da soup is a very common household staple in northern China. Essentially a thick soup comprising tomatoes, finely diced vegetables, a beaten egg and ge da (noodle bits), this soup is as comforting as it is tasty.

Similar to gnocchi, the ge da is chewy and adds a nice texture to the soup. The soup, on the other hand, carries with it, nuances of sweet tomato that is well complemented by the rich egg that thickens it and gives it a nice silky texture.

For S$7.50 a bowl, we dare say that this is something we would make a deliberate trip down to The Hungry Caveman for.

In addition to grilled skewers, the restaurant also serves up an array of cold dishes—perfect to snack on while you wait for your food to be done the cooking.

We had the Century Egg with Marinated Ginger (S$5.95), the Cucumber with Mash Garlic (S$5.95) as well as the Guava with Dried Orange Skin (S$4.95). While we enjoyed all of them, we have to admit that the latter was the ultimate standout.

Sliced thin and soaked in a sweet, sour and salty brine consisting of dried orange peel, this seemingly ordinary dish is the perfect palate cleanser and is also incredibly refreshing. The medley of tastes coupled with the fresh guava counteracts the barbecue notes really well.

Our readers can quote ‘ladyironchef’ upon making your reservation to enjoy 1-for-1 signature meat skewers at The Hungry Caveman from 12 to 28 Feb 2018. Read more details at the end of the post.

Choose from any of the 4 types of skewers:
1. Signature Lamb Skewer
2. AUS-Grain Fed Beef Skewer
3. Chicken Skewer
4. Pork Belly Skewer Beef

The 1-For-1 promotion is available for up to 5 skewers per diner. Each diner may choose up to any 5 skewers within the four types of skewers and get another 5 exact skewers for free! Promo is not valid in conjunction with other promotion, discounts or vouchers. The Hungry Caveman reserves the right to amend the terms and conditions at any time without prior notice.

Mileslife is our favourite app to accumulate miles through everyday spending. You can earn 3 miles for every dollar spent at this restaurant. Download and try Mileslife out now! You can use our code ‘Ladyironchef‘ upon your first spending to get 1,000 miles.

The Hungry Caveman
181 Orchard Road, #06-25
Orchard Central
Singapore 238896
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Somerset
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thehungrycavemansg

This post is brought to you by The Hungry Caveman.