Affordable Japanese BBQ at Renga-Ya CHIJMES

A meal at a Japanese Yakiniku restaurant can be ridiculously expensive. One of the reasons for the high prices is that the finest cuts of meat are imported from Japan. Fortunately, there are a number of traditional Japanese BBQ restaurants in Singapore using quality imported meat and ingredients but with prices that are relatively affordable. Renga-Ya at CHIJMES is one such restaurants.

Renga-Ya Japanese BBQ & Steakhouse in the historic grounds of CHIJMES is located among the row of eateries nearest to Raffles City. It occupies a fairly compact space. The interior design includes elements of wooden partition, rustic bar counter and Chesterfield sofas. Somehow you would know that it is a Japanese restaurant.

Menu of Renga-Ya

The BBQ grills on the tables let you know that it offers traditional Japanese charcoal BBQ. Renga-Ya specialized in serving Japanese A5 Wagyu beef and Hokkaido Prime beef but it also offers pork, seafood as well as side dishes and noodles.

Below are pictures of selected pages of the menu of Renga-Ya at CHIJMES.

It also has a Daily Set Lunch Menu that offers very reasonably priced sets starting from $15.

Lunch at Renga-Ya CHIJMES

We had lunch at Renga-Ya CHIJMES recently. Wanting to try their popular wagyu beef, we ordered a serving of wagyu tokuzen karubi ($39) and a serving of wagyu harami ($16). We also ordered the sanchu ($4.80) to complement the BBQ meats and a tofu salad ($10).

The salad was served first. The staff than brought the charcoal to the table grill. The sauces and condiments brought out and the cuts of beef would then be served.

Karubi, or boneless short rib, is one of the most popular cuts of beef for yakiniku. It is lean meat with fine, mesh-like marbling. In thin slices it has to be cooked only for a short time. The wagyu tokuzen karubi at Renga-Ya did not disappoint. The beautifully marbled beef was tender and juicy. It was flavourful and delectable without dipping it in any sauce or adding any condiment.

Harami is skirt steak, from the diaphragm area of the cow. It is a lean meat with a nice red colour. It has to be cooked slightly longer than karubi. We grilled our harami slices so that the outside is just slightly charred while the inside would still be tender. The meat had robust flavours and was enjoyable with the fresh vegetables and sauces of the sanchu.

Reasonable Prices for Quality Wagyu

Fans of wagyu beef may be pleasantly surprised to find a yakinuku restaurant in CHIJMES serving quality food without a bill that will take your breath away. Renga-Ya at CHIJMES serves good quality wagyu beef at reasonable prices. Its menu also offers a fair variety of dishes besides beef. It is a nice downtown spot for solo dining, an intimate meal for two or group gathering.

Ratings:
Food: 4
Service: 3
Value: 4
Atmosphere: 3
Overall Rating: 4 TOPs 

Renga-Ya
30 Victoria Street #01-11/12 Chijmes
Singapore 187996

Tel: +65 63521966

Opening Hours:
Lunch: 12 noon – 2.30 pm
Dinner:
Mon-Sat: 6 pm – 11 pm
Sun: 5.30 pm – 10.30 pm

Menu

Website

The Ordinary Patrons | Real Dining Experience of Ordinary People
an independent Singapore food blog