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Saburo – Yakiniku Goes High-End

A Yakiniku Omakase gourmet meal featuring rare cuts of Japanese wagyu beef is as good as it gets.

Yakiniku is a popular cuisine in Japan and increasingly in Hong Kong as well. A close cousin of the Korean-style BBQ from it is supposedly derived, yakiniku features bite-size cuts of beef as its mainstay, augmented by other meats including pork, chicken and seafood.

Hong Kong’s latest yakiniku restaurant is Saburo Japanese Yakiniku, which we think will be a hit with beef lovers and yakiniku enthusiasts alike. Located in the fashionable H Zentre in Tsim Sha Tsui, Saburo aims to deliver a high-end, luxury yakiniku omakase dining experience, serving top-quality wagyu beef cuts and other quality meats, seafood and vegetables.

About the beef first, and good news for lovers of wagyu beef: Saburo manages to source A5 wagyu beef from four renowned regions: Iga, Himeji, Miyazaki and Kagoshima, each producing different meat quality in terms of flavour, marbling and texture. Much of the beef – such as Iga – is rarely available for export due to strong domestic demand. So, kudos to Saburo for being able to source these prized supplies from Japan. In addition, Saburo offers several rare and coveted cuts of wagyu beef in its omakase menus.

The 3,000-square-foot restaurant is spacious and well laid out. A kitchen plus bar counter dominates the space upon entry; the dining areas are subtly portioned to offer seclusion. The décor is minimalist but elegant and features abundant natural materials to offer a relaxed and comfortable ambience. All dining tables are installed with grill sets that use a smokeless ventilation system.

Saburo offers several Omakase sets for dinner. Its signature set is the Kyoraku Omakase Set ($1280), essentially the deluxe set. The course includes Appetiser, Seasonal Sashimi (3 types), Wagyu (7 types, including rare cuts), Seafood Platter, Second Appetiser, Soup, Meal and Dessert. Beef takes centre stage here; some of the rare cuts include Oyster Blade – a small area just below the chuck that is chewy and flavourful and chuck tender. The others include sirloin, ribeye, round and tri-tip.

We also tried two more omakase sets. Ryotel ($880), another beef set that features three cuts of wagyu beef plus the same complements as the other set. Other than beef, Saburo serves the Toritei Set ($580), which features Chicken (Awaodori Chicken Thigh, Wing), Pork (Kagoshima Kurobuta Loin Rib).

Beef is best seasoned lightly to fully bring out the flavours. Saburo uses several quality flavoured salts that include charcoal, basil, mustard, scallop and oyster.

For diners wanting the meats perfectly grilled, Saburo offers seats at the bar counter with all the meats cooked and served by the restaurant staff. You can also see through the glass partitions into the kitchen to see how the food is prepared. The bar counter seats and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Our visit to Saburo certainly exceeded our expectations – in the quality of the food served, the ambience and the whole yakiniku experience. Clearly, Saburo has set a new bar in high-end yakiniku dining. So, if you crave deliciously grilled wagyu beef, a visit to Saburo should sate your desire. We recommend it.

Address: Shop 3, G/F H Zentre, 15 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon