Food Review: 298 Nikuya Kitchen in Sheung Wan

We were glad we'd booked a table at 298 Nikuya Kitchen. Although it was a rainy weeknight, when we opened the sliding door and peered inside, we saw that it was packed. Most of the diners were speaking Japanese, and that was an indication that this yakiniku (Japanese-style Korean barbecue) place was serving up quality food.

While we waited for our third guest, we took the time to look around the place, which was clean but basic. All the tables had small grills at the centre, the counter along the wall had tall stools for solo diners, and cow knick-knacks were hidden here and there in the decor.

To our surprise, the non-grilled dishes we tried were almost as good as the meats, which isn't the case with many other yakinku places. The egg in the tofu with onsen egg and kimchi (HK$55) was soft, although not runny, and the small block of bean curd had a silky, delicate texture. The cabbage kimchi was Japanese style, so was sweet, rather than spicy.

Pork and kimchi pancake (HK$80) was better than the versions we've had at many Korean restaurants; it was thicker than usual, but crisp at the edges and soft inside. It was so good we decided to try another version, this time with beef and cheese (HK$90), and we liked it almost as much.

The selection of beef for the grill was varied, and the menu had small pictures of a cow's anatomy, showing where on the animal each cut came from. Our favourite was the thick-cut ox tongue. Well priced at HK$100, the three slabs were succulent.

Close behind on our favourites list was the sliced sirloin yaki shabu with ponzu (HK$180). The waitress warned us that the thin, marbled slice needed just a few seconds on the grill.

Thick cut Miyazaki wagyu sirloin (HK$140) was well marbled and tender, while the prime wagyu tri-tip (HK$180) was chewier and had a beefier flavour.

Pork neck with lemon and wasabi (HK$60) had the fatty texture we expected, and it tasted best when we let it char on the grill. Chicken thigh with yuzu (HK$65) was served with the skin, which dripped fat into the grill so it flared up and crisped up the edges of the meat. Mino (first stomach tripe, HK$60) had a firm, crunchy texture.

The only dishes we didn't like were the Australian wagyu harami (HK$110) which was mushy, the too-sweet wagyu kalbi egg soup (HK$85), and the overcooked cold noodles (HK$75).

susan.jung@scmp.com

298 Nikuya Kitchen, 15 Hillier Street, Sheung Wan. Tel: 2799 2818. Open: Monday-Friday noon-3pm, Monday to Saturday 6pm-11pm. About HK$400 without drinks or the service charge.