Nikuya Tanaka was crowned Japan’s No.1 steak restaurant in both 2024 and 2025, and was also ranked World’s No. 27 by the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants. On Tabelog, a Japanese restaurant review site with over 870,000 listed establishments, its score is a staggering 4.45 out of 5 – joining the rare 0.7% of restaurants that manage to score above 4. Proving its elite level of excellence, Nikuya Tanaka has consistently clinched the coveted Silver Award since 2021.
And now, gourmands in Singapore, too, can savour the finest expressions of Wagyu beef, as Nikuya Tanaka opens its first international outpost in Singapore at 1 Teck Lim Road at the end of September 2025.
Helmed by Chef Satoru Tanaka, a third-generation meat master known affectionately as “BOSS”, Nikuya Tanaka represents over 80 years of the Tanaka family’s devotion to Japanese Wagyu. From his grandfather, a Wagyu broker, to his father, a butcher, and now himself, Chef Tanaka carries forward a rare heritage of expertise and craftsmanship. His flagship in Ginza is among Tokyo’s most coveted reservations, celebrated for kappo-style dining rooted in Japan’s treasured culinary traditions.
The Art of Wagyu, Perfected Over Generations
At the heart of the experience at Nikuya Tanaka is purebred Tajima Wagyu, representing less than 0.1% of Japanese beef. Raised exclusively by designated farmers under exacting standards in Hyogo Prefecture, this Japanese black cattle is prized for its refined marbling, delicate muscle fibre, and incomparable tenderness. And among the finest purebred Tajima Wagyu, only a few thousand cows each year are certified as the world-famous Kobe beef.
At Nikuya Tanaka, as expected of a master butcher with such a long family history, the team insists on purchasing only whole cattle – Chef Tanaka personally selects each one to ensure full traceability and character, meticulously examining each animal as a whole. And only female cattle raised for over 35 months are chosen to ensure the highest quality, with female cows said to have a silkier, more refined quality to their meat, and greater marbling. This careful process extends to the cooking process, where minimalist techniques such as binchotan charcoal grilling and sashimi-style preparation allow the Wagyu’s natural flavours to take centrestage.
Nikuya Tanaka Signatures
At the pinnacle of Japanese beef artistry, the Kobe Wagyu Steak exemplifies Chef Tanaka’s lifelong devotion to Wagyu. The preparation of these succulent, evenly cooked cuts of incomparable richness and refinement begin long before the meat is grilled and served with its perfect crust. He uses carefully selected sirloin and the luxuriously tender fillet – his signature being the ethereal heart of the fillet, the Chateaubriand – grilling them meticulously over Japanese binchotan charcoal to seal in all of the flavours, and to expertly bring out the prized beef’s best characteristics. This is the moment when Chef Tanaka’s passion for Wagyu, passed down from his grandfather’s generation, is truly tested – the finest steak experience he can offer.
The Beef Tataki reveals a subtle charcoal aroma and melt-in-the-mouth tenderness, its marbled slices seared for mere seconds over glowing binchotan charcoal. Chef Tanaka selects the finest lean meat from the cow, using the traditional Japanese method of kombu-jime, a time-honoured process of curing the meat with kelp to draw out all of its best characteristics. He then sears the whole piece directly over hot binchotan charcoal, bringing out a fragrant aroma and a rare, tender texture. This is a signature dish that embodies the spirit of Tanaka.
As a final flourish, Nikuya Tanaka’s “Ice Somen” Chilled Noodles are presented in a hand-carved, pure ice bowl for an unforgettable expression of transience, beauty, and craftsmanship. Before the guests, Tanaka’s chefs shave the cubes of ice to create a unique, artistic and personalised “HYOKI” ice vessel for each diner. Into this ice vessel, a soup that concentrates the rich flavours of traditional Japanese dashi is poured; this is paired with silky somen noodles, carefully crafted by skilled Japanese noodle artisans. This dish offers the ultimate experience, perfect for the hot Singapore climate.
Design and Ambience
The Singapore outpost is designed by Morita Yasumichi, one of Japan’s most celebrated interior designers – also the creative force behind Nikuya Tanaka’s Ginza flagship that opened in 2019. Morita is also the founder of GLAMOROUS Co., Ltd, renowned for creating spaces that balance sophistication with emotional resonance.
For Nikuya Tanaka’s Singapore restaurant, Morita brings this same sensibility, fusing modern design with artisanal Japanese details. The intimate 10-seat counter and 5-seater private dining room are framed with a charcoal grey ceiling, and dark wooden walls that spotlight the natural stage – a Chef’s counter featuring Naguri Wood.
Gold leaf accents along the walls highlight the Naguri wood’s hand-chiselled textures, while warm mood lighting elevates the sensual dining experience at Nikuya Tanaka Singapore. Reflecting Ginza’s prestige and Chef Tanaka’s kappo-style dining, Singapore diners are given unprecedented access to the mastery of Wagyu at NIkuya Tanaka.
Running Nikuya Tanaka in Singapore will be Chef Yosuke Sekiguchi and Chef Masaya Yano, trusted by Chef Tanaka. Chef Sekiguchi is a veteran with three decades of Japanese cuisine experience, and plays a key role in menu development, alongside Tanaka. Chef Masaya, also a Wagyu master, trained under Tanaka’s watchful eye. Chef Tanaka himself will also visit with each seasonal menu change.
