Yappari Steak Vivocity

Let’s dine in today at Yappari Steak VivoCity. The restaurant is famous for serving 100% Certified Black Angus beef, lightly seared and presented on hot lava stones sourced from Mount Fuji.

A Hot Stone Steak Experience

Yappari Steak is a renowned dining concept from Okinawa, Japan, known for its interactive and high-quality steak experience. At its core, it is a steakhouse offering soft, tender cuts served on sizzling hotplates. Also, the stones are heated to 230 degrees Celsius, allowing you to cook your steak to your preferred doneness. This interactive method sets it apart from conventional steakhouses.

The chain spots over 100 outlets across Japan, Nepal, Australia, and now Singapore. It has established itself as a global brand. In April 2024, it debuted in Singapore at the second floor (unit #02-110) in VivoCity mall, one of Singapore’s largest malls at 1 HarbourFront Walk. This flagship outlet brings its signature cooking style and dining concept to the local scene.

Hot Plate Done Right

Moreover, Yappari Steak menu offers a range of highlights, with the Yappari Steak being the center piece. You can’t go wrong with their top blade Yappari steak. It is tad their signature dish starting at $19.80 for a 150g serving, great for small eaters. Though I would recommend the 200g portions as a base at $23.80 and 300g ($33.80) for the really hungry with a bigger appetite.

Furthermore, I particularly liked the thick cuts of their Yapparį steak, though the steak might have tad a gamey offal taste which might not be a liking for many. This is where Yappari selection of sauces comes in, with each table equipped with an assortment of peppers, soy and hot sauces to pair with your grilled meats.

Self-cooked steaks to your liking

Your steaks are served semi-blue and require to sit ont he hot stone for 5mins to be cooked to your liking. You have full control on how well your steak is cooked using the provided metal tongs. A great alternative is their 200g Mix Cut Steak ($22.80), a combination of various tender and chewy cuts. I found the Mix cut with their smaller cubed sizes also easier to eat with the rice, which you can pair with chopsticks on top of the spoon and forks served by the restaurant staff.

More budget-friendly options include the Hamburg Steak ($16.80), served on a hotplate with two beef patties. Also, the hamburg patty portions are smallest of the offerings thought great for light eaters. Other hot stone offerings include the Zabuton Steak (chuck tail flap) and Nakaochi Karubi Steak (rib finger). Daily specials cost S$26.80, depending on available cuts.

Expect a Sizzling Presentation when you steak is being served. Moreover, your meats arrive sizzling on a hot stone plate with the restaurant name etched into the hotplate as a nice touch. It is tad a take on the serving style you get with pepper lunch, and can get hotplate splatter at times. Also, like most Japanese-style restaurants, the restaurant offers complimentary disposable bibs to go with your meal. You can wear these to protect your clothing from stains.

Additionally, each steak order comes with complimentary servings of Japanese rice, fresh salad, and egg-drop soup. Some say you get free flow of it, though I didn’t went beyond the standard 1 bowl as the portions were just right and sufficient.

Served with vege and rice

Beef stew on rice

Miso sauce gets a recommendation

Try Their Beef Stew and Curry

Furthermore, the menu is not limited to hot plate dishes. The Beef Tendon Stew and Beef Tendon Curry, both priced at S$5.80++, are solid side options for those wanting variety. Also, a standout dish is the Garlic Butter Rice (S$6.80++), served on a hotplate with a slab of butter melting atop.

Additionally, available are standalone rice curry dishes are priced around S$13.80 and can be enjoyed as mains. The curry options here include Beef Tendon and Vegetarian Curry, served with rice or udon. It is tad reminiscent of the curry rice dishes offerings from Monster curry. Also, you can simply have the stew and curry as a side bowl costing $5.80 a bowl, which I would recommend to pair with your hotplate steak offerings.

Moreover, their Fries and Sharing Platters are great for group dining, the Menchi Fries Platter (S$14.80) is a good option. It includes a mix of curly fries, wedges, shoestring, crinkle, waffle fries, and menchis. A smaller option is the S$10 Fries Platter, which features a similar assortment minus the menchis.

Crisp hot fries

Menchis katsu ball

Long queues

Pretty good value

The sub-$30 price point is priced lower than the steak offerings at iSteaks restaurant we visited sometime back, an incumbent is serving good quality steaks with a good balance of quantity vs quality. Also, the restaurant offers quality steaks with a good balance of portion size and price. However, do expect long queues of up to 30 minutes, especially during peak hours. Here, lines can extend up to 20 meters from the storefront. But the queue do move quickly, with an average wait of 30 minutes for about 10 tables ahead of you.

Dining at Yappari Steak is as much about the experience as it is about the food. The use of sizzling lava stones allows you to take control of their cooking, making it a fun as it is engaging to control how you like your food, or your steak is prepared. Also, you can have it well done, or little raw on the inside medium-well.

Lastly, the restaurant’s interior features a warm orange theme, complemented by Japanese-inspired paintings and cozy lighting. Also, it creates a zen-like and inviting dining atmosphere. However, it’s worth noting that the open cooking concept may result in some lingering smokey aromas which could end up staying and stinking up your clothes. This is tad a minor drawback for those sensitive to oil odours. Lastly, there is also a 50 minutes total dining time to note, which I found is adequate for the offerings, a typical meal would take no longer than 40 minutes.

Wrapping Up

All in all, that wrap our dine in at Yappari Steak, VivoCity. The estalbishemtn offers a unique and satisfying experience for steak lovers. With its focus on quality beef, interesting self-help cooking methods, and value-for-money offerings, it’s a must-visit for steak enthusiasts in Singapore. Yappari Steak is located at 1 HarbourFront Walk, #02-110, VivoCity, Singapore 098585. Operating hours are from 11 am to 10 pm daily, making it a convenient spot for lunch, dinner, or a quick steak fix.

This review is not sponsored by the establishment nor did they provide any editorial input or reimbursements into the content and outcome of this review. All meals were paid for in full out of my own pocket as a regular and anonymous patron.