Love Japanese yakitori and kushiyaki? You’re going to want to take note of this new joint in Bugis Junction serving some of the juiciest jumbo skewers topped with various sauces all from an affordable price of just $2 per stick! Buta Kizoku is a new Japanese izakaya specialising in pork kushiyaki, unique torched onigiri and an extensive selection of highballs, beers and alcohol.
Mentai Cheese, $3.50
Yuzu Cheese, $3.50
Out of all the kushiyaki, stand-outs include the Mentai Cheese ($3.50), tender pieces of pork collar finished with a generous amount of mentaiko sauce—the porky flavour of the meat is perfectly balanced with the umami from the mentaiko, a must get for all mentaiko lovers. Another favourite of ours is the Yuzu Cheese ($3.50), featuring pork topped with perfectly melted cheese and a dab of slightly bitter yuzu to cut the greasiness.
Garlic Cheese, $3.50
Truffle Cheese, $3.50; Hokkaido Cheese, $3.50
Avocado Tartar Collar, $3.50; Mentai Mayo Collar, $3.50; Tartar Sauce Collar, $3.50
We also enjoyed the Garlic Cheese ($3.50), Avocado Tartar Collar ($3.50), Truffle Cheese ($3.50), and Hokkaido Cheese ($3.50), which were all pretty unique thanks to the addition of the various sauces that you don’t see often in other yakitori/kushiyaki joints in Singapore.
Teriyaki Belly, $3.50; Shio Belly, $2
Hokkaido Cheese, $3.50
What makes Buta Kizoku’s skewers different from other joints is the fact that they’re jumbo sized: chunky, thick-cut pieces of meat that are grilled over charcoal fire for that perfect bite. Unfortunately for us, it got slightly gelat after a few skewers, due to their fatty nature. We definitely recommend getting some alcohol or other sides like kimchi to help with the greasiness.
One thing to note, Buta Kizoku’s pork skewers don’t sit very well once served. This is because they only use premium pork that’s free of additives and preservatives to preserve their natural flavour. To enjoy the skewers at their absolute best, and experience the ideal juicy and tender texture, we strongly recommend that you consume them as soon as they’re served. Leaving them out for any longer than a couple of minutes will leave you with some unpleasantly tough and dry skewers (no thanks).
Salmon Mentaiko Onigiri, $4
Char Siew Onigiri, $4
Another unique menu offering at Buta Kizoku is their Salmon Mentaiko Onigiri ($4) and Char Siew Onigiri ($4), each toasted for that crisp exterior and brushed with sweet teriyaki sauce to finish. We loved how the outside of the onigiri was crunchy while the inside remained soft and moist for that perfect contrast of textures. Out of the two flavours, we preferred the Char Siew, as the Salmon Mentaiko was slightly drier, and we couldn’t really taste the mentaiko against the more overpowering teriyaki sauce coating.
Shiitake, $3.80; Eryngii, $3.80; Enoki, $3.80
Teriyaki Chicken, $3
Shisamo Karaage, $6.50
Crispy Gyoza, $5.50
Ama Ebi Karaage, $6.50
Sapporo Beer, $12
Kizoku Calpis, $12
Ikezo Peach Jelly Sake, $14
Aside from pork kushiyaki, they also offer chicken yakitori (from $2), as well as sides like Shisamo Karaage ($6.50), Crispy Gyoza ($5.50), Octopus Karaage ($6.50) and more; along with highballs, beer, sake, cocktails and homemade juices.
As a limited-time opening promotion, dine-in customers are also entitled to a free sure-win Spin the Wheel chance where you can stand to win free dishes and vouchers! All you have to do is share your spin on your social media to qualify. Note that Buta Kizoku is a dine-in only establishment, and they don’t offer takeaways.
Buta Kizoku
Ambience: 3/5
Food/Drinks: 3.5/5
Service: 3/5
Price: $
Worth a visit: Another good drinking spot to add to the list!
Address: Bugis Junction, #02-48, Singapore 188021
Opening Hours: Sunday-Thursday,11.30am-9.30pm; Friday-Saturday, 11.30am-10pm
