It’s all about the best meat – Yukeyaku Yakitori only serves Grade 9A+ Australian wagyu.

▲ A plate of Australian wagyu 9A+ flat iron steak, tender and juicy.

Reported and photographed by Huang Shiyuan / Taipei

When it comes to Japanese-style yakiniku in Taipei, most people would immediately think of the big four: Da Wan, Laoganbei, Hutong, and RanMoe. But recently, a new spot called “Yukeyaku Premium Yakiniku” opened near Dongmen Station on the Jincheng South Road MRT line – and it actually has the word “Premium” right in its name. Turns out, Yukeyaku Premium Yakiniku only serves chilled Grade 9A+ Australian wagyu beef (which is even suitable for sashimi), uses only Iberico pork, and even offers king crabs priced at over NT$10,000. General Manager Chiu Huang-hsiang said that when he was planning to open the yakiniku restaurant, he made up his mind to “only serve the best meat.”

Yukeyaku Premium Yakiniku not only offers Grade 9A+ Australian wagyu, but also invested NT$300,000 to build a humidity-controlled aging room (kept at 0°C) in the kitchen. Chiu Huang-hsiang explained that after the wagyu arrives, it is aged in the room for 30 days, plus another 30 days for shipping, meaning customers are eating wagyu that has been aged for at least 60 days. He added that the wagyu currently aging in the room is worth over NT$2 million. To handle such premium beef, Chiu hired a chef with years of experience – admitting he once interviewed a chef from Tainan, but the skills weren’t up to par, as Taiwanese yellow cattle and wagyu require very different handling techniques.

%The lean muscle... is the most sought-after part in this dish, featuring tender texture and perfect marbling. (Photo courtesy... portion price NT$60)




%The lean muscle... Version B. (Photo courtesy... portion price NT$60)




%The lean muscle... Version C. (Portion price NT$80, photo shows two portions)



▲ At Yukeyaku Premium Yakiniku, you’ll usually find cuts like tongue corner, diaphragm corner, and wagyu corner. But sometimes the diaphragm corner is replaced with top cap corner. From left to right in the photo: tongue corner, top cap corner, and flank corner.


▲ Top cap meat, the tenderness will win you over with just one bite.

To maintain the deliciousness of the yakiniku, the grill grate is changed after every 5–6 pieces of meat (Yukeyaku Premium Yakiniku has a convenient grill cart beside each table for quick changes). To keep up with this pace, Chiu Huang-hsiang spent NT$300,000 on an automatic grill-cleaning machine. He also said that you can tell if a restaurant serves high-quality meals just by looking at its kitchen equipment – those willing to invest heavily in equipment must care deeply about ingredient quality and portion generosity.

The menu includes beef tongue, pork belly (beef), shoulder cuts, steak cuts, pork cuts, chicken, seafood, and vegetables. The cheapest item is Iberico pork belly at NT$260 per portion, while Sakuraga pork is just NT$20 more at NT$280. The most affordable beef is Mi Jiang black skirt steak at NT$280. The most expensive dish is the NT$3,600 Yukeyaku Corner Cut. Chiu Huang-hsiang explained that the chef skillfully slices the part of the beef with the least connective tissue. Usually, you’ll find tongue corner, diaphragm corner, and wagyu corner, but sometimes the diaphragm corner is swapped for top cap corner. However, only the tongue corner and wagyu corner are sold individually; diaphragm corner and top cap corner are only available as part of the Yukeyaku Corner Cut set.

▲ %The beautifully marbled sirloin.

Besides the Yukeyaku Corner Cut, Chiu Huang-hsiang also recommends boneless short rib, premium rose cut, and flat iron steak. He said the beef shoulder can be divided into 13 parts, and the premium rose is the most tender with the most perfect marbling. The flat iron steak comes from only two strips per cow, each weighing about 3–4 kg, with marbling as beautiful as marble. Additionally, he mentioned that for those brave enough to try raw beef, they must try the “beef tongue sashimi,” paired with special sauce and chopped scallions – guaranteed to be loved at first bite.

Yukeyaku Premium Yakiniku officially opened on August 20. Holiday reservations are currently fully booked through the end of August, and dining time is unlimited.

Address: 3F, No. 2, Section 2, Jincheng South Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2393-7168
Business hours: 11:30–24:00


▲ Kimchi.


▲ Spicy beef rice porridge.


▲ The restaurant also offers king crab, starting at NT$10,000.

▲ Japanese tiger prawns, Hokkaido scallops, and Penghu squid.


▲ Interior seating.


▲ The restaurant uses iPads for ordering.