Warning: Pictures might cause cardiac arrest

Our wagyu (better cut) at S$31; the normal wagyu costs S$28

We love yakiniku or Japanese barbeque, and one of our favourite restaurants for this is Gyu-kaku at Chijmes. It is cheaper than our other haunt--Yakinikutei Ao-Chan, at Le Meridien Hotel in Orchard Road--and the quality is not quite as fine. But who cares when you get wagyu as marbled as this.

I swear: They melt in your mouth.

What is quite yummy and not quite healthy either is their Horenso salad (S$11), which is spinach with Japanese sesame dressing. They forgot to add that bacon is included too. Perhaps they think they can con the health-conscious this way. But a glance at the creamy salad dressing that they've piled on and you know...

Horenso salad. Don't let the vegetables trick you; it isn't healthy.

What is palate-worthy is also their basil chicken (S$8) and beef tongue. Though Terence is not crazy about the beef tongue they serve at Gyu-kaku, I drool just thinking about it.

What you need to do just before you take the tongue off the grill is to squeeze a generous amount of lemon juice over it. The smokeyness mingled with the salt springled on the tongue and the tangy dash of lemon simply knocks the breath out of you.

The portions are good enough to share and as you can see from the prices, it really isn't very expensive.

It was Saturday night when we went, and the place was packed with gorgeous looking people. Even the waitress looked well made up. But after you've spent the whole day looking after your hyperactive toddler, all you ever want to do is count down to 8pm (his bed time) with great anticipation, and throw your deadbeat self on the bed thereafter. Doesn't matter if your shirt is stained with porridge, apple, and saliva.

But one has got to eat. Thank god the place was smoky. Anyone who claimed that they saw me there, I'd just say they were badly mistaken.