Don’t confuse Sukiya with local Japanese hotpot chain Suki-ya (with an extra hyphen). The two Japanese restaurants are wholly unrelated. Despite Suki-ya’s existence here, the beef bowl chain is allowed to open in Singapore under its original name.

Sukiya’s marketing rep explains, “We’re [operating under] different categories. We’re selling beef bowls and [Suki-ya] is selling hotpot.”

Sukiya Singapore is a direct outlet opened by Japanese F&B company Zensho Holdings. It owns the Sukiya chain in Japan, as well as local concepts like halal ramen restaurant Ichikokudo Hokkaido Ramen.

8days.sg had a sneak peek ahead of its opening, and below is what you can expect:

If you frequently get lost in Suntec City, know that Sukiya is located at the mall’s Tower 3 East Wing, right in front of a Harvey Norman outlet.

The open-concept space can seat 50 diners. But under current safe distancing rules, it can fit  about 30 pax.

There is also a takeaway counter for customers who are looking to do a quick tapow. Self-service ordering counters will be available sometime in March.

The prices here are possibly the main reason for Sukiya’s appeal. Its signature Gyudon comes in four sizes from S to XL, and the smallest bowl costs only $4.20. Meanwhile, big eaters can chow down on an XL beef bowl for just $8.80. ​​​​​​​

There’s also a Melted Cheese on Triple Cheese Gyudon, which is priced from $6.80 for a small bowl. The extensive menu includes charcoal-grilled yakitori bowls and unagi bowls.

The restaurant uses US short plate beef for its bowl, which is a fatty cut from the bottom part of the cow’s belly.

Despite its super wallet-friendly prices (it’s comparable to dining at a hawker centre) in an air-conditioned mall, we get short grain Koshihikari rice and a decent pile of thinly-sliced beef — simmered in shoyu with onions — in our medium-sized bowl.

The beef slices are fairly juicy and umami, though a little too salty. They’re better with the fluffy white rice, which soaks up the beef juices.

We recommend ordering a set meal for this gyudon (from $6.20 for S size), which comes with a bowl of very shiok garlicky stir-fried kang kong and your choice of an iced lemon tea or miso soup.

This bowl comes draped in three types of cheese: cheddar, mozzarella and Monterey Jack. The melted cheese blend clings to the beef, and it’s not that jelak to wolf down a whole bowl with the clean-tasting white rice. Value for money.

The unagi and beef bowl with egg here is also pretty good. The imported frozen Japanese eel is cooked just right, draped in a sweet-savoury tare sauce that’s good to hoover up with the beef (the soft-boiled egg comes on the side, which we smashed over the beef so the meat soaks in the  gooey yolk).

Other than soy-simmered beef, Sukiya also offers a yakiniku version where the thin beef slices are grilled. We order a bowl topped with standard-issue spicy kimchi. The grilled beef is somehow not as juicy or tender as the gyudon. But if you want to try both types of beef, there’s a Gyudon/Beef Yakiniku Combination Bowl ($9.80 for M, $10.40 for L).

If you don’t take beef, there are chicken-based options here too. This yakitori bowl is pretty yummy, with succulent chunks of chicken nestling on a bed of seaweed and rice (though it’s not as unabashedly umami as Tori-Q’s yakitori rice boxes). You can also top up for additional cheese, kimchi or double half-boiled eggs.

The drinks here are interesting, with a Pudding Milo Latte ($4.80) and Earl Grey Tea Latte ($3.80) on the menu. But the prettiest (read: most IG-worthy) picks are the matcha and strawberry milk beverages, which come with Hokkaido milk. They’re tastier than a bubble tea drink from the average BBT joint, and cost approximately the same price. Not bad at all.

#01-647 East Wing, 3 Temasek Blvd, S038983. Open daily 10am-10pm. Last order at 9.30pm. www.sukiya.com.sg.

PHOTOS: ALVIN TEO