Easily spotted along the road, this eatery was fully packed when we arrived around 7pm on a Friday evening. We got ourselves waitlisted in the queue and waited for 45mins (also the max waiting time advised by the staff due to the dine-in duration that was capped at 45mins)

Be prepared to soak up the smell of kitchen works when you dine in this cosy Japanese house. The live/DIY cooking means that the live action (and smoke) gets right-in-your-face-clothes-and-hair literally. I hate to stink after my food so the food has got to be worth it. Im glad to share that it does! For the novelty, friendly service and rather generous portion of oko (priced approx $17.90++ for the Ajiya combo oko, with a 10% discount if choose to DIY. Otherwise, you’ll be waited upon by their in-house oko chefs). The Ajiya combo allows you to choose 3 toppings - I picked tako, belly pork and smoked duck while the husband went for scallops, bacon and belly pork. Portion size of the proteins could be a lil’ more generous. Holistically, considering the rather substantial portion of cabbage and batter, it all adds up to a rather satiating meal.
Once done, you’ve the liberty to drizzle your oko with any amount of Japanese Mayo (kewpie!), oko sauce and bonito flakes! These condiments are available at no additional cost and they’re free-flow!

Worth a try if you’ve got time and don’t mind smelling a lil’ post meal.

Tip: Head early! The waitlist stops once the max #pax is reached before the “second” seating begins. During our wait, we saw disappointed diners walking away. They’d arrived perhaps 20-30mins after us.

Don’t bother with the yakiniku sides tho. I think they’re priced a tad steep for the portion (you get better deals and an assortment of dips at Yakiniku like!)