I made a reservation at Kyo Yakinku (73 Glebe Point Road) during their opening promotion.
Housed in a terrace, the extensive Japanese BBQ fit-out features individual table extraction hoses and is deceptively large, stretching back from the main road to a semi-enclosed dining area.
While there were some opening week service hiccups, Kyo offers something new to Glebe’s dining scene.
Japanese BBQ on Glebe Point Road
Kyo is a Japanese BBQ buffet that offers a variety of thinly sliced meats, vegetables, and other sides for diners to grill themselves at their tables. It’s all-you-can-eat, with your table allocated 60 minutes to order and 90 minutes to eat. There are side dishes offered as well, included in the price, and drinks available for extra. You order everything through a QR code, and it’s brought to your table.
We went for lunch when a smaller menu was offered cheaper ($42). I was surprised by how busy the place was, given how recently it had opened. The exhaust fans and semi-outdoor seating meant that the temperature was mild, and smoke was largely avoided. The fire alarm went off once, but it was pretty chill for an opening week.
Dining experience
I don’t love buffet style generally. When done poorly, you are placed in an adversarial position with the restaurant where you are trying to order as much as possible while they are trying to slow your ordering pace. I am not saying that was the case here; it’s more of a general observation about package food and drink deals.
I was concerned that, having done our first order, we didn’t receive any food for about 15 minutes. That represents about a quarter of our ordering time, and I queued up subsequent orders with much less abandon. Our server apologised that several items we ordered were out of stock. Given we were dining on the condensed menu, this wasn’t ideal, as we then had to reorder and wait for replacement items. We were getting 20% off the bill due to their opening promotion, so I wasn’t sweating the hiccups.
I think, ideally, you don’t need to stack buffet orders and can dine at a more natural pace. This allows you to order more of things you like, whereas stacking orders means you are blindly ordering to efficiently use your time. As the restaurant cleared out, we got our orders faster, and I was happy with the overall amount we ordered.
BBQ options and side dishes
You could marinate your meat with several sauces and the condiments included at the table. I enjoyed the BBQ selection, with the Wagyu rib finger particularly delicious.
I tried some non-BBQ items, such as miso soup, tamago, edamane, and tofu salad. None stood out, but all were nice ways to lighten the meal and accompany the BBQ. Tables near us were getting into the larger included plates, including ramen and sushi, but my appetite wasn’t big enough to warrant any interest in these.
The buffet has desserts, including fruit, ice cream, and cake. We both really enjoyed the carrot cake, and it was a great note to end the meal.
Kyo Yakinku – overall verdict
I think that Kyo is a fun addition to Glebe, offering a dining space suited to groups and those who love Yakinku. You can tell from the effort put into the fit-out that the owners are passionate about delivering a high-quality BBQ experience.
I don’t think I’ll be a repeat customer, but if I am craving yakinku, I would be happy at Kyo.
Taste: 3/5
Value: 3/5
Experience: 3/5