Did Suki-ya live up to its past glory? Here's our personal dining experience at Suki-ya:
When I'm feeling down or when it's raining, I often want shabu-shabu. The thing I like about shabu-shabu is that the meat slices are so thin that they only take a few seconds to cook.
At the Suki-ya buffet, you can fill your hotpot with thinly sliced beef, pork, chicken, and a wide variety of vegetables for as little or as much as you want to spend. You can choose from their five delicious soup bases.
Suki-ya is established to provide comforting dining experiences at similarly reasonable costs. Diners get to enjoy unlimited quality beef, pork, and farm-raised chicken with a broad selection of fresh vegetables to complete the meal with a healthy touch.
In 2025, will it still be as good and worth it? We have heard numerous unfavourable reviews of Suki-ya ranging from a decline in service quality to poor food quality. We are appalled. Unannounced, we returned to one of their closest locations (Bukit Panjang Mall branch) to review the food quality and service.
Suki-ya Buffet – The variety was wide and the food was well stocked
I like Suki-ya because it has an excellent fresh produce bar where you can choose greens and other ingredients like mushrooms, mushroom balls, meatballs, and different kinds of noodles. As for meat, paper-thin slices of chilled beef, pork, and farm-raised chicken are brought right to your table upon order.
There's no need to rush and grab meat because there's plenty.
Suki-ya's Menu: Different Kinds of Tasty Soup Bases
I think the most critical part of a hotpot meal is the soup. After all, it's where all the food is cooked.
There are five tasty soup bases to choose from to go with the meat. These are Shabu-Shabu (the classic broth), Sukiyaki (a Japanese favourite), Kimuchi (kimchi with spicy miso), Butaniku (rich pork-based soup) and Tomato (a rich tangy tomato soup).
My favourite is the rich flavourful Butaniku soup.
Most people would throw different kinds of meat into the same soup, but I think the Butaniku goes best with beef, mushrooms, and vegetables.
The Kimuchi base is also worth mentioning if you want to spice things up with a bit of tang. This broth simmers authentic kimchi, spicy miso, and vegetables. Sliced pork and beef would go well with this broth.
Suki-ya's Pros: Quality Ingredients, Fresh High-Quality Beef
As part of the buffet, Suki-ya gives you as much thinly sliced beef, chicken, and pork as you want. The meat is served in boxes on the table.
The meat boxes are kept in the fridge and only taken out when someone orders them, thus keeping the meat cool and fresh.
Aside from Lobster Balls, Shiitake Balls, and Cuttlefish Balls, the most popular ones are Chicken Cheese Balls, Cheese Tofus, and Shiitake .
Whenever I go for a hotpot buffet, I make sure I have a balance of meat and greens. Suki-ya has many different kinds of fresh vegetables and mushrooms that help make our meals more balanced.
Suki-ya's Menu: Variety of Dipping Sauces
There are many different sauces to choose from, including Ponzu, Spicy Peanut Sauce, Miso Tare, Mala Chilli, Grated Radish, Grated Garlic, and Spring Onions.
You can mix and match to make your own dipping sauce, whether it's Mala chilli with chopped spring onions or just a raw egg with soy sauce and grated garlic.
Mixing grated radish, grated garlic, and spring onions with one tablespoon of ponzu, two tablespoons of spicy peanut sauce, and a raw egg yolk is my favourite way to make a sauce for beef.
Suki-ya Hotpot
- Affordable
- Wide selection of dishes and meats
- Multiple outlets islandwide
Email: mail@createries.com
Website: https://suki-ya.com.sg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sukiya.sg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sukiyasg/
What our food editor liked about this steamboat restaurant: Suki-ya Japanese Style Hotpot steamboat is a Safe Choice!
Suki-ya is a true embodiment of the famed ‘House of Hot Pot' concept, providing a hearty dining experience at a reasonable price. Its unique Shabu-shabu dish is a must-try, and it complements the high-quality meats offered well. Sukiyaki and Tokyu Miso broth are two of the most popular soups available.
Suki-ya's limitless servings of delectable, sliced beef, pig, and chicken will satisfy even the most ravenous customers. Moreover, Suki-ya's vegetable bar is something one should take note of when dining, it offers a wide selection of fresh vegetables to balance out the meal with a healthy approach. In conclusion, Suki-ya is sure to delight everyone's taste buds with its exquisite soups and broths.
Our food editor's final verdict and summary on Suki-ya Singapore
Will hotpot-loving Singaporeans swarm to Suki-ya, the much-loved Japanese franchise where diners can gorge to their heart's content with Suki-ya fantastic value all-you-can-eat buffet option?
The atmosphere at Suki-ya is very Japanese, and the simple decorations make it look like a Japanese guest house.
Suki-ya Cons: Service Staff could be more attentive to diners, Restuarant seems a bit understaffed
Suki-ya has good service, but it's not great. The staff is good at taking orders, serving, and clearing dirty or empty plates. They are also nice and friendly (Bukit Panjang Mall branch). Some people may find it hard to get their attention because they don't have enough staff. But I like that the staff can make suggestions about the different soup bases.
Overall, Suki-ya is a Japanese hotpot buffet restaurant with a clean atmosphere and fresh food that is good value for the money. The food is pretty standard, but the soup bases and sauces are unique and not found at other hotpot restaurants.
Suki-ya Price and How to get discounts there
I thought the buffet is value for the money (lunch $19.90++ /pax for 80mins), and the air conditioning made it very comfortable to eat at Suki-ya. But you can expect to smell like shabu-shabu when you leave. As for us, we used Chope vouchers at $18.74/pax net, 20% off the usual price.
Suki-ya Outlets – Our Guide to all of their outlets in Singapore
The brand is part of Creative Eateries Group and has 7 outlets are located across Singapore (as of January 2025):
- Bugis+ – (Bugis) 201 Victoria St, #04-14 to 15, Singapore 188067
- Bukit Panjang Plaza – (Bukit Panjang) 1 Jelebu Rd, Bukit Panjang Rd, #02-16, Singapore 677743
- Heartland Mall – (Kovan) 205 Hougang Street 21, #02-08/09, Singapore 530205
- Kallang Wave Mall – (Stadium) 1 Stadium Place, #01-35, Singapore 397628
- Marina Square – (Esplanade) 6 Raffles Boulevard, #02-183B/C, Singapore 039594
- Plaza Singapura – (Dhoby Ghaut) 68 Orchard Rd, #04-62, Singapore 238839
- Vivo City – (Harbourfront) 1 HarbourFront Walk, #01-102/103, Singapore 098585
