Shimo Yakiniku — Restaurant in Brisbane City

This is the worst Japanese barbecue restaurant I have ever been to, owned by a Chinese boss! When I walked into the restaurant, the overall ambiance was great, so I had high expectations for this highly rated establishment and the food it would offer. However, I was extremely disappointed and shocked. Firstly, for the entree, I ordered tempura, but it didn't come with the proper tempura sauce. Instead, it was just some fried vegetables, and you didn't even fry them using the correct tempura technique. Tempura should be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, accompanied by its own flavorful sauce. What I received was nothing more than vegetable fritters mixed with flour! If you don't know how to make it, it would be better to not offer the dish at all rather than deceive customers like this.

As a barbecue restaurant, using a gas grill instead of a charcoal grill is already unprofessional! And to make matters worse, you didn't even provide the basic dipping sauce for the grilled meat?! Why did you give me two types of soy sauce, one with a bit of sugar water and another with garlic water? Even if you don't know how to make it, you could have bought some from your suppliers instead of trying to cut corners and deceive consumers! Especially considering the high prices you charge! I am a barbecue enthusiast, and I have tried at least ten barbecue restaurants, including Hachi, Waguya, and Shinbashi. The price of your beef tongue is almost 35% higher than the others, but what's even more disappointing is that you don't even know how to make the scallion oil sauce for the beef tongue! Other places serve beef tongue with a fruity and tangy sauce, while yours tasted like cheap vinegar essence. Did you buy a $1.7, 2L bottle of white vinegar from Coles to save costs and mix it in?! Furthermore, the most important thing is that your beef tongue lacked the natural flavor it should have, and I wonder where you sourced it from because it completely lacked the aroma of quality beef tongue. The other meats only fulfilled their basic duties of having their original flavors, but nothing more! I can buy wagyu beef from the supermarket, and it tastes the same. Can you please have some integrity when opening a restaurant? If you can't even do the basics, what's the point of running a restaurant? Are you joking?

Please don't treat your...

We’re visiting from Melbourne and had only one night in Brisbane — so glad we made the effort to come to Shimo Yakiniku after a friend’s recommendation! At first, we thought we were at the wrong address since it’s tucked away behind a building, but once we found it, it felt like discovering a hidden gem. The decor is beautifully done — warm, cosy, yet clean and spacious.

We arrived late (around 8:20pm) and appreciated being told when the kitchen would close. The staff, including the owner (I assume), were super friendly and helpful despite the time. Service was quick and respectful — as someone who eats out all the time, I know how important it is to order efficiently late in the night, so we made sure to do that. I think I accidentally offended the owner for a second when we asked about the portion sizes — we thought each set would be evenly divided between people, and I questioned about the meat looking a bit short. He kindly corrected us and explained that it's portioned by weight, which totally makes sense. No hard feelings at all — just a bit of a laugh and a learning moment!

We got the deluxe wagyu set at $102pp — absolutely worth every dollar. The meat was top quality, beautifully marbled, and nothing was chewy or off. Oysters were so good we ordered another dozen. Everything was fresh and delicious — but of course, yakiniku is all about how well you cook it yourself. Our group of seven (ages 17 to 30 with one child and one elderly) was fully satisfied by the end, and trust me, we all can eat! My five-year-old is super picky with meat, and he devoured his karubi steak — so that’s saying something.

The cucumber and kimchi was great. We didn’t have much of the sesame oil cabbage, but that’s just personal taste — we were here for the meat, and it truly delivered. Everything was well presented, and the sauces complemented the dishes perfectly.

Only regret? My son had my phone the whole time so I couldn’t take photos — but I’m making up for it with this review! Highly recommend Shimo Yakiniku. Will...

Somehow the owner deleted the review but here you go~ I decided to try this res out bc of the rating. The food portion is very little compared to the price. Even if the portion is small, I expected the meat quality to be good, but sadly, it was so chewy. I have eaten many wagyu, but it is really not a good Wagyu quality. The lady who served the table was nice but the owner was not engaging with us at all. Keep ignoring… As you can see the whole thing on the table was 200 dollar And I added tri-tip but I don’t know why I got two different marbles. The meat just don’t have enough marble it feel like I am eating normal beef. The most important is the BBQ pot is gas…… The whole experience was just sad I was so looking to it to enjoy after a stressful week. So don’t I recommend it. A note to owner: When a customer review is their honest opinion. Is for rooms for owner to improve so you can make things better instead of calling us names through replying to my friend’s review. I think you under a lot of pressure but it doesn’t mean you have the right to do what you have done so far. I didn’t give a low rating because of the booth I was thinking if food is nice I will book it next time. However, all I have done is try to enjoy the food. If you getting it wrong and take things so personally that you can’t think straight then I have nothing to say. You should do a self reflect for your improvement instead of acting like this. You can give me rating I don’t mind because at the end I have nothing to lose. Please don’t make yourself the center of everything all I have done the whole night was chilling with my friend and I don’t have time to look at you for 2 hours. Please have some common sense. Don't act like a victim. Please improve make things better don’t act like a kid. Playing prank calls. Thank you for the effort for… hahah is so funny to think. For other people who want a nice weekend please don’t go I really don’t want anyone to experience what I have been...