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For all you BBQ lovers, I’ve got some paw-sitive news! China’s award-winning Chinese BBQ restaurant Meow Barbecue (猫抓烤肉) has opened its second outlet in Vivo City. The cat-themed establishment, ranked as one of the Top 10 BBQ restaurants in China, opened its first overseas branch in Bugis+ in 2022.
My colleague Aaron and I snuck a sneak preview during their soft launch period at Vivocity. Unlike the Bugis outlet, we glanced at a condiments counter that was free-flow, filled with appetisers, sauces and desserts. We decided to try their cucumber salad—a crunchy palette cleanser mixed with a Szechuan spicy sauce.
The new outlet at Vivocity will also feature brand-new items on its menu! Meow Barbecue has added three new side dishes: Deep-Fried Crispy Fish Fillet (S$8.80), Shrimp Tempura (S$13.80 for 6 pc) and the Deep-Fried Squid Tentacles (S$12.80) which we sampled.
On a tight lunch schedule? If you’re still looking to enjoy their favourites without the hassle of BBQ-ing, a new concept that Meow Barbecue are implementing at Vivocity is their Meow Stone Yaki Set Meal with Rice.
The set meals come with a fried egg, corn, and vegetables, with your choice of meat grilled on a hot stone! We tried their Stone Yaki Diamond Cut Marinated Beef Ribs (S$19.80 for 200g). The beef ribs, covered in a delicious sweet marinade were tender and well seasoned.
Compared to the Bugis outlet, Meow Barbecue will also feature new Meow Meat Platters for 2 pax. We got the Pork, Chicken and Assorted Vegetables Meow Platter. This came with a selection of meats, including a small portion of their signature Chicken with Szechuan Peppers and the Premium Iberico Pork Belly along with an assortment of mushrooms and vegetables.
Our first cut of meat was the Iberico Pork Collar with Black Pepper. It had a distinct black pepper taste but was on the less tender side. The next cut from the platter was the Premium Iberico Pork Belly. This bite was arguably the best bite of my meal. The meat was soft, tender and juicy and had an excellent fat-to-meat ratio – I had fat dripping off my chopstick!
The last cut of meat on the platter was their signature Chicken with Szechuan Peppers, which was flavourful and tender. The Szechuan peppers gave a numbing sensation coupled with the crispy peppers.
Diners can still enjoy signatures such as their Meow Signature Spicy Beef with Pickled Peppers (S$19.80), which while I was still dying from the spice, I could not leave without sampling.
This was probably the most juicy cut of meat yet and it was soft with a distinct pickled pepper taste. Aaron found it tolerable which I think speaks volumes for my tolerance which I overestimated on this occasion.
Meow Barbecue at Vivocity is currently on a trial opening period, but do head down for their grand opening. You can enjoy a S$100 for S$59 opening voucher on Chope available for dine-in starting on their official grand opening day of 28 Sep!
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