There is a general impression that yakiniku restaurants (Japanese barbecue restaurants) offer a predominantly meat-based menu with few vegetable options. To avoid being stereotyped, Gyu-Kaku Japanese Yakiniku Restaurant (Gyu-Kaku) strives to be innovative and has a strong commitment to promoting healthy eating. As a three-star EatSmart Restaurant (ESR) under the “EatSmart Restaurant Star+” Campaign (ESR Star+ Campaign), Gyu-Kaku offers “More Fruit and Vegetables” dishes and “3 Less” dishes along with “EatSmart Promotion” on a daily basis, successfully widening its customer base and taking its business to the next level.

According to Ms Ying Kwok, Assistant Area Manager of Gyu-Kaku, participating in the ESR Star+ Campaign is in line with Gyu-Kaku’s brand positioning. This also enables the restaurant group to keep up with the trend of healthy eating. “Many people are now health-conscious,” explained Ms Kwok. “When ordering grilled meat, a lot of customers ask whether vegetables are included in the meal sets, hoping that there are more veggie choices.” In view of this, Gyu-Kaku provides a broad set of customised “EatSmart Dishes”, gaining more popularity among restaurant-goers. Some customers even visit Gyu-Kaku with their friends.

“EatSmart Dishes”: A Return to Simplicity

Gyu-Kaku’s “EatSmart Dishes” are the brainchild of a group of talented chefs. In addition to importing ingredients from Japan, Gyu-Kaku makes good use of various seasonal foods. As a result, the “EatSmart Dishes” are not only healthy but can also bring out the freshness and original flavours of the ingredients, which is the essence of Japanese cuisine. As pointed out by Ms Kwok, the preparation of “EatSmart Dishes” is neither time-consuming nor complicated. This can be illustrated in “Salted Cabbage Salad” and “Jellyfish Salad with Vinegar and Yuzu Dressing”, the two most popular “More Fruit and Vegetables” dishes at Gyu-Kaku. “‘Salted Cabbage Salad’ features a special sauce,” said Ms Kwok. “Many customers love this refreshing dish.” To encourage everyone to eat more vegetables, Gyu-Kaku allows customers to go for a second order of “Salted Cabbage Salad” for takeaway at half price. Meanwhile, “Jellyfish Salad with Vinegar and Yuzu Dressing” is prepared with a wide range of ingredients that are trendy in Japan, such as Romaine lettuce, seaweed, jellyfish and yuzu vinegar. Though seemingly simple, this combination of ingredients gives the dish a variety of tastes and textures.

When talking about Gyu-Kaku’s future plans, Ms Kwok revealed that healthy eating would continue to play a role. She explained, “We have put a lot of effort in designing the ‘EatSmart Dishes’. To add more diversity to the dishes, we look for seasonal ingredients, such as asparagus and okra.” Gyu-Kaku will continue to introduce new “EatSmart Dishes” from time to time, hoping that customers will continue to patronise Gyu-Kaku for its healthy and delicious dishes.