A Taste of Japan's Most Celebrated Comfort Dish
There are few dishes in the world that carry the same warmth and ceremony as sukiyaki. Originating in the Meiji era, this beloved Japanese hot pot has long been the centrepiece of family gatherings, celebrations, and cold-weather evenings across Japan. The name itself — derived from suki (plough) and yaki (grilled) — hints at its rustic origins, when farmers would cook meat and vegetables on the flat blade of a plough over an open fire.
Today, sukiyaki has evolved into one of Japan's most refined one-pot dishes. Thinly sliced beef simmers gently in a sweet-savoury broth alongside silky tofu, earthy mushrooms, and tender greens. Each piece is lifted from the pot, dipped into a bowl of beaten raw egg, and savoured in all its umami glory.
And while sukiyaki is traditionally enjoyed at high-end ryokans and specialty restaurants, there is something deeply satisfying about recreating it at home — especially when you have access to truly premium ingredients. With Miss A's Handpick Fine Food, sourcing restaurant-quality Japanese produce in Singapore has never been easier. From A5 wagyu to farm-fresh Japanese eggs, every element of an authentic sukiyaki is just a click away.
This recipe will guide you through making a proper sukiyaki hot pot at home, using the finest ingredients available. Whether you are hosting a Chinese New Year gathering, celebrating a special occasion, or simply treating your family to something extraordinary on a weeknight, this is a dish that turns any meal into an event.
What You Will Need
The Star: Premium Beef
- A5 Japanese Wagyu Beef Sukiyaki Slice (200g) — 2 packs (400g total for 3–4 servings). A5 is the highest grade of Japanese wagyu, prized for its extraordinary marbling, buttery texture, and melt-in-the-mouth richness. The slices come pre-cut to the ideal thinness for sukiyaki, so no specialist knife work is required.
Vegetables and Tofu
- Organic Chinese Cabbage (500g) — 1 pack, cut into bite-sized pieces. The leaves wilt beautifully in the broth while the stems retain a pleasant crunch.
- Chitose's Spinach — 1 bunch, trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths. Japanese spinach is sweeter and more tender than regular varieties, making it ideal for quick-cooking hot pot dishes.
- 1 block of firm tofu (about 300g), cut into 2cm cubes
- 200g enoki mushrooms, base trimmed
- 150g shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps scored with a cross
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced on the diagonal (5mm thick)
- 1 bunch of spring onions (negi), cut into 4cm lengths on the diagonal
- 150g shirataki noodles (konjac noodles), drained, rinsed, and briefly blanched
For the Sukiyaki Sauce (Warishita)
- 200ml Taiwan Premium Natural Black Soy Sauce — This naturally brewed soy sauce, made from single-origin Taiwanese black soybeans, brings a depth and complexity to the warishita that mass-produced soy sauces simply cannot match.
- 200ml mirin (sweet rice wine)
- 100ml sake
- 3–4 tablespoons sugar (adjust to taste)
- 150ml dashi stock (see method below)
For the Dashi Stock
- 500ml water
- 1 piece of kombu (dried kelp), about 10cm square
- 10g katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
For Dipping
- Fresh Japanese Eggs — 1 per person. In Japan, sukiyaki is always served with a small bowl of beaten raw egg for dipping. The rich, golden yolks of these Japanese eggs create a silky, custard-like coating that tempers the heat and sweetness of the broth. Japanese eggs are specifically raised and handled to be safe for raw consumption.
To Serve
- Hokkaido White Rice — Freshly steamed. The slightly sticky, subtly sweet character of Hokkaido rice is the perfect companion for sukiyaki. Use it to soak up the remaining broth at the end of the meal, or enjoy it alongside each bite.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Dashi Stock
Place the kombu in 500ml of cold water in a small saucepan. Let it soak for at least 30 minutes — or up to several hours if you have the time. This cold extraction draws out the glutamic acid that gives dashi its signature umami backbone.
Place the saucepan over medium heat. Just before the water reaches a boil (you will see small bubbles forming at the edges), remove the kombu. Do not let it boil, as this makes the stock cloudy and slightly bitter.
Add the bonito flakes, bring to a gentle boil, then immediately turn off the heat. Let the flakes steep for 3–4 minutes before straining through a fine-mesh sieve. You should have roughly 400–500ml of clear, golden dashi. Set aside 150ml for the sukiyaki sauce.
Step 2: Make the Sukiyaki Sauce (Warishita)
Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and 150ml of your freshly made dashi in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Taste and adjust — the sauce should be a harmonious balance of sweet, salty, and savoury. If it tastes too strong, add a splash more dashi. If it needs more sweetness, add sugar a teaspoon at a time.
Remove from heat and set aside. This makes enough warishita for one generous pot of sukiyaki. You can make the sauce up to a day ahead and refrigerate it.
Step 3: Prepare All Your Ingredients
Sukiyaki is a communal, cook-at-the-table dish, so presentation matters. Arrange all your prepared ingredients on a large platter or wooden board:
- Wagyu slices laid out in a single layer (take them out of the fridge 10–15 minutes before cooking to bring them closer to room temperature)
- Chinese cabbage separated into leaf and stem pieces
- Spinach in neat bundles
- Tofu cubes patted dry
- Mushrooms arranged by type
- Carrot slices and spring onion pieces
- Shirataki noodles in a small bowl
This spread is half the joy of sukiyaki — the vibrant colours and textures make it feel like a feast before you have even started cooking.
Step 4: Set Up Your Cooking Station
Place a wide, shallow pot or a traditional sukiyaki nabe on a portable gas burner at the centre of your dining table. A cast-iron skillet also works beautifully — the heavy base distributes heat evenly and develops a lovely fond.
Crack one Fresh Japanese Egg per person into individual small bowls. Beat lightly with chopsticks — you want it mixed but not frothy.
Step 5: Start Cooking — The Kanto Style
There are two main regional styles of sukiyaki in Japan. This recipe follows the Kanto (Tokyo) style, where the warishita sauce is added to the pot first, and everything simmers together. (The Kansai/Osaka style sears the meat first and adds seasonings directly — equally delicious, but slightly more advanced.)
Heat your pot over medium-high heat. Add a small piece of beef fat or a teaspoon of neutral oil to grease the surface. Place a few slices of the A5 Wagyu Sukiyaki Slices in the pot and sear them briefly — just 15 to 20 seconds per side. A5 wagyu is so richly marbled that it cooks almost instantly. Remove these first slices and set them aside (these are the cook's reward — dip them in egg and enjoy immediately).
Step 6: Build the Pot
Pour about half the warishita sauce into the pot. Bring it to a gentle simmer — never a rolling boil.
Add the ingredients in stages, grouping them by cooking time:
- First: Chinese cabbage stems, carrot, shiitake mushrooms, and tofu (these need a few minutes)
- After 3–4 minutes: Chinese cabbage leaves, spring onions, enoki mushrooms, and shirataki noodles
- Last: Spinach and additional wagyu slices (these need only 30 seconds to 1 minute)
As you cook, add more warishita sauce as needed to keep the liquid level about halfway up the ingredients. The pot should simmer gently — a lazy bubble, not a vigorous boil.
Step 7: Eat as You Cook
This is the beauty of sukiyaki. You do not wait for everything to be done. As each ingredient reaches the perfect level of doneness, lift it out with chopsticks, dip it into your bowl of beaten egg, and eat it straight away.
The raw egg creates a luscious, velvety coating that cools the food just enough and adds a rich creaminess. The A5 wagyu, already impossibly tender, becomes almost ethereal when wrapped in that golden egg.
Continue adding ingredients and wagyu slices to the pot as you eat. Top up with warishita as the liquid reduces.
Step 8: Finish with Rice or Udon
When most of the ingredients are eaten and the broth has concentrated into a deeply flavourful, glossy reduction, you have two wonderful options:
- Rice: Add steamed Hokkaido White Rice to the remaining broth, stir gently, and let it absorb the flavours. Crack another Japanese egg over the top for extra richness.
- Udon: Add cooked udon noodles to the pot and let them soak up the sauce for 2–3 minutes.
Either way, this finale is often the most memorable part of the meal.
Tips for the Perfect Sukiyaki
On the Wagyu
A5 wagyu is extraordinarily rich. Two 200g packs will generously serve 3–4 people — each person needs only a few slices at a time. The pre-sliced sukiyaki cuts from Miss A's are ideal: thin enough to cook in seconds, thick enough to maintain structure when dipped.
Do not overcook A5 wagyu. Fifteen to twenty seconds per side in the simmering broth is sufficient. The moment it changes colour, it is ready. Overcooked wagyu loses its signature melt-in-the-mouth quality and becomes chewy.
On Temperature
Keep the heat at a gentle simmer throughout. High heat causes the sugar in the warishita to caramelise and stick to the pot, and it toughens the proteins in both the beef and the tofu. A calm, steady bubble is what you are after.
On the Egg Dip
If the idea of raw egg gives you pause, rest assured that Japanese eggs are produced under strict hygiene standards specifically so they can be consumed raw — this is standard practice throughout Japan. The egg dip is not optional garnish; it is an integral part of the sukiyaki experience. The silky egg tempers the sweetness of the warishita and rounds out each bite with a custard-like richness.
On the Soy Sauce
The quality of your soy sauce matters enormously in sukiyaki, where the warishita is essentially the soul of the dish. The Taiwan Premium Natural Black Soy Sauce is naturally brewed from single-origin black soybeans — no artificial colouring, no MSG, no shortcuts. The difference is unmistakable: a rounder, more nuanced flavour that does not overwhelm the delicate wagyu.
Perfect for Gatherings and Celebrations
Sukiyaki is, at its heart, a communal dish. Everyone gathers around a single pot, cooking and eating together, conversation flowing as naturally as the simmering broth. In Japan, sukiyaki is the traditional dish for celebrations — New Year's Eve, family reunions, and special occasions.
In Singapore, it is an ideal centrepiece for Chinese New Year gatherings, birthday dinners, or any evening when you want to bring people together over something truly special. The ritual of cooking at the table makes it interactive and memorable, while the A5 wagyu ensures that every bite feels luxurious.
Set out a platter of beautifully arranged ingredients, a pot of gently simmering warishita, and bowls of golden beaten egg. Let your guests cook their own slices of wagyu to their liking and discover the joy of that first egg-dipped bite. It is a dish that creates moments — and that is what the best meals are really about.
All the premium ingredients for this recipe are available for delivery across Singapore from Miss A's Handpick Fine Food. From A5 wagyu to organic vegetables and artisan soy sauce, every component has been carefully sourced so you can focus on what matters most: enjoying the meal with the people you love.
