It’s hard not to smile in the neon-drenched surrounds of Mr. Buffalo BBQ 牛鲜生中式烤肉 in Burwood. This futuristic barbeque joint also has an interesting point of difference: it’s Chinese barbeque rather than Korean or Japanese. What that means on the grill is a focus on marination and an extended sauce station, like the ones you enjoy at hot pot restaurants. Teaming barbeque with popular desserts like bingsu and reasonable prices ensures the funky restaurant’s popularity with young people.
And to my eye, it’s them that this place is aimed at, with fun gimmicks like extracting a long tube of beef rib in black pepper ($18.80) wrapped around the core of a hollowed-out pineapple. Throw it on the grill with the fresh pineapple rings and wrap it in lettuce for a unique cross-cultural barbeque experience. Garlic wagyu ribs ($19.80) wrapped around dainty clumps of white shimeji unrolls across your grill for a tasty if somewhat chewy experience. The garlic is nicely tempered by forays into a foil tray of sweet corn and stringy cheese ($8.80). Two rows of spicy clams ($19.80) arrive fully prepared on a bed of glass noodles—slurp them up as a break from the hard work cooking.
Through the generosity of strangers who ordered more than they could handle, we were gifted some rounds of pork belly ($12.80) and strips of marinated beef “temptation” ($12.80). The thin strips of beef edged with yellowed fat were the best thing we ate, dragged through sauce then spicy nut dust. We washed down our meal with TsingTao ($8) and sparkling pink grapefruit ($4.80). Give Mr Buffalo BBQ a go next time you’re craving Korean or Japanese barbeque and tell me what you think!
