I don't seem to have many pictures of all the meals that I've had at this place.
Maybe because we've been there a couple of times (since our first visit) and so we already know what we want.
Meals become a quick affair when you already have an idea what you want to order, when you order it quick, and when it comes to your table quick.
One thing I like about Hey Yakiniku is their speed.
They're remarkably effective.
Seldom have I had to wait long before being shown to a table, except for those days when there's a crowd and there's a queue.
Right after you check in, they direct you to a table, direct you where to sit (hello social distancing), turn on the grill, and have you scan the QR Code for the menu.
We more or less have the same thing each time we're here.
One thing we skip out on is the rice.
Instead of rice we fill ourselves up with two different kinds of meats- pork and beef- in the karubi style, and in the sukiyaki style.
They don't take long to bring to table the platters, the bowls and the little trays of sauce; chopsticks and serviettes in the little drawer underneath.
The crockery here's pretty compact- the platters might seem a little small at first but each holds nine beautifully arranged, delicately-sliced pieces of meat, and you soon realize that the rectangular shape fits the table just fine.
I've never used the sauce to date.
Not because it isn't nice (I've heard one's sweet and the other savory) but because the meats here are marinated so well that there's no need for a dip of flavor after they've been grilled.
It does matter, of course, that the meat is fresh, of good quality, and sliced thinly.
All I need to do is to grill the meat, dip it in the egg, and eat.
The thin slices make for faster cooking, lesser smoke (if there's any) and a quicker meal.
You don't have to leave it on the grill to cook as you fiddle about with your chopsticks or other things.
Neither do you have to keep turning it over and over just to make sure it is cooked evenly inside out on all sides.
No fuss, no fanfare, no dramatics- absolutely fantastic for non-cooks like me who just pick it up with our tongs, spread it out on the grill, wait a minute or two, turn it over, and eat.
The thinness too lets for the taste of meat (and fat) to shine.
Plus, it makes for an easy chew.
It's rather a small thing, but something about Hey Yakiniku that distinguishes it for me apart from other places is... the egg.
I mean, it's one thing to eat it sukiyaki style with raw egg.
It's another thing to eat it with a cold onsen egg that at once complements the taste of grilled meat, adds a silky, smooth, runny texture to the gentle chew of meat, and- by nature of its properties- 'cools' off the heatiness of red meat all at the same time.