Customers shocked after grill at Yakiniku Like outlet catches fire and blackens ceiling

What was meant to be a nice dinner turned into a panicky fire evacuation for some customers after a grill at a barbecue restaurant caught fire. 

The incident happened at Yakiniku Like's Junction 8 outlet on Sunday (May 19) around 8pm, reported Shin Min Daily News. 

A customer at a nearby restaurant, surnamed Liu, told the Chinese publication that he was eating when he suddenly smelled smoke. 

"I saw smoke coming from the grill on the table in the store," he recounted.

"Fortunately, the fire was not big. The restaurant staff used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. It took less than two minutes to do so."

Liu added that there were two diners at the table where the incident occurred.

"They seemed a little frightened and ran away quickly when the fire broke out," he said.

While the fire had shocked diners, after it was extinguished, many who had evacuated returned to the restaurant to continue eating, Liu shared. 

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) were alerted and came to the scene. 

When Shin Min Daily News visited the store at 9pm on May 19, they noted that there were no customers left in the restaurant and some parts of the ceiling had been blackened by the fire. 

Grills at all branches to be inspected: Yakiniku Like 

Speaking to AsiaOne, SCDF said that on May 19 at about 8.20pm, SCDF was alerted to a fire at 9 Bishan Place.

The fire involved a heater in the kitchen of a unit on the first floor.

Members of the public extinguished the fire using an extinguisher and fire blankets prior to SCDF's arrival.

There were no reported injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Yakiniku Like has since apologised for any inconvenience the incident may have caused customers, shared Shin Min Daily News. 

"Ensuring the safety of our customers and employees is our top priority," said a spokesperson for the Japanese barbecue chain.

"The fire was quickly controlled and extinguished. No one was injured at the time and the damage was minimal." 

Yakiniku Like also said that strict safety measures are in place and will be thoroughly reviewed to prevent such an incident from happening again.

Affected tables will also be cordoned off for repairs and investigations, while the remaining grills at the Junction 8 store and other branches will be inspected. 

AsiaOne has reached out to SCDF and Yakiniku Like for more details. 

Not the first incident

This isn't the first time a fire has broken out at a Yakiniku Like restaurant. 

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@jazminandaya/video/7162488937070464258?embed_source=70805736%2C70805736%2C70805736%2C120009725%2C1200084[/embed]

Back in November 2022, another fire broke out at the barbecue chain's Paya Lebar Quarter Mall outlet. 

Diners and staff had to evacuate the eatery. 

"We just wanted to enjoy some yakiniku for dinner and this happened," said netizen Jazminandaya, who had shared a video of the incident on TikTok. 

The 18-second clip showed the restaurant engulfed in thick smoke. 

Some customers were also seen pinching their noses and covering their faces. 

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melissateo@asiaone.com