I was pleasantly surprised by Shinta, considering the very mixed reviews from this place. At first I thought only AYCE Wagyu was available, but it turns out there is a regular AYCE menu as well.
The regular AYCE menu features really good quality Angus beef, and it was a delight to eat - flavourful & tender. We did try the premium items during our visit. The Kagoshima Japanese A5 wagyu practically melts in your mouth and was extremely flavourful. Considering the large price tag of $65/$90 (200g/300g) and the fact that this is not part of the AYCE, I would say this item is recommended only for people with deep pockets.
The Australian Wagyu and US Wagyu are both available if you go with the AYCE Wagyu - while both tender and juicy, they are not quite as flavourful as the Japanese version. It will cost you slightly more than double the regular AYCE to enjoy these items. I would suggest first-timers to get the regular AYCE and try the premium Australian/US Wagyu as an add-on ($20 for 200g) to see if the premium AYCE is right for them.
I loved the fact that they have sake steamed clams (even though the portion itself was small - only 4 clams, but you can always order more!), thick cut lamb chops, lamb cubes, and salmon. Veggie-wise, they have Okra which I love. Considering the large variety of items here, I would say that Shinta edges out Gyubee by a large margin. Pricing-wise it was a dollar or two more, and I would say it is worth paying for.
Service is definitely the area where I think issues might come up. Since the AYCE sessions are limited to 2 hours, diners might feel ripped off if items come at a slow pace especially if they paid for the premium AYCE. While I did not experience any major delays in ordering/getting items on my visit, I can see that as a potential issue during busy weekends if they don't have enough staff.
I appreciate the fact that the ventilation here is great. I did not smell of BBQ at the end of the night, which is a huge bonus!
They do take reservations here even for small groups - I would highly recommend doing so.
Overall, I think this is now my new favourite Japanese BBQ place! Highly recommended!