Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Yardbird

I have visited this izakaya restaurant six years ago, and returning today I found it has moved to this Sheung Wan Wing Lok Street neighbourhood, drawing a huge following still with the whole restaurant packed at the first seating at 6pm. 

There are two dining sections, one right at the front after coming in, offering more casual bar setting and the other at the back, with the tables able to see the open kitchen where the chefs are busy at work. The industrial-chic design is contemporary and matches well with the vibe.

I order a bottle of Takashimizu Daiginjo Kacho ($1,180) to go with the dinner, with its rich and deep umami taste pairing well with the heavier grilled dishes. My wife has the Yardbird Lemonade ($68). 

To start we have Fruit Tomato Salad ($160). The sweet tomato has been drizzled with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, with some shiso leaves to add to the fragrance. On the bottom is yuba, the bean curd sheets which has a soft texture. A nice salad. 

Then comes Sweet Corn Tempura ($120). A signature of the restaurant, the two large sweet corn balls are deep-fried but not feeling any oiliness, with a nice sweetness balanced well with the sea salt and pepper seasonings. 

Our yakitori feast begins with the Oyster ($52 each). This is my favourite cut, with the meat very tender and juicy. Beautifully grilled and seasoned with sea salt, there is a piece of lemon provided to add a few drops of lemon juice to further freshen up with a nice citrus note.

The Wings ($48 each) are also nicely done, not overcooked to maintain a moist inside while the skin is crispy, seasoned with sea salt and shichimi. 

The Gizzard ($48 each) has a wonderful bouncy bite, marinated well and sprinkled with plenty of crispy garlic and soybean to add to its great texture. 

The Knee ($48 each) is a special cut I have not eaten before. Feeling like the mix of soft bones with tasty meat, it has been marinated well with sake and garlic. One of my favourites in the evening.

The Miso Breast ($48 each) has been marinated with basil, parsley and garlic, in addition to miso. The herbs add to the chicken breast a different dimension of flavours. Another nice one.

The Fillet ($48 each) has been marinated with shoyu koji and yuzu, with a more delicate taste than the other skewers. I found the meat a bit tougher than I would expect. This one I do not like.

The Rib ($48 each) is another of our favourites. The leaner meat has been nicely grilled and brushed with tare sauce, and then sprinkled with sansho to give a bit of spiciness. Very delicious.

The Meatball ($52 each) is another of the signature. Beautifully grilled, there is egg yolk with tare sauce on the side for dipping the minced chicken meatball, with the sweetness of the tare sauce, the silky-smooth texture from the egg yolk all memorable. 

The Heart ($48 each) has a good bite, having marinated with some ginger as well. Adding a lot of spring onion, it has nice fragrance.

The Liver ($48 each) has been grilled with tare sauce, and sprinkled with sansho to give spiciness. The liver has a rich flavour.

The Bicep ($48 each) is our last order, with the meaty cut having a nice bite, brushed with tare sauce, and sprinkled with Kyoto shichimi. This one we both like as well.

For dessert we have Monaka Ice Cream Sandwich ($80) and the flavour offered is Soba Tea. The crunchy crust on the outside, the nice fragrance of the soba tea with the pieces of buckwheat giving additional bite, completes a wonderful dinner for us.

Service is good, with the staff friendly though they are also very busy so cannot offer much interactions with the customers. The bill on the night is $2,954 and this is a great place to enjoy a nice ambience (though quite noisy) and some good yakitori.