Throughout the years I have visited quite a lot of sushi restaurants in town, along with many specializing in other types of Japanese cuisine, including teppanyaki, kappo, or tempura. Once I visited a tiny yakitori eatery in TST Energy Plaza called Gomitori that offered an unique experience, and it was with a lot of anticipation when we visited the recently opened Yakitori Yamato in Wanchai Wood Road.
The first overseas branch of the Osaka restaurant, you would not miss the place because of the large logo on the wall outside. Inside is a nice setup, with the grilling station in the middle, blocked by thick glass panels and good air-suction so there is not any hint of smokiness, while one can see all the actions from the chef from one of the 12 seats surrounding the station. The clever design to have the space in-between the table and the grilling station also allows the staff to serve the food in front of the guests.
The restaurant is only using the special breed of chicken 大和肉鶏 from Nara, hence its name. There is only the Omakase Menu ($1,680) and I opted also for the sake pairing ($980). Head chef Ogura Tadashi, who had trained under founder Shin Yamaguchi for a decade, was already busy preparing the grills while the staff poured me the first sake, 十四代 本丸 秘伝玉返し 特別本釀造.
The first course was an appetizer, including Fried Chicken Fillet, Caviar and Mashed Potatoes, and Grilled Broad Bean. The nicely fried tender chicken fillet was paired with the runny Cancoillotte Cheese, rich but not dominating in taste. The mashed potatoes were put on a biscuit with the buttery note matching well, and together with the caviar on top giving a bit of savory. The broad bean was grilled just right, cooked through but not over, with a fulfilling soft bite, great together with some sea salt.
The second course was Lettuce and Grapefruit Salad. The lettuce was very fresh, with nice acidity from the grapefruit and the dressing helped to cleanse the palate and increase the appetite.
The third course was Double Consomme Soup. Served in a teacup, the clear broth might look light in taste but in fact was highly flavorful, with intense umami. It was also very hot in temperature, an important requirement for the consommé which the chef delivered very well.
Then it was the first part of four skewers, starting with だき身 Breast Meat. Contrary to the belief that chicken breast is tough on texture, this one in fact was very tender and juicy, with the chef adding a bit of the special sauce, made from spring onion, garlic, olive oil and a bit of fermented bean curd. The matching was magical and from this we already knew the dinner would be a memorable experience.
The second skewer was ふりそで. The word means swinging sleeves of the kimono and this was in fact the small portion of shoulder meat connecting to the chicken wing. The meat had a better bite than the last piece, apparently because the muscle was more frequently exercised, while the chicken skin was crispy. It got a richer taste as well, so the chef just used salt to season and grill.
The third piece was にのうで Chicken Upper Drumette. The texture for this one was somewhat in between the last two pieces and was my favorite of the three cuts. The chef had added a green paste which provided additional flavors. A must-order in my opinion.
The second sake served was くどき上手 出羽の里29 純米大吟醸.
The last piece for this round was しいたけ Shiitake Mushroom. The large mushroom was skillfully grilled, keeping it moist but not watery. The original aromas and flavors of the mushroom were able to be amply highlighted too.
Before starting the second part of the grill, the Baby Corn Pickle was served as transition. The pickled baby corn had a crunchy texture, while infused with the flavors of vinegar, giving a refreshing and palate cleansing effect.
The second round began with 磯辺焼 Isobeyaki, with the chef putting some toasted Caciocavallo Cheese, from a dairy farm 吉野牧場 in Hokkaido, on a piece of nori from 三國屋, a famous producer from Hiroshima. Wrapped it up to eat, the cheese was creamy and rich in taste, and was a great match with the umami flavors of the nori sheet. However, I believe the nori sheet was not toasted again before use, so it was chewy on the bite. A bit disappointing as otherwise this would be another wonderful serving.
Next came 手羽先 Chicken Mid Joint Wing. The chicken wing was beautifully grilled, with the meat fully cooked while still maintaining its juiciness and the skin very crispy. For this one the chef only seasoned with salt for us to taste the original flavors.
The second skewer for this round was もも Chicken Thigh. A popular cut with the meaty thigh meat having a bit of fat, juicy and fragrant, while the skin was grilled nicely to crispness. Another delicious piece that I would like to encore.
The third sake served was 作 岡山朝日 純米大吟釀.
The third piece was New Interpretation ねぎま. The traditional one usually was made with chicken thighs and scallions, with the scallions helping to balance the fat of the chicken thigh. Here the chef had made a twist, replacing the scallion with Okinawa shallot, plus putting a special miso paste on top. The intense flavors of the miso paste worked well with the chicken and shallot, with every ingredient harmonized in taste. Another of my favorites in the course.
Wrapping up for this round was ししとう Green Pepper. After grilling, the chef put some shaved bonito on the green peppers, to add a bit of umami taste. The peppers were not spicy, and in fact having a slight sweetness, with also a nice smoky flavor.
Then came the Deep-Fried Burdock. The sliced burdock was coated with a thin batter before deep-frying, and then served on a nanbanzuke sauce. The burdock had a nice bite, with the sour taste of the sauce helped to neutralize any heaviness from the deep-fry process.
Next was Yamato Mini Burger. The cute bite-sized burger had a nicely pan-fried chicken fillet inside, marinated beautifully, and the bun was also soft and fluffy in texture. A pleasant surprise on how good it was, and it would be a perfect snack for all occasions.
The fourth sake served was 勝山 献 純米吟釀.
Coming to the last round of the skewers. ハラミ Skirt Steak is the diaphragm of chicken. A wonderful cut with a bit of fat and great bite, the chef had dipped it into the special secret sauce to give even more flavors to the chicken. Another of my favorites in the evening.
A yakitori meal would not be complete without つくね Chicken Meatball dipped with egg yolk. The minced chicken had a nice bite, apparently added some soft bones to enhance the texture. The rich flavors from the secret sauce the chef dipped the skewer into before serving, and together with the runny egg yolk, was another treat of delight. A must-order.
Thinking that we could still eat more, we ordered some additions not on the set ($100 each). First was やげん軟骨. The large Soft Bone was from the chest of the chicken, with a fantastic bite.
ソリレス Soriresu is the inner and upper part of the thigh, a nice meaty cut. The chef had used black pepper to season, and for someone who wants big , meaty and juicy piece this would be the perfect choice.
The final sake served was 冩樂 純愛仕込 純米吟釀.
The third addition was せぎも and while on the menu it is written as Kidney, in fact it should be better referred as back liver. A prized cut of the chicken, it had nice fat, rich in umami, fluffy on texture and we also liked the blueberry sauce the chef had used to complement, with the slight sweetness creating the same amazing effect the way foie gras was paired with similar sauce. Another must-try.
The last addition we ordered was 腰皮 Waist Skin. Recommended by the staff, the skin was fatty but during the grilling all the fatty oil was dripped off, leaving behind a crispy, fragrant, and flavorful skin. Highly enjoyable and eating this would not make you feel guilty.
Transitioning we were then served the Sugar-Coated Tomato. The cherry tomato was coated with a crunchy sugar surface, with a piece of mint on top. The balance of the sourness and sweetness from the tomato and the coating was spot on, and the mint giving a cleansing effect on the palate.
Instead of the Chicken and Egg with Rice, we opted for Shark Fin Ramen ($180 additional). The shark’s fin was soft, and the chef added some shredded chili as condiment, with the texture of the noodles also very good. While the broth might look oily, drinking it did not feel that way and I almost finished all the soup in the end.
The dessert was some Fresh Fruit with Vanilla Ice-cream. A simple yet good way to complete a wonderful meal.
Service was very good, though because the chef had to stand behind the screen doing the grilling there was no interaction with us. The staff did provide good explanation though, in particular the different parts of the chicken, to help us appreciate. The bill was $5,748 and while it was not cheap, I would say it was worth the visit, to experience a really nice yakitori dinner with some good sake.
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