This yakitori restaurant has recently become one of the hotspots in HK, as an overseas outlet of the famous Michelin-starred Torishiki under Chef Yoshiteru Ikegawa. For the dinner session, they have two timeslots. I managed to secure a booking for the first one starting at 6pm, and today, we came to 45/F of Gloucester Tower in Landmark to try it out.
The restaurant had a nice ambience, featuring a grilling station in the middle and surrounded by a U-shaped counter accommodating 16 customers. Seated at one end, we got a good glimpse of the actions behind the station, with Chef Matsui Ryo, an apprentice of Chef Ikegawa, and another chef busy preparing the binchotan and food.
There is only one Omakase Menu ($780), featuring 15 dishes. Apart from the skewers, there are also appetizers, roll, clay pot rice and dessert. Interestingly there are also a list of add-ons available, but each customer is only allowed to order three extra ones, to save some for customers in the second session.
I picked Jikon Nabari 而今 純米大吟醸 Nabari 山田錦 ($1,880), from Kiyasho Sake Brewery 木屋正酒造 to pair with the food. This famous brewery in Mie Prefecture is regarded by many as a strong contender for best sake in Japan, with this one having a clean fruity note, elegant and not feeling heavy for texture. And the price is surprisingly reasonable as well.
The first course was Appetizer, Charcoal Grilled Grape and Persimmon with Shiraae 炭火焼きぶどうと柿の白和え. The Muscat grape and Wakayama persimmon had been lightly grilled to give a slight smokiness to its sweet taste, with also some spinach underneath. The white dressing was made with tofu, miso and sesame, with some walnut on top.
The second course was Chicken Confit Ginger Roll ガリシソ巻き. The sous chef put the slow-cooked, tender chicken breast on the nori sheet, adding pickled ginger shreds, cucumber and shiso leaf, a bit of plum paste, to make a roll. Sprinkled with sesame on top, the ginger and shiso brought a refreshing taste, with also nice presentation.
The third course started the yakitori, beginning with Thigh かしわ. The dark meat of the chicken thigh had been grilled beautifully, with a slight char on edges, and brushing with the special sauce prepared by Chef Ikegawa himself and used also in the flagship restaurant. Very tender, juicy and having great flavours. Amazing.
The fourth course featured Gizzard 砂肝. Once done, all the skewers were rushed to the table to serve to customers, to ensure everyone could enjoy the hottest and best quality. Instead of using local three yellow chicken like other ones, the Hakata chicken gizzard was used, much bigger in size and with a fantastic crunchy texture. Amazing.
To take a break on the meat, the fifth course was Zucchini ズッキーニ. Again, it was beautifully grilled, and on the bite the Nagano golden zucchini essentially burst with juice. Instead of just grilling over charcoal, the vegetables were also sprinkled with the chicken oil during the process, making them more fragrant on smokiness and delicious in taste.
The sixth course featured Heart ハツ . With four pieces on each skewer, the nicely grilled chicken hearts had a good bite, having a different texture than the other chicken parts because of the muscles. I just counted and there were many chickens that they had to process to get this number of hearts for this dinner.
The seventh course was Broccoli ブロッコリー. While it might seem simple, this was in fact a signature of the restaurant, using the chicken oil to grill the broccoli with the flower buds getting to a bit of char and crispness. The flavours were enhanced as a result, with also an interesting slight sweetness in the broccoli.
The eighth course was Skin & Yellow Leek with Sesame Vinegar Sauce 鶏皮と黄韮. As a transition between the dishes to refresh the palate, the chicken skin was mixed with yellow leek, together with the Japanese sesame vinegar sauce to give a bit of acidity. The skin had a nice texture, surprisingly crisp and not heavy at all.
The ninth course was Meat Ball つくね. Unlike many other yakitori restaurants, here the meat balls were completely made with chicken meat, without adding any soft bones or herbs. The three meat balls were glistering with a nice sheen, brushed with the special sauce to infuse the skewer with amazing flavours, very juicy and great in taste.
Next came an additional skewer we ordered. The Chicken Oyster ソリレス ($70) was a premium cut of the chicken, taken out from the thigh near the backbone, with each chicken only able to provide enough for two skewers. The flavours were rich, and the tenderness was also amazing. A must-try.
Continuing the additional skewer, this time it was Back Skin ベタ ($60). It might seem very evil and indulgent, but the chicken oil under the skin had been melted, with the surface also grilled for a slightly longer time to give more charred, making them crispy and flavourful. If you like chicken skin this is not to be missed.
The tenth course featured Shoulder 肩. This is a meaty portion connecting the chicken wing to the breast, very tender and juicy. From the colour of the surface, we already knew it was grilled for less time than the earlier back skin, to retain the rare and prized shoulder meat with its amazing texture.
Next was another additional skewer, Knee 膝 ($60). This was a popular cut with good texture, crunchy and was favourite among many yakitori fans. There were also some bean sprouts on top to freshen up the palate. Very nice.
The eleventh course was Fillet ささみ. Because of its delicate taste, the chicken fillet was supplemented with some black truffle paste for its unique intense flavours. Again, we could see how the chef had adjusted the grilling time and temperature with the different meat to ensure it could showcase its best flavours and quality, which required a lot of experience.
Coming back to the add-ons, this time it was Liver レバ ($50). Cooked to medium well level so that the inside of the liver remained soft and not tough on the bite, with also many pieces on the skewer to satisfy the greediest guts. I could not help expressing my heartfelt ‘oishi’ to the chef while eating them.
The additional skewer of Inner Thigh おび ($60) was very tender and was one of the best cuts of the chicken in my opinion. The big piece of meat was also juicy and very fulfilling on the bite, giving me a big sense of satisfaction on the bite. Another one not to be missed if you could get the chance to order.
The Back Liver 背肝 ($70) was in fact not an internal organ, but the special part connecting the neck to the breast, with a nice chewy bite, rich in fat and fragrant in taste. Probably not the piece for someone who was afraid of cholesterol, it was another unique portion that not that many yakitori restaurants would offer. Worth trying it out.
Going back to the menu, the twelfth course was Shishito Pepper ししとう. The famous Japanese lion-head pepper had the unique characteristics of mostly mild in spiciness, but some were hot. With a thin skin, after grilling the peppers remained juicy and had a nice smoky flavour imparted.
The last of our additional skewer was Rib はらみ ($70). This special cut was in fact the diaphragm of the chicken, with stronger flavours so it was being served towards the end of the course. While it might not be for typical customer because of its appearance, its taste was good especially if one preferred richer flavour than the typical meat.
The thirteenth course was Wing 手羽先. The chicken wing was nicely grilled, with the skin crispy while the flesh remained moist and tender. With a bit of lemon juice to freshen up, we could finish several wings in one go. However, with the limitation of add-ons probably we had to save it for next time.
For the Main course, the Mushroom and Pepper Clay Pot Rice 土鍋ご飯. Featuring the Kyoto Manganji Togarashi, a special green pepper with unique sweetness and mild spiciness, the chef had added morels and four other types of mushrooms to the rice, together with some chicken meat. A chicken soup was also included. The rice was so good I had two servings.
The final course was Apple Pie アップルパイ, featuring Hokkaido milk ice-cream, with an apple puree underneath. On top there were some crumbs made from puff pastry, to provide a contrast in texture to the silky-smooth ice-cream. Not too sweet, it was a satisfying dessert to complete a nice meal.
Service was good, with the staff attentive and having a nice conversation with us throughout the dinner. The bill on the night was $4,365 which was reasonable. Apparently, we would like to be able to order a few more add-ons to try out but also understand the limitations. Overall, I would recommend this restaurant for yakitori fans.
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