I just returned from Japan a few days ago, so deciding on a Yakitori restaurant must have struck my friend as strange. I guess I wanted to retain the sense of Japan for as long as possible, but it also meant that this restaurant would have a lot to live up to!
A big negative - but most yakitori restaurants in Hong Kong have the same problem - is that there was no draft beer. Canned beer is usually fine, but when you need to wash down savory and grilled meat with some form of liquid, nothing (and I mean nothing), beats the draft beer. Anyways, their selection of Kirin, Sapporo and Yebisu is adequate, but their prices were a little on the high side (for a small can).
The setting was simple, and for a yakitori restaurant was impressively clean. There wasn't any toxic fumes emanating from the grill, and while the atmosphere was lively, we were able to use our normal talking voices when conversing. We ordered a lot of different types of meat. Note: similar to most yakitori restaurants in Hong Kong, they have a policy of requiring customers to order a minimum of two sticks per dish - with some expections - so note that the price on the menu will be doubled. Although that said, the prices were decent, they were not overly pricey.
There was a lot to choose from, and since we were starving, we went through probably a third of the menu! Noteworthy dishes were the Chicken Wings (手羽), the grilled rice balls with spicy roe (明太子の焼きおにぎり), quail eggs (鹑蛋) and both types of eel (salted freshwater and teriyaki sea). The one dish that I felt stood above the rest was the grilled pork neck (豬肉頸). It was seasoned with just the right amount of salt, had a great proportion of fat/meat which gave it a beautiful chewy texture.
That night, the service was fantastic. The servers were attentive but not overbearing, and they got our orders all right. The food came at a comfortable pace, giving us ample time to savour the food and beer, and even have a conversation. Tea was refilled regularly and inconspiciously, and they were patient with our ordering. All in all, some of the best service I've had in awhile - and that means something since I've been in Japan for the last 2 weeks!
Some dishes, though, did not live up to expectations. The chicken with scallions (ねぎまき) was overcooked and too salty. The usually fail-proof combination of tomato and bacon was inexplicably underwhelming. The portion of bacon was stingy and under-seasoned, while the tomato didn't taste fresh. Aside from these, however, I would say that in general, the quality of dishes were very solid, and offered a great price for value.
The total came out to a little over 300ish per person, but judging by the volume of food and drinks that we inhaled, I can't say that the price was outlandish by any standards. I recommend this place for people who have an affinity for grilled meat, and are looking for a yakitori place without intoxicating fumes, with decent prices and great service.
