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2014-02-07
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The only reason I came here was because I was given a limited preference - yakitori in Happy Valley - and this place came up with the most positive reviews. Thus the 4 of us had dinner here on a Sunday night. The restaurant was pretty small with a smokey environment and cramped spaces. Orginally we were seated in the middle of the restaurant but when a table opened up by the window, we requested to move as we had just sat down and they let us move with no issue.The menu had a variety of yakitori
The menu had a variety of yakitori and side dishes as well. The only downside for yakitori is that there is a minimum order of 2 skewers for almost everything. It worked out fine for us since we had 4 people but it would be too much for say only 2 people as you would not be able to try too many dishes.
Ox Tongue ($36 x 2) - the ox tongue was pretty ordinary here as the texture wasn't as firm or bouncy for my liking - it was a bit too soft and limp. The flavor was pretty decent though.
Chicken Wing ($30 x 2) - the chicken wings were very average as they weren't crispy or juicy enough while the taste was pretty bland as the seasoning was lacking.
Chicken Liver ($26 x 2) - the texture was too dry and crumbly.Crispy Chicken Joint Soft Bone ($24 x 2) - the chicken joint was very crispy with too little seasoning again.
Minced Chicken with Joint Soft Bone ($22 x 2) - unlike other yakitori places, no egg yolk was given with the tsukune. However, mixing chicken cartilage with the minced chicken was a good move as it gave the tsukune a very good texture.
Special Pork Sausage ($22 x 2) - a very cool creation of pork sausage on a chicken bone stick! The pork was juicy and tender while flavorful and slightly sweet. Loved this!
Mushroom Stuffed with Minced Chicken ($26 x 2) - too little seasoning again with the minced chicken, so the overall mushroom tasted bland. We had to add our own seasoning with the shichimi chili pepper provided on the table.
Quail Egg ($18 x 2) - the eggs were just okay while the sauce on the dish did nothing to enhance the taste.
Japanese Black Pork ($34 x 2) - the black pork was pretty dry, which was disappointing. It wasn't as fatty or tender as I'd expected.
Green Asparagus Wrapped with Bacon ($32 x 2) - these were pretty good was the bacon was crispy and salty while the asparagus was juicy and fresh. A very nice combo as always.
Broiled Eel ($38 x 2) - the eels were alright but they weren't very flavorful or anything out of the ordinary. It just tasted like something I can make at home with frozen eel.
French Goose Liver ($98) - very disappointing! Possibly the worst piece of goose liver I've ever had as the texture was very dry and hard. Obviously frozen. It was like eating cardboard. Seriously.
Stuffed Chicken Wing with Cheese ($30 x 2) - the chicken wing was pretty small so the filling of cheese was limited I guess as I could barely taste the cheese inside the wing. Again nothing extraordinary here.
Japanese Bean Curd with Sesame Sauce ($42) - very nice dish with soft tofu and appetizing sesame sauce. Udon with Soup ($56) - udon was overcooked while the broth was a bit bland.
Grilled Rice Ball with Salmon ($28) - the rice ball was nicely toasted but could have used more salmon filling inside.
Grilled Hamachi Joint ($188) - the hamachi joint was decent as the fish was nicely grilled with flaky texture and fresh taste.
Conclusion - the food here was pretty average while the prices were a bit on the high side. A lot of the dishes were underseasoned while the underlying ingredients were lacking in quality especially the goose liver. What I don't like is the forced minimum 2 skewers per order when the prices are listed for one skewer only. It just doesn't make sense and prevents people from trying more dishes especially for smaller parties. For that, I would not recommend this place for yakitori as there are many finer yakitori places nearby in CWB with much better food and value.
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