A while ago a couple friends and I were looking for a new and interesting place to go to. A quick search resulted in us rushing off to Birds Nest Yakitori for dinner ((┌|o^▽^o|┘))♪.
Yakitori (焼き鳥) is Japanese for grilled chicken skewers. Being called Birds Nest Yakitori, you already get a strong hint at what was to be served.
Birds Nest Yakitori is situated in Melbourne Street in West End, a very youthful and vibrant part of town.
Having made a booking, we were promptly seated. We later saw quite a few groups be turned away at the door, so its probably smart to book ahead for certainty (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑.
The three of us were seated at the bar table. Some people wouldnt like it as much as its not conducive to conversation, but we really liked it because it meant we got front row seats to watch our food being prepared!!!
In front of us were condiments, chili powder, salt, and a container to place finished skewers in.
Upon being seated, we were provided with complimentary chicken broth. It was light and appetizing. The sesame seeds in the soup offered a distinction from the usual.
After finishing our soup, we sat back and watched the chefs prepare our meals (-^〇^-)
Those are our yaki onigiri on the grill !
First to arrive for us was the Sasami - grilled chicken tenderloin. It was juicy and tender. Awesome way to start.
Then our two Yaki Onigiri came. It was well toasted and had a nice flavour. The only problem would be that though the exterior was well flavoured, the inside was rather bland.
Next came the Buta Bara - Pork belly. I really enjoyed this, and despite the restaurant having a mainly chicken theme, would really hope that one day they could offer a larger range of pork options.
Then chicken tails and tomatoes came. Despite all the hate towards chicken tails, i found them rather pleasant, albeit on the fatty side.
The tomatoes were really good! They were really hot and when you bite into them, the tomato juices explode in your mouth.
The chicken wings and onion also arrived. I particularly liked the lemon and pepper flavours infused into the chicken wings. As for the onions, I dont usually eat onions in such large portions, preferring to cut them up for use in stir fries, but this was an interesting experience. I did not expect the whole onion to be cooked to the centre, so I had anticipated quite a bit of spiciness, but actually it turned out to be rather sweet.
The zucchini and oyster mushrooms came next, and were a refreshing change from all the meat we were having. They went well with the tare salt.
The bacon wrapped tomatoes were very nice. It had the juiciness of the tomato skewers, with the added texture and saltiness of the bacon, adding another dimension to it.
Next up was Shittake Mushrooms, this is actually something that I dont believe should be grilled, because shittake is very chewy it would be better cooked by other methods. I liked the dipping sauce that was provided with it though.
The chicken tails exceeded my expectations, they were crispy, and the flesh had a really smooth texture.
The chicken skin was a skewer that my friend was very keen on. It had a really nice flavour, and reminded us of the skins from roasted chicken.
The grilled tofu was a highlight of the meal, having recently returned from Taiwan, during my trip I went to a village that specialised in tofu products. The grilled tofu at Birds Nest was reminiscent of the grilled tofu I had at that villiage. Very enjoyable indeed.
The last skewer for the night was the chicken meatballs. For a person who does not usually eat chicken mince, I found it a very interesting texture. It was well seasoned, and went well with the tare salt.
In summary, the three of us had an awesome time at Birds Nest Yakitori. The food was delicious, and the service was good. We would have liked it if they had more options in terms of pork skewers though.
Price Range: $25-$40 per person
Taste: 8/10
Value: 4/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 8/10
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