One thing I do miss from my trip to Japan (amongst all the other things) was the Yakitori. Having followed my nose down a dark nondescript alleyway in Osaka to find one of the best Yakitoris of my life, I was keen to relive something similar. Having gone to Birds Nest Yakitori a few years earlier when their West End store had newly opened, I was assured of their authenticity and quality, but was taken aback slightly by their price point, so when I heard about the Monday special at their Fortitude Valley store, I knew I had to be there. Having only tried their lunch specials from this branch, I was keen to get some yakitori.
We made sure to make a reservation, and it was lucky we did, it was a full house, no doubt everyone was also drawn in by the promise of $3 skewers.
Grabbing a seat right in front of the grill, we got to admire the chef as he busied himself with his art.
A menu was quickly provided, though I did miss the welcoming chicken broth which we had back in the West End store. One look at the menu, and it took all my self control not to just say to the waitstaff "one of each please". The menu comprised of an assortment of popular skewers, with a focus on chicken with a few pork options, some more traditional skewers, some sides and a selection of desserts.
Having arrived at happy hour, we also got some $5 drinks. One companion got the house white wine, and my other companion and I decided for some sweet ume, which was fruity and refreshing.
Salt and chilli were provided as usual on the table, and I placed a small pile on my plate to dip throughout my meal.
Our food came out fairly quickly and soon our table was loaded up with toasty chicken-y goodness.
First skewer for me was the immensely popular Sasami - Chicken Tenderloin. My companion ordered it with with ume and shallots, and of course I had mine with garlic and mayo. The chicken was wonderfully tender and juicy without the tendency to dry out as breast pieces often do. Kewpie mayonnaise was smooth and creamy whilst the deep fried garlic pieces on top gave it both fragrance and zing.
This was the Negima - Thigh with shallot and tare. Compared to the sasami, this was even more juicy. I especially liked the char grilled parts which were delightfully smokey without being overly bitter. It was well balanced with the fragrant shallot.
Next up was also thigh, being the Torimomo - thigh topped with avocado, chilli and coriander. This was definitely a more modern and western twist on a traditional skewer, but I loved how the creamy avocado was contrasted by sharp chilli and coriander.
We also had some Tsukune - Traditional meatballs with Tare. Each ball was delectably well seasoned with a good bounce to each bite. I loved the strong soy flavours of the tare which really set it apart from the other meatballs I've had before.
Our last of the chicken dishes was the Sori - Chicken Oyster, served with yuzu, salt and pepper. For those of you who were unaware, like me, the chicken oyster is a piece of meat at the back of the chicken, near the thigh which some consider to be the most tender and most flavoursome part of the chicken. It was indeed tender and flavoursome. Even with a minimal seasoning of salt and pepper, I could really appreciate the chicken flavours which were accentuated with the zing of yuzu.
Other than chicken, we had two pork dishes, the first was the Buta Bara - Pork belly, one was served with kimchi mayo and the other with grated daikon and ponzu. The daikon and ponzu were a little bland, but the kimchi and mayo were strong and had a good spice to it. I did like the caramelised toasty texture of the pork very much too.
Our last meat skewers were the Tomato Buta Bara. Thinly sliced pork belly wrapped around cherry tomatoes. We waited a while for them to cool as we were advised, but when we did eat them, it was like a meaty parcel of hot tomato juice exploded in my mouth.
From the selection of vegies, we had a serve of King Oyster Mushroom. It was doused in considerable sesame oil which made it quite fragrant. The nice grilled skin was also very tasty.
To satisfy our Rice Queen, we also ordered two grilled rice balls, the Onigiri with soy and sesame as well as the Onigiri with Tare. Both were very well seasoned, the sesame one was our favourite with its strong flavours, but we especially enjoyed the toasty rice on the outside of each ball.
Testament to our success this evening, our skewer box was full to the brim.
For dessert we tried the Shiro Goma Panna Cotta and Houjicha Ice Cream. Both desserts were fairly sweet for my tastes. The Houjicha was a little weak, but the panna cotta was silky smooth and quite flavoursome with sesame infused in the dessert.
Taste: 8.5/10
Value: 8/10 (when Monday specials are on)
Service: 8/10
Environment: 8/10
No comments:
Post a Comment