Ever since Yardbird took Hong Kong by storm with its every-part-of-the-chicken concept, no other yakitori restaurant has come close to capturing the same buzz. That may finally change with Toritama, a popular "neighbourhood yakitori joint" from Tokyo that has opened its first Hong Kong branch.
The cosy place has a distinct Tokyo vibe, thanks to the dark wooden interior, long counter seating and Japanese chef Matsumoto-san manning the open grill. Toritama also prides itself on serving more than 20 parts of the chicken from the usual tebasaki (wing, HK$42) and leba (liver, HK$38) to the less conventional hatsu (heart, HK$38) and saezuri (oesophagus, HK$38). Each skewer is cooked to order with salt or tare sauce, and served with seasonings. Highlights included the tender and clean-tasting liver, meaty and juicy furisode (shoulder, HK$46), and crunchy heart.
Toritama offers tasty side dishes including home-made pickles (HK$38) and grilled garlic with tamari (HK$68), an exclusive sake selection, and a savoury-sweet soy sauce ice cream (HK$50). It may not have queues down the street yet, but judging by the crowd on a Monday night, there's a new bird in town.
TORITAMA
2 Glenealy
