I heard many good things about this restaurant and finally found time (and a friend) to go try out the food. Actually I didn't know this was a yakitori place, but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and service. Anyway I am quite a fan of the Jap yakitori.

We were placed at counter seats, even though we had made prior reservations. However, we were not in the least affected by any smoke or lingering smells on the clothes, as the grill area was very well-ventilated. Anyhow, having a counter seat also allowed us to have a good view of how the food is cooked by the 2 Japanese chefs - definitely a plus for a first-timer.

My friend and I ordered a meal set (B-course -which featured 8 sticks of yakitori, based on the chef's selection, assorted sashimi, rice, soup and dessert), a bowl of udon, and additional yakitori sticks to share. The sashimi was fresh but nothing to shout about, as anyway the featured food was the yakitori. The assortment of yakitori in the set asparagus, chicken balls, chicken with leek, lady's fingers etc which were well salted appropriately, had great taste and flavorful. The beef stick however was a little bit disappointing, but cooked to the correct tenderness.

We order sticks of uzura tamago (quail eggs), hotate gai (scallops) and kaki maki (oysters), and a plate of fried eggplants. Stuffings of pork omplemented the eggplant very well in terms of flavour and taste. I was however disappointed about the oysters as it tasted a bit bland. However, the scallops warranted a 10/10 in terms of texture (firm yet fine), and taste (salted and grilled to a perfect finish). I would recommend the hotate gai as a MUST-try.

The service was forthcoming without being intrusive. From the dated appearance of the restaurant and the service staff, I was v pleasantly surprised that they managed to keep up with regular changes of your dining plate. Though the place appeared a little cramped and dated, t added to the charm and cosiness of the place.

Of course, I would have liked the restaurant to have a more classy appearance in view of the quality of the food and service. But altogether, there is a certain rustic feel and cosy charm that will make you want to visit again.

If you are looking for a value meal, do opt for the set meals, as individual orders of other yakitori (e.g. in our case) could quickly add up to a relatively hefty sum. However the quality of the food accurately reflects the amount that one forks out.

As a side note, the restaurant seemed to attract many Western diners (prob because the restaurant has earned itself a reputation through e.g. Wine n' Dine, etc).