Every culture loves meat on skewers. We have the satay in Asian cuisines, kebabs in Middle Eastern cuisines and of course, the yakitori in Japanese cuisines.
Chances are, you’ve already tried yakitori, but how much do you know about these tasty morsels on a stick? Which restaurants serve the most unique yakitori? Where can you go if you don’t wanna bust the bank, and where to go to enjoy your yakitori with some sake?
Today, we’re rounding up some of the most popular places in Singapore to enjoy yakitori. Vote for your favourite joint here and stand to win $100 GrabFood vouchers!
Mikawa Yakitori Bar
Mikawa Yakitori Bar is a neighbourhood favourite for residents in Siglap and Bukit Timah. Here you’ll find over 10 varieties of handmade yakitori such as Negima (chicken with leek), Sasami (chicken breast meat) and Sunagimo (chicken gizzards). They also serve other grilled skewers (kushiyaki) as well including pork and vegetable varieties, all freshly made to order and slow-grilled to perfection over charcoal. Best paired with their house wine or Japanese sake!
Shunjuu Izakaya
Beer and sake aside, this cosy joint located at Robertson Quay serves up a variety of skewers that will satiate your appetite. Enjoy charcoal-grilled chicken, beef, pork and scallop skewers along with premium signatures such as foie gras and kaki buta maki (oysters rolled with pork) with a riverfront view!
Bincho
Inspired by the yakitori-ya in Osaka, this hip bistro operates in an old-school kopitiam in Moh Guan Terrace. In the daytime, you’ll find them serving unassuming local favourites such as mee pok and kopi roti. Once night falls, the space transforms into a modern open-concept yakitori bar headed by Chef Asai Masashi. Glazed chicken yakitori are their specialty, but you can also find grilled vegetables and rice bowls for a heartier meal.
Nanbantei
Far East Plaza might be known for cheap and trendy clothes, but tucked away on the fifth floor is a yakitori joint featuring succulent meat skewers, seafood, and vegetables fresh off the grill. The meat here is lightly seasoned with sea salt to allow the natural flavours of the meat to shine through. They are grilled over a special charcoal imported from Japan, giving the meats a distinctive smokiness.
Sumire Yakitori House
Sumire Yakitori House is an izakaya first established in Tokyo back in 2009. To date, they have over 100 outlets in their native country! The outlet in Bugis Junction is its first overseas expansion. Sumire (which means smile) serves all kinds of yakitori sticks here ranging from chicken shoulder to chicken & spring onion and chicken with leek.
Tori-Q
A show of hands, whose first yakitori experience was at Tori-Q? Launching their first shop in Takashimaya way back in 2000, they now have 22 stalls islandwide. Tori-Q prides itself on yakitori sticks made using the freshest raw chicken and broiling them using a special auto-rolling machine. The broiled chicken is then dipped into a special tare (sauce) and then manually grilled to smoky perfection.
Shin Kushiya
You don’t know what’s variety until you’ve been to Shin Kushiya, which has over 50 different skewers! Good luck trying to devour everything. Some must-trys include the flavour-bursting hotate maki (scallops wrapped with sliced pork), nikuzume shiitake (mushrooms stuffed with minced chicken), and fatty ton toro (pork neck with mustard).
Shirokane Tori-Tama
A Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant, Shirokane Tori-Tama provides an authentic yakitori experience with its items grilled to order. They are known for utilising every part of the chicken, including the cockcomb and its menu has more than 20 chicken parts to choose from! Those who enjoy internal chicken parts will definitely love the yakitori here, but even if you’re not a fan, they also serve other grilled vegetables and meats.
Hibiki Yakitori Lounge
Chug down mugs of beer while you indulge in sticks of charcoal-grilled goodness at Hibiki. This yakitori joint is popular amongst Japanese execs looking to get a taste of home, and they’re also famous for the miso barbecue sauce that Chef Bunji Hibiki exports all around the world, so expect an extra umami kick when you tuck into skewers of kurobuta pork belly, tsukune (chicken meatballs) and negima (chicken thigh and charred leeks).
Birders
Yakitori and sake are a match made in heaven at Birders – a contemporary take on traditional yakitori featuring a curated selection of sakes from Japan. Sit by the bar and watch the chefs prepare yakitori dishes with unconventional toppings, such as the Sasami (chicken breast) topped with shiso leaves, pesto and Japanese plum sauce, Negima (chicken thigh) with spring leek topped with negi puree and black sesame, and the must-try Bonjiri (chicken tail) with a garlic shoyu sauce.