[Review] Kintori Yakitori – Japanese Skewer Snack Bar

Website: www.kintoriyakitori.com
Where: 668 Bloor St. W, 2^nd Floor, Tor., ON
When I visited: January 12^th, 2016, Media Dinner

I had the opportunity to attend an exclusive tasting experience at Kintori Yakitori – a snack-style eatery specializing in Japanese grilled skewers known as “yakitori”.

Kintori Yakitori is part of the ever-popular Kinka Family, which includes Kinton Ramen, Kinka Izakaya (formerly known as Guu), and JaBistro. I am a HUGE fan of the Kinka restaurants, so I knew I was in for a foodie treat (more like…MEAT TREAT)! Fun Fact: Kintori Yakitori uses Binchotan charcoal and bamboo skewers that are imported straight from the holy land itself – Japan!

The space was cozy and inviting with a similar ambiance to Kinton and JaBistro. It was slightly less high-energy and exuberant compared to Kinka Izakaya, making it a great place for catch-ups, date nights, or a solo food adventure.

I started off with a grapefruit/vodka cocktail. Even in this frigid Toronto weather, there is nothing like a crisp, fruity cocktail to warm up your belly 🙂

We sampled 16 dishes in total – here’s what I ate:

Chicken Original Soup – Who doesn’t love a little soup? This was rich in chicken flavour – mmm!

Oshinko Morisawase (assorted Japanese pickles) – These accompanied the yakitori well, adding a touch of pickled goodness to compliment the savoury meats

Negima (chicken thigh and Tokyo scallion) – The chicken was tender and well-seasoned

Zuri (chicken gizzard) – I LOVE innards so this was right up my alley!

Nikumiso Kyabetsu (cabbage salad with house made chicken miso dip) – The salty miso dip paired well with the cabbage – a nice palate cleanser between dishes

Tebasaki (chicken wing) – This was PIPING hot when it was served – can’t go wrong with chicken wings!!

Uzura Kushi Age (panko breaded deep-fried quail eggs)

Premium Gyu-Tongue (beef tongue) – super tender!

Tsukune (chicken meatball) – Every cuisine has their version of a meatball and this did not disappoint!

Hatsu (chicken heart)

Reba (chicken liver) – Liver can be unpalatable when overcooked – this was DELISH!

Asparagus (panko breaded deep-friend asparagus wrapped with bacon) – I ate this in 2 bites because…bacon (duh!)

Negi Shio Gyu (beef with scallion sauce)

Dashi Maki (Japanese omelet) – Perfectly creamy texture

Yaki Onigiri (char-grilled rice ball with plum filling & sweet teriyaki sauce)

Houji Cha Brulee (roasted green tea crème brulee) – I’ve had this before and it’s still perfection – the green tea flavour is subtle yet perfectly highlighted!

Overall – I really enjoyed my experience at Kintori Yakitori! The food is well-priced and not overly seasoned, allowing the true flavours of the meat to stand centre stage. What I liked most is that you can sample so many different types of meat/vegetable skewers without having to commit to one dish! Don’t get me wrong, having one hunk of meat does the job once in a while, but why not sample 5, 10, 15 different types of yakitori?! Like I said, it was a foodie treat. The service was attentive and the company was great too. Go check it out yourself – you won’t be disappointed!

Menu for the evening – sweet personalized touch in the bottom right hand corner 🙂