Yakitori Tori Shin – The Quest for the Perfect Skewer
In the past few years, food related television shows have really piqued diners’ interest about what goes on in the kitchen, not just what appears on the plate. As more and more foodies respect the culinary skills as an art form, open kitchens, chef’s tables, or even small intimate Degustation type restaurants have become quite popular. Japanese restaurants, however, have already been doing this for years. Every time you sit down at a sushi bar, the chef is right in front of your eyes for you to admire, and in less fortunate situations, critique. This has extended beyond the sushi bar, into teppanyaki (aka hibachi) and yakitori (bbq skewers). Dinner with a show.
Now while teppanyaki in the U.S. has strayed into entertainment, the yakitori chefs seem to still regard cooking as a craft. From the day I had my first yakitori meal in New York at Yakitori Totto (still one of my favorite restaurants), I’ve always enjoyed watching the chefs painstakingly prepare, or shall I say pamper each skewer. BBQ masters in a smaller scale.
When I found out that Yakitori Tori Shin, a yakitori joint in the Upper East Side combines yakitori with omakase, this quickly jumped up my list of must-try restaurants. Omakase allows chefs to dictate trying different things, ingredients that I normally wouldn’t get to experience.
Tori Shin (means Bird Heart)
The restaurant has 2 yakitori “grills”, powered by natural charcoal. There’s a kitchen in the back preparing non-grilled dishes, but most of the cooking is done within sight. We sat down in front of the bar showcasing ingredients, and at the suggestion of the waitstaff, went with the omakase. (A la carte is also available)
Fresh ingredients
Delicious cod roe
The dinner started with a piece of grilled spicy cod roe from the kitchen, just as the chef in front of us started adjusting the charcoal to grill up our skewers. It’s always an enjoyable experience to watch someone at the top of their game work their craft, and we watched in awe as skewers were all grilled to a perfect level.
Artisan griller
Tender chicken and wasabi
The assortment of skewers consists of organic chicken, vegetable, and even meatballs. I noticed that the group next to us had different skewers in the omakase, this is truly whatever the chef feels like making.
Baby corn in husk
Grilled chicken skin, amazing flavor
If you are not yet full after 10 skewers, you get a bowl of rice, followed by dessert.
Ground chicken and rice
While Yakitori Totto will always have a spot in my heart, as it was the restaurant that inspired me to become a food blogger, Tori Shin has surpassed it as my new favorite yakitori restaurant. If you’re ever in the mood for skewers, this is a great place to go.
CS
Rating: 
Yakitori Tori Shin (Make a Reservation)
1193 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10065
