Torisho Taka by Aoki

Jigga man and B hardly ever let me down when they decide a destination for dinner and last Friday was no different. The place. Gallery Hotel. The restaurant. Torisho Taka by Aoki.

As some of you already know, I'm kinda snobby. So we were seated right by the door, the very area where people are refused entrance to this restaurant if you didn't make a reservation or the restaurant was full. A word of advice to my readers. Make a reservation.

Its a Yakitori joint, so it has to be smoky, have loud noises, and Japanese men in their late 40s drinking themselves graciously silly. The service was impeccable and I would say first class. The dishes, even though I only bothered to take 3 pictures, most if not all the dishes were lovely.

The grilled yellow tail cheek was soft, fresh and to die for. The Yakitori was above average, I wouldn't say that in a bad way but compared to the other dishes they served, the spot light was taken away from the Yakitori. The event of the night was the grilled rice with plum and broth. I'm not over reacting here but it was in my opinion, for the night, the most unusual, pleasant but delightful thing I've had in awhile. It surprised me in a very pleasant way. The dish is served with cooked rice put together into a triangle shape and grilled, then placed in a bowl with raw pieces of chicken and spring onion. The broth comes in a little pot that you pour into the bowl, cooking the chicken and cooking the rice for the third time. It still blows my mind just thinking about it because a dish so simple, so clean, and it makes plum taste magnificent.

My personal discovery of the night was the Yebisu All Malt Beer. I know that whenever you eat a particular cuisine, you need to drink beverage from the country. This Yebisu beer went with every Yakitori stick brilliantly. It complemented the dishes perfectly without taking away or adding unnecessary flavors or tannins to the sublime food.

The only downside I feel to this restaurant.

3 Numbers.

$440.