March 22, 2009
Stick to skewers
New yakitori joint Aburiyatei may be small, but its grilled meats are big on taste
By Wong Ah Yoke
Small is never a good measure of quality. This is something that diners at yakitori restaurant Aburiyatei can easily agree on.
The one-month-old eatery in Robertson Quay, which is opened by Aburiya, another Japanese restaurant nearby, is tiny. The 55.7sq m unit seats only 12 people at the counter with a table for another five diners.
Outside, a few more tables are set up in the public area, adding 16 more seats.
But its menu is decent, even if it is not as extensive as some of the bigger yakitori joints in the vicinity that boast of serving more than 100 items. You still find about 40 items from the yakitori grill, plus another 40 or so side dishes, soups and noodles.
What really makes this little David stand up to the Goliaths, however, is the quality of its meats.
It uses fresh Jidori or free-range chicken from Johor for its yakitori or grilled skewers. And certainly, the teba or chicken wings ($5 for two sticks) I tasted were good, with the natural flavour of the meat evident beneath the smoky notes.
The negirimatare (chicken thigh with Japanese leek and tare sauce, $4.80 for two) was good too, though in this case the inherent taste of the meat was less evident as it was masked by the tare or sweetened soya sauce.
You should also try the kawa (chicken skin, $3.90 for two). Grilled to a perfect crisp without a hint of being burnt, the pieces of skin were a delight with a touch of the spice powder provided at the table.
Another chicken item to check out is the jidori tsukune, which is a grilled chicken patty. It is described in the menu as a chicken burger though it comes without a bun.
I tried it with a soft-boiled egg dip ($5 for two sticks of burger), and it was delicious. But eat it fast as it tastes best hot, while the smokiness from the fire is still evident. Once cool, the meat loses much of its aroma.
The pork here is good too, especially the tontoro (pork cheek with balsamic, $5 for two). The cubes of meat were not only flavourful but also had a wonderful crunchy texture.
The balsamic vinegar was not overpowering. Instead, it lent just a hint of acidity to cut the fat in the meat.
Another pork item, bara tomato (a slice of belly wrapped round a cherry tomato, $5.20 for two), was less flavourful. But I liked the sensation of the tomato bursting and releasing its juices as I bit through the pork.
What did not work was the Hokkaido hokke (grilled whole atka mackerel, $15). Left on the fire too long, the fish had a blackened and slightly bitter crust, and the meat was dry and chewy.
The onion soup ($9.90), too, disappointed by being too salty. So was the karaage (deep-fried chicken, $7.90).
I would say to stick to the yakitori items, except that the potato salad ($6.90) was pretty decent.
And the complimentary scoop of matcha ice cream at the end of the meal was good. (There is no dessert on the menu.)
Another thing that impressed was the service. My waitress was confident, polite and had good knowledge of the food.
That is exactly the kind of attitude that will bring customers back.
ABURIYATEI
60 Robertson Quay, 01-01
The Quayside, tel: 6836-5370
Open: 6 to 11.30pm (Mondays to Saturdays), 6 to 10pm (Sundays and public holidays)
Food: ***
Service: *** 1/2
Ambience: ** 1/2
Price: Budget from $40 a person
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