This place serves up some traditional Japanese skewers
Yakitori Yaktudori, San Diego
4898 Convoy St, Ste 101
(between Ronson Rd & Raytheon Rd)
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 268-2888 www.yakyudori.us
So I tried coming here twice before I actually got to try it; my third attempt was the charm. They do not open for lunch hours; their business hours are from 6pm to 1am. They also have full booked reservations; unless you walk in at late hours or on a slow night. With that said, I made reservations to try it out with my family and we enjoyed it. I have revisited the place several times since then. Despite some mix reviews on their customer service, I've never had a bad experience here. The service can be a little slow because there's only 1 or 2 waiters for the place. I enjoy snacking on these tasty skewers. It's a good place to go when you just want some good food over a catch up conversation with your friend late at night or you can't find parking in downtown with your co-worker for happy hour ;p You can make a full meal out of this place if you order a lot with some of their special sakes and soju drinks. I just like to come here to snack. They serve up skewers that are traditional in Japan such as chicken heart, gizzards, and liver. But there are other skewers for the Americans taste such as beef, chicken, and dumplings. My favorite would have to be their pork skewers rolled with shiso; it's tasty and juicy (not dry like you would think pork would be). They recently opened a second location on Convoy and my brother claims they serve the same menu. I think I will just stick to the one on 4th Ave in Hilcrest. Let me know if you want to snack because I'll be down to go ;p
An alternative to sister restaurant of Yakitori Yaktudori
Hinotez
7947 Balboa Ave
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 565-4244
If you don't like the long waiting line and lots of people crammed into a restaurant, this would be the alternative spot. It's literally down the street from Yakitori but it's less people and same food. It's a lot more quiet; ideal for having conversations over dinner. The seating is more spread out; they even have a big room in the back where you can dine seated down Japanese style for large parties. The food menu is pretty much the same. The skewers are very good here. Their noodles are good and I think the boiled eggs are better here than Yakitori because they're more runny and flavorful. And here at Hinotez, you'll find their rice combinations to be affordable and quite tasty. I like the salmon here a lot and do my friends. The salmon is cooked perfectly served over rice and with miso soup and salad. The fried chicken and takoyaki (octopus balls) appetizers are okay. My favorite appetizer here would be their fried oysters in panko. They also have daily specials. I've tried their fried lotus root with fish roe and I've been waiting for them to bring that back every single time after I dine here. Unfortunately, they haven't ;( But I'll keep on convincing them too ;p
Yakitori spot in NYC that's worth hunting for
SAKE BAR HAGI
152 W 49th St, New York, NY 10019
Neighborhoods: Midtown West, Theater District
(212) 764-8549 http://www.sakebarhagi.com
This place was a hidden gem recommended to me by a friend from Boston. They specialize in Japanese grilled skewers and they are open late. The restaurant is located somewhat close to the theatre district; where all the Broadway shows are. My friends and I went looking for it after we saw the Broadway show 'Chicago'. From what I remember, it wasn't that far of a walk. Maybe 10 min? We did have to ask a nearby restaurant where it was because the sign was too small for our eyes and the place is actually downstairs. And by the time we found it, the place was packed. The menu offers a selection of grilled combo plates and separate plates. We ordered Set A: Chicken meatballs, beef, chicken, pork, and garlic. Set A got an A+ from us. The sweet pork plate we ordered was pretty tasty; it was little sweet and battered fried. The grilled beef tongue that I ordered was yummy; had that grill taste to it. The beef hot plate and short ribs were delicious! And with a bottle of sake, we had no complaints here ;p
