Umenadori

Umenadori. Yakitori is the operative word even if there are delights other than chicken that take equally to the grill; here, nasu (eggplant), salted and drenched in its own juice or doused in sweet teriyaki sauce, wagyu short ribs and aspara bacon (asparagus wrapped in bacon) are delightful. Parts of the chicken that are worth your while are teba and kawa — wings and chicken skin, and there’s the shiitake tsukune, shiitake mushroom stuffed with minced chicken (order it with sweet sauce — sublime!); less successful are the (typically overdone) white meat varieties shisomaki (rolled with ohba leaf) and sabi sasami (laced with wasabi mustard). This is no food to dazzle, but if done well, a full-scale dining experience, a perfect microcosm. In any case, it is a lean and healthy one. The clientele agrees: the yakitori bar is always packed, and the open tatami room, crammed into one compact but well-designed space, is hardly ever empty. For those with a yen for rice, a good selection of kamameshi may be the thing for you — try the salmon and vegetable version flavoured with miso, or the unagi (eel), spicy or plain. A side dish of wakame salad is always good to have. The service can be slow and nerve-wracking if you don’t have time on your hand, but then again, yakitori is a tradition that requires time.

Address: LG Floor, Hotel Inter-Continental
Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 10-11
Jakarta Pusat
Tel. 570 7795, Tel. 570 6200 ext. 4735

Price range: Around Rp 350,000 for 2
Operating hours: 11:00 – 14:00 (lunch);
18:00 – 22:00 (dinner)
Dress code: smart casual
Atmosphere: spacious cosy
Alcohol: wine, sake, beer, shochu, whisky
All major credit cards accepted
Reviewed: November 2007

Source: VIVAnews.com