Located along Circular Road is newly-opened Yatagarasu, a quaint little eatery devoted to serving up authentic Japanese chargrilled meat skewers.
Besides the usual skewers you would expect to find at most yakitori joints, you can expect a pretty impressive selection of 10 innovative pork belly-wrapped creations here as well ranging from enoki mushroom to curry rice..
This unassuming yakitori joint along Circular Road makes for a good, robust meal with your mates before you pop over just a few steps away to the boat quay area for a tipple or two.
Although small and pretty hard to notice from the outside, the establishment is homely; small and cosy with minimal decor. The dining area features a long bar counter and an open concept kitchen in which diners can watch as the chef works his magic and indulge in the scent of perfectly grilled meats.
Freshness and quality are taken very seriously here, which is why every individual skewer is prepared fresh whenever an order comes in.
During dinner service, the menu is kept relatively straightforward with yakitori playing a more upfront role, but they also have a large variety of side dishes you can add into your mix to make for a more substantial meal.
We went for a variety of chicken yakitori parts such as the usual, more forgiving thigh, wing and fillet section, as well as some odd ends such as the liver, heart and soft bone. Prices start from S$2.50 per stick.
We highly recommend the chicken thigh as it is much more tender and juicy as opposed to the fillet. However, despite the fillet being a tad bit dryer in texture, it came with a citrusy, almost yuzu-like garnish which really brightened the dish up.
If you happen to adore the gamy, iron-like flavour of liver then you should definitely go for the chicken liver. Cooked medium, the liver exudes a charred and crispy exterior, whilst maintaining a smooth and velvety interior which literally melts in your mouth.
The chicken heart, on the other hand, was pretty darn amazing too. Crispy on the outside, it had a nice chew which was a good contrast to the melty liver.
Having read so many reviews about their pork belly wraps, we could not resist trying them. We opted for the Curry Rice (S$6) which was essentially a compact ball of Japanese curry rice wrapped in strips of pork belly.
It arrived with an additional ladle of curry and a generous sprinkling of pickles. In terms of taste, it was decent but nothing worth shouting about, although we have to give the chef props for his creativeness.
Yatagarasu
72 Circular Road, #01-01
Singapore 049426
Tel: +65 6221 7785
(Closed on Sundays)
Mon to Sat: 6pm – 12am
Nearest Station: Raffles Place