Zhiwu Impresses With Sumptuous Yakitori and Sashimi at Xinyuanxili

Xinyuanxili’s Shang complex has added yet another hotspot for international dining to its roster. Yes, along with top-notch Italian eats at Bottega, tempting Mexican fare at Q Mex, and American pub grub at Boxing Cat, the building now also has an authentic taste of Japan via new yakitori joint Zhiwu.

Owner Takayuki Hattori, who hails from Fukuoka, Japan, got off to a strong start last year with Sun Japanese Cuisine, though Beijing’s Great Brickening forced him to shut down that streetside location. He has since found more stable digs at Shang. Aside from relocating he has also bolstered his business, with plans to reopen Sun Sushi in a higher end setting at Shang soon (think set courses of fresh fare at two specified periods per night, priced at around RMB 500 per patron). He’s split the more casual elements of Sun Sushi off to Zhiwu, where reasonably priced beef and chicken skewers reign supreme, along with some sumptuous sashimi options and other izakaya standards.

The owner’s move here came not a moment too soon, seeing as Peng Sushi, the quiet Japanese restaurant that was situated in the same complex, has since closed. When we stopped by we had a sneak peek at the new Sun Japanese cuisine, before settling in to eat at the more casual Zhi Wu. Both have splashier ambiances than the now-defunct Peng, and Zhi Wu was also much more bustling, brimming with yakitori-devouring patrons.

We’ll have to try the new Sun Sushi some other time for a more elegant experience, but for now, a laid-back evening of skewers and brews at Zhi Wu suited us just fine. A platter of six chicken skewers will set you back RMB 108, while the beef chuan'r platter costs RMB 108. Both are rounded out with tofu, mushroom, and scotch egg skewers, and the price, along with the juicy quality of the yakitori and the varied types of meat on each stick, from tender melt-in-your-mouth morsels to more dexterous cuts, make these plates a great bang for your buck. The only hitch: some less adventurous patrons might not like the tougher, more cartilaginous meat sticks on these sets, meaning you may wish to order skewers individually to find your favorite combination.

And while this restaurant focuses on yakitori and pulls it off with aplomb, we were all the more impressed by our order of sashimi for RMB 128. It abounded with flavorful fat and boasted a plump texture that had us grinning in delight. So while we very much enjoyed the delicious skewers on offer at this restaurant, we think the place does sushi even better, at least based on the sashimi we tried. This makes us want to hit up the new Sun Sushi all the more when it’s ready. For now though, this laid-back joint will certainly do the trick for when you're next craving casual Japanese fare near Xinyuanli.

Zhiwu
Daily 5.30pm-late. 1-112, Shang, Xindong Lu (138 1001 7792)
炙屋:新东路新源里金尚SHANG1-112

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Photos courtesy of Zhiwu, Kyle Mullin