Local Gem: Your Late Night Yakitori Wonderland
Japanese restaurants certainly aren't a rarity in Beijing. In fact, no matter where you are in the capital, a search for nearby restaurants on Dianping will likely turn up at least two or three specializing in Japanese cuisines such as Oyako-don, teriyaki chicken, or tempura. Likewise, there are even entire streets lined with tiny izakayas featuring similar menus. And despite the complicated history between China and Japan, Japanese food has a large and loyal fan base in the capital, with more and more high-end sushi joints, humble but tasty ramen stores, and even a few tempura-specific restaurants continuously popping up. And yet, 烧鸟 yakitori – one of the most interesting and favored branches of Japanese culinary culture, in my opinion – has seldom had the chance to shine on its own, serving instead in a supporting role as the appetizer to a full meal.
In the neighborhood of 百子湾, finding a restaurant that serves meat skewers is generally easier than finding a parking space. Compared to chuan’er – the Chinese kebab that features a wide variety of ingredients – Japanese yakitori is a more straightforward affair with the star of the dish, chicken, right there in its name. Among all the most common proteins, you might even consider chicken to be one of the most boring. Yet, an outstanding yakitori-specific bistro like 鸟万 Yakitori M is adept at drawing out the full potential of each part of the chicken and elevating this simple dish to epiphany-inducing dining.
Frankly, there's not much to say about Yakitori M's interior. Its minimal modern decor allows the yakitori grills to take center stage. After all, when the chefs have gotten skewer-rotating down to an art form, and the meat is oozing its delicious grease and bouquet of aromas, they're basically akin to rockstars cranking out the hits on stage. Behind the ever-sizzling station, there's a plain blackboard featuring limited-time rare cuts and fresh, seasonal dishes. Needless to say, this ain't your average chicken shop. Drumsticks? Boring. Chicken Wings? Let's bump it up a notch. Dig a bit deeper and you'll discover a wonderland of authentic treats, where everything is cooked to perfection and not a single part of the treasured bird goes to waste. Because let's be honest, if you're going to commit to consuming animal products, you might as well finish it clean.
Your culinary adventure can begin in familiar territory with something like the liver. If foie gras is a gorgeous velvet known for its luxurious and delicate texture, then a perfectly cooked yakitori chicken liver is like fine wine grapes on the vine: plump, full of life, and packed with savory juices. Likewise, if you're into gooey, flavorful ingredients, then 提灯 Cyouchin is another must-have. Its name can be literally translated as "hand lantern," and was coined to describe eggs that are still in the ovary, when the yolk has already formed but the egg white and shell are still nowhere to be seen. When put on the skewer, the egg hangs – because of the remaining ovary – like the light of a little hand lantern, glowing brightly before disappearing into your mouth and nourishing body and soul.
Moving on, it’s time to browse the rest of Yakitori M's menu, which contains everything from common thighs and scallion and wings with kimchi to more unfamiliar options such as the weasand, chicken skirt, testis, and heart aorta. To be sure, none of this is here to arouse pretentious awe or childish giggles, only experienced chefs and diners will understand how much time and effort is required to handle the diverse parts of the bird. And when done right, each of them evokes entirely different sensations and surprises.
It's not all chicken though. There's plenty of other options including corn, yams, beef tongue, and rice cake. My favorite of those is probably the mentaiko on zucchini. Mentaiko, aka pollock roe, is an ingredient frequently enjoyed in Japan. While it's a bit too salty to eat alone, smearing it on the relatively bland yet juicy zucchini is a brilliant idea. Side note: I hope they offer a spicy mentaiko one day, to heat things up just a little bit more.
Lastly, there's no grilled food in this big, wacky world that doesn’t taste better with booze, and at Yakitori M you get to choose from beer, wine, whiskey, or shochu.
So, to put it simply: Come in blind, ready for a surprise, and leave satisfied. You don't need to fuss about just to enjoy a good meal.
2nd floor, Tongyi Yard, No.31, Baiziwan Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区 百子湾路百子湾31号院西50米桐毅小院2层
Hours: Mon to Thurs, Sun 6pm to 12am, Fri, Sat, 6pm to 1am
Price range: RMB 150 to 200 per person
Read: EAT: Sake Sensei Dinner, Bobomia Happy Hour, Side Street Renovations, Susu x BSK Cooking Class
Images: Zeus Zou, Dianping
