Torihei

Hi All,

I recently had some guests from Canada visiting, and I couldn't wait to take them to Torihei. It seems Torihei has just debuted a new Seasonal Menu with about ~10 new items (nice!), so that was a pleasant surprise.

Besides some of the usual suspects - the amazing Jidori Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken); various Yakitori skewers of goodness; airy, delicate Homemade Hanpen (Fish Cake)...+READ Hi All,

I recently had some guests from Canada visiting, and I couldn't wait to take them to Torihei. It seems Torihei has just debuted a new Seasonal Menu with about ~10 new items (nice!), so that was a pleasant surprise.

Besides some of the usual suspects - the amazing Jidori Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken); various Yakitori skewers of goodness; airy, delicate Homemade Hanpen (Fish Cake) and other Oden specialties (all great as I remembered it) - we managed to try some of their new Seasonal Menu Items:

1. Renkon no Nikuzume Yaki (Skewered Lotus Root with Pork) - Wow. I didn't have any expectations for this dish, and wasn't sure they'd be able to top Tomo-san's amazing version back at the legendary Yakitori Bincho, but Torihei's version is surprisingly delicious! Firm, lightly crunchy, but tender slivers of Lotus Root are marinated in their Homemade Chicken Broth, and then stuffed with a blend of Marinated Ground Chicken and Ground Pork with Mirin, Shoyu and wonderful Shiso Leaf. It's delicate, but packs a flavorful punch. Wonderful. :)

2. Salmon Harasu no Ochazuke (Homemade Salmon Belly Rice Soup! listed on the menu as "Salmon 'Chazuke'"). This is now their best Ochazuke on the menu. :) They use some delicious chunks of fatty Salmon Belly mixed with Hojicha (Roasted Green Tea) and Rice. It's clean, yet has a really satisfying finish because of the Salmon Belly.

3. Tokusei Bi-fu Kare- (Homemade Beef Curry) - I'm usually suspicious of ordering Curry in a Yakitori restaurant, but considering all the Non-Yakitori small plates that Torihei has done right (like their amazing Homemade Chicken Pate), we decided to give it a try.

It's... ~OK. A bit too sweet and fruity, and very mild. It's not going to dethrone Foo Foo Tei's Homemade Curry anytime soon, but the highlight of this would have to be the use of Beef *Tongue* (yes, Gyu-Tan!) for the Curry, which was quite tender if a bit too mild.

4. Chingensai (Poached Bok Choy) - Not a new menu item, but it had been so long since I ordered this, I forgot just how amazing this dish was. Sasaki-san lightly poaches the Chingensai vegetables in their delicate, made-from-scratch Oden Broth, and then finishes it with a quick, pan-fried Light Soy Sauce-based Sauce that's lightly sweet, fragrant and reminds me of some great Chinese cooking.

I'm also glad to see their Homemade Chicken Pate "making it" to their latest Seasonal Menu; it's too good to get rotated out. :) Hopefully they add it to their permanent Menu soon. :)-COLLAPSE / REPLY (164 Replies) (by exilekiss, updated August 25, 2010)

Hi All,

I had a dear friend from Tokyo visiting, and rounded up a few Japanese Hounds to revisit Torihei. And...

It's still as absurdly delicious as before. :) They've added a new House-made Chicken Liver Pate (which sadly, in our flurry of orders, I forgot to order, and we were too full by the time I realized it :).

Their Jidori Karaage (Natural, Free-Range Fried Chicken) is even better...+READ Hi All,

I had a dear friend from Tokyo visiting, and rounded up a few Japanese Hounds to revisit Torihei. And...

It's still as absurdly delicious as before. :) They've added a new House-made Chicken Liver Pate (which sadly, in our flurry of orders, I forgot to order, and we were too full by the time I realized it :).

Their Jidori Karaage (Natural, Free-Range Fried Chicken) is even better than before: A delicious, perfect combination of crispy crust and super juicy Jidori Chicken.

Their Kyoto-style Oden is still wonderful: The Hanpen (Homemade Fish Cakes) are light, fluffy and airy.

And the legendary Takeno Tsuyu Junmai Sake, still as sexy as ever. My guest from Tokyo was quite impressed with Torihei's quality and taste. Sorry if this sounds like I'm gushing; the food was so enjoyable, it moved me to write about this follow-up visit. :)-COLLAPSE / REPLY (164 Replies) (by exilekiss, updated March 8, 2010)