Torimaro Brings out Yakitori Flavours with Simplicity
Yakitori has been having its moment in the spotlight in the Singapore Japanese food sphere as places like Yatagarasu have been unearthed and propelled into the spotlight in recent years. Some places might be mere pedestrian experiences that bring you the simplest pleasures but there are some stellar gems getting unearthed — like the brand new Torimaro.
Hosted within a diverse congregation of Japanese restaurants at Gochi at Telok Ayer, Torimaro somehow manages to maintain a feeling of Izakaya realism and authenticity while being polished and tasteful.
It’s a simple cosy space with the archetypal wooden skeleton you’d expect from any Izakaya but spruced up with some unorthodox modern touches and some Western flair.
It’s not hard to spot the real McCoy from the rest of the pretenders. And it’s especially obvious at Torimaro where the space is graced by hordes of Japanese expats even with its relative youth as an establishment.
Simple But Exceptional Skewers
Given Yakitori’s reputation for being aggressively rich, juicy, and smoky, Torimaro’s style of grilling is unmistakably distinct and an abrupt departure from the norm.
Given a choice between the salt base and sauce base, it’s actually quite a conundrum at the start. A richer depth of flavour or simple seasoning that lets the ingredients speak?
The answer is surprising — the simplicity of salt effortlessly triumphed over any semblance of saucy richness smothered upon Torimaro’s skewers.
In a convincing duel between the two permutations, the Chicken Tail ($2.90) with the stripped-down dressing of salt best its sauced-coated counterpart. Torimaro’s finesse and expertise on the grill is so sound that even trickier parts like the tail are allowed to shine naturally without embellishment.
A faint kiss of smoke was all it needed since the juices and heavy flavours of the off-cut really shone through thanks to the minimal seasoning, sporting a tender chewiness that almost rivals that of Yatagarasu.
Unfortunately, the Chicken Gizzards ($2.80) didn’t quite receive the same royalty treatment, still retaining some heady offal notes and came packing the signature firm and bouncy crunch of the organ that, whilst inoffensive to me, might present an issue for others.
As someone always on the lookout for top-drawer Tsukune ($5), I couldn’t resist the allure of the Tsukune variety on Torimaro’s menu that comes with accoutrements that vary from Egg Yolk to Ponzu Sauce.
The Tsukune with Egg Yolk pairing might translate into much more tantalising photos but the Tuskune with Ponzu Sauce combo was comfortably the best compliment, injecting an elegant tartness to cut through the potent richness of the Tsukune, along with piercing leek sharpness and crunch mingling within the meat.
Conversely, the Tsukune with Egg Yolk could be enrobed in a silky sheen of yolk to accentuate the base flavours of the Chicken Meatball Yakitori but didn’t achieve the same immaculate balance that Torimaro managed on the Ponzu rendition. That said, a combination of both egg yolk and the ponzu might actually be greater than the sum of its parts.
All about that texture
Departing from the succulence of the array of chicken Yakitori, the Chicken Skin ($2.80) was the crowd-pleaser for those who prefer a bit more crackle, a bit more crunch, a bit more pizzazz. Buried beneath that crunch were ribbons of soft, gelatinous fat — overall, it remained well balanced and not overwhelmingly unctuous despite being pure skin.
After being served neverending sticks of rich chicken sticks —despite it not being as surfeit as other popular Yakitori spots— it’s wise to order Torimaro’s pickled dishes to cut through that heaviness.
A simple choice would be the Pickled Cucumber Salad ($8). No frills, no flash, just a simple pile of crunchy, slightly tart cucumbers doused in a fragrant sesame sauce to keep it from being too monotonous. A good palate cleanser to prime you for more meat, like the forthcoming Grilled Kampung Chicken ($18).
Petite this fowl might be, it might be the best display of Torimaro’s excellence in articulating textures. A mound of chicken chunks buried a lush base of onions, sweated for that satisfying crisp sweetness, and then finished with the intoxicating punch of fried garlic.
Simply put, each piece of chicken was soft and oozing flavour, then deftly complemented by depth and dimension from its simple ensemble of ingredients.
Torimaro might be the next Yakitori heavyweight of Singapore. It’s new but promising and, more importantly, tastefully sophisticated and restrained. While I still cannot forgo the unapologetically smoky flavours of places like Yatagarasu, this new spot really assuaged me through articulation in its ingredients.
Make your reservations here.
Yakitori & Sake Torimaro
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- Address: 23 Church St, #01-08, Singapore 049481
- Hours: (Mon–Sat) 5pm–10:30pm