Do you like Japanese grilled skewers but also like to have the option in eating sushi or tempura? A new authentic Japanese restaurant bar is finally open in Amsterdam Rivierenbuurt, Yakitori la Kushi. I was so much looking forward to this new Japanese grill bar. The opening got a bit delayed by covid19 and some construction work but its now open for delightful dinners 😃
You can enjoy traditional Japanese dishes and some are with a modern twist. The menu offers a variety of appetizers, sushi, sashimi, tempura, rice bowls and ofcourse Yakitori. All look superlicious! You can take a seat at the bar counter like how it goes in Japan or dine at a table.
What is Yakitori? Yakitori means grilled chicken skewer, it can be served with various part of a chicken e.g. wings, stomach, heart or skin and the grilling is finished with a little bit of salt seasoning or yakitori sauce (glazed savory sweet sauce). When there are other grilled ingredients, you can also call it Kushiyaki as this term covers all kind of meat or vegetable skewers and not explicitly chicken.
Grilled skewers are a classic food served at izakaya in Japan and is a serious business. It’s about having dinner in a Japanese-tapas style pub where beer, sake, tasty bites and jolly chatters take part. The quality, the meat texture and the grilling skills are important factors in bringing the right atmosphere & flavours. Just yummie!
I started my evening with a smooth dry sake drink, a junmai ginjo from Kyoto and I loved it! I didn’t take a starter, I wanted it but I was so much graving for nigiri sushi. My sushi was fresh made with gloves on ☺️, this already gave me a positive hygienic feeling. It tasted very good, especially the unagi was in balance of sweetness and had the right texture. Personally, I’m not a unagi fan and I wanted to eat more. I continued with a shrimp tempura roll. The tempura shrimp was fresh fried and crunchy, and not greasy at all, so thumbs 👍🏼. Although, it could have a bit more kewpie mayonnaise and extra lettuce for a divine balance between fried food and a fresh taste. After the sushi and roll, I felt quite pleased in my tummy but being in a Yakitory bar I must try the skewers before leaving. So I ordered a tsukune (chicken ball) and hatsu (chicken heart), one of my favourites. The heart tasted fine, I was missing a bit of smoked flavour and the tsukune meat texture was a bit dry and pricy for a small thin ball. To my personal taste in terms of Yakitori, I prefer my regular favourite Yakitori bar but nevertheless, I had a superlicious dinner + good sake = which made my evening superb! Definitely highly recommended.
nigiri sushi 
shrimp tempura roll 
hatsu, tsukune
