It's been a while since J.E.R.K. last met up so Master sifu and I decided to give our group chat a nudge with a shoutout. To our surprise, everyone happened to be free the following week, so we locked in a Wednesday evening for our long-overdue meet-up.
After tossing around a few dining ideas, we finally settled on Mirai (蕾), a modern izakaya known for its Japanese skewers, yakitori, and more.
The restaurant also doubles as a laid-back Japanese sake bar, perfect for unwinding over food and drinks.
With the extensive menu, and we honestly needed a few extra minutes just to process the options before we were ready to place our order.
Edamame (枝豆) — A light and healthy snack to kick things off.
Short rib green onion roll (牛小排嫰蔥卷) — The short rib was incredibly tender and juicy. I initially thought the green onion’s herby, vegetal flavor might clash with the beef but they balanced each other beautifully.
Bacon lychee roll (煙肉荔枝串) — Pretty tasty and well-matched. A sweet and savory combo done right.
Pork wrapped muscat roll (豚肉香印串) — My first time trying muscat with fatty pork. And wow, it worked. The rich, savory pork elevated the muscat's natural sweetness. Outstanding.
Tsukune (自家製月見雞肉棒) — The most disappointing dish of the night. The homemade chicken meatball looked more like a sausage and didn’t live up to expectations.
Chicken wing (盬燒手羽) — Decent. Nicely grilled with a smoky touch.
Eggplant (茄子) — I loved the thick cuts; super juicy and satisfying.
Zucchini (翠玉瓜) — One of the best dish of the night. Very juicy with a great char — simple but super well-executed.
As the first round of skewers hit the table, it quickly became clear that a few of us had changed — especially compared to 30 years ago when we first met. The shift toward health consciousness was unmistakable, and there was a collective hesitation to go all-in on the grilled goodies. Normally, I’m the last to care about things like that, but seeing everyone else being so responsible with their intake made me pause as well.
So, to our server’s mild confusion (okay, probably outright shock) — four grown men each had fewer than four skewers before asking for the bill. That’s got to be some sort of record at this place.
That said, it's been a while since I last had Japanese skewers in Hong Kong (these days, I save my yakitori adventures for Japan). And I have to admit, I missed them. Still, the seasoning on the skewers tonight was a little heavy-handed, which, in hindsight, partially explained why the guys hit the brakes so quickly.
Food Rating: 5.9/10
Price: $$$
Address: Shop 8, G/F, Ngai Hing Mansion, 2-24 Pak Po Street, Mongkok, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Mongkok
Tel: +852 9832-6636
Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 2:30pm, 6:00pm - 12:00am daily
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