Torikaze 鳥かぜ (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

For months, I have been waiting for a call on my waitlist from the team behind Torikaze (鳥かぜ), an acclaimed Japanese Yakitori restaurant on the 45th floor of Gloucester Tower at the Landmark Building under the direction of Tokyo master chef Yoshiteru Ikegawa. It shares the same floor with other prestigious eateries including two-Michelin-starred Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic. But as many friends pointed out, the wait could drag on for a few months so I wasn’t holding my breath.

But there was light at the end of the tunnel at last. Back in July before we took off for Europe, I was randomly browsing the internet — one of my habits, like I always do and decided to check whether any seats had opened up at Torikaze. And there it was, one single seat available for a Wednesday afternoon lunch. It meant taking time off work, but if that’s what it takes, then it’s worth it.

I was still feeling the effects of jet lag after returning from our long holidays. As I walked gingerly through the labyrinth of narrow corridors, I finally arrived at Torikaze.

I’m not dreaming. Seriously, it’s real. I can tell the moment I step in, with the smokiness and that unmistakable aroma in the air.

One thing that stood out immediately from the lunch menu: there really wasn’t much to choose from. Altogether, there were four lunch sets, each including a different number of skewers and a main. There was no à la carte option so if you wanted extra skewers, you couldn’t simply add them on.

The set I chose was the most expensive one ($498) with five kinds of yakitori and two kinds of kushiyaki. It was served in an omakase-style format (no choice), with no main dish. Just an unlimited supply of steamed rice. I thought it was an easy pick for me since the other sets only offered up to three skewers at most, and I came here for their skewers.

First up, a small salad to whet my appetizer.

Okra — Topped nicely with bonito flakes but I thought it could be more charred on the surface.

Knee — Obviously from the local three yellow chicken (三黃雞). My server told me it was the meat extracted specifically from the knee-cap area. Not surprisingly, it was very meaty (啖啖肉), with a lovely smokiness from the charcoal grill.

Neck — Firm, slightly chewy in a good way with the occasional crunch. Again wonderfully smoky.

Breast — My server pointed out that this was near the organ area (exactly what he said) so there was a fair amount of fat attached. It was very tender.

Wing — Not bad.

Asparagus — Surprisingly tender.

Chicken meatball — This skewer of chicken meatballs was pretty tasty. The smokiness was clearly front and centre again. I was slightly surprised it didn’t include some hidden crunch from soft bones. Those are always a joy.

Dessert was a simple lemon sorbet, finished with lemon zest and a touch of sea salt. I was one of the last batches of customers, trying to enjoy things slowly but they kind of wanted to clean the place up for dinner service and rushed us out a bit.

To be honest, it’s hard to assess the meal properly, because it was so short. Everything was served in less than an hour (I didn’t time it, but it felt like about 40–45 minutes maximum). I didn’t really get time to reflect on the last skewer before the next one came out.

All in all, it wasn’t quite the culinary experience I was hoping for although yes, the chicken skewers were really delicious.

Food Rating: 6.4/10

Price: $$$$$

Address: Forty-Five, 43-45/F, Gloucester Tower, LANDMARK ATRIUM, 15 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Central

Tel: +852 3501-8585

Website: https://www.torikaze.hk/

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00pm, 6:00pm - 11:00pm (Mon - Sat)