Review: Japanese yakitori restaurant and bar Tokyo Bird in Surry Hills on song

This energetic addition to the Japanese street food has transformed from casual bar to restaurant

Anthony HuckstepSydney Taste

2 min read

March 10, 2015 - 12:00AM

Pork Belly Skewers from Tokyo Bird restaurant in Surry Hills.

Enthusiasm can take you a long way, especially when it comes to restaurants.

For most restaurants, it’s really not about delivering the best service, the best food or even the best drinks in the country. Sure, we expect a great all-round experience, but the truth is, intent, commitment and sentiment go a long way in regards to our perceptions of value. It’s often the reason we return to a venue. You see, most of us just want a place we can rely on, where we feel comfortable, and know we’re receiving value for money.

Although relatively new, Tokyo Bird has already learnt a lot about the perceptions of its customers. Originally opened as a small bar with good yakitori, this energetic addition to the yakitori boom soon realised its clientele were using it as a restaurant, rather than a bar.

Inside Tokyo Bird.

It seems the very nature of our dining culture coupled with the smart casualness of the yakitori offering resonates with our understanding of a good night out.

For starters, wandering down a narrow Belmore Lane in Surry Hills, before entering a sliding door feeds on one’s desire for something surreptitious. Inside is a sleek, yet simple design, with bar stools made from salvaged wood, walls of recycled brick and modern industrial lighting setting the mood.

Being caught in the nexus of bar-cum-restaurant means the booze is top-shelf. Although the beer and wine list is sufficient, it’s the stellar sake and Japanese whisky list that will satisfy. So too, the staff, led by owners Jason Ang and Yoshi Onishi, who are equally as enthusiastic to have you try the smoked and fried treats that emerge from the tiny kitchen.

Jason Ang and Yoshi Onishi from Tokyo Bird.

Centimetre-thick sous vide pork belly is skewered, lathered in tare (a sweet soy-based sauce) then smoked over coals. It’s firmer than expected, but the rendered fat makes them hard to put down. Then it’s a barrage of chicken bits on sticks. First hearts with a bit of give, then a creamy finish, livers cooked a bit too long and as such a bit powdery, then large organic shiitake mushrooms that are nutty, sweet and quite juicy.

Chicken heart and liver skewers from Tokyo Bird.

But not everything is on skewers. There are chicken wings, lightly battered school prawns and a neat cabbage salad, too. Katsu nuggets — think deep-fried panko-crumbed chicken pieces — are a highlight, although discs of crumbed zucchini need the tonkatsu sauce to be interesting.

The food is simple, honest and consistent. It’s a fuss-free, fun way to enjoy small bites of different things. Whether or not it’s a bar, restaurant, or something in between is irrelevant. This is a place where people feel comfortable, receive value for money and know they’ll have a great night out. What more could you ask for?

@anthuckstep