Food and Restaurant: Mutekiya (無敵家)

Mutekiya -- House of Yakitori

"Yaki", a Japanese word meaning grilled or toasted, is a core speciality of the Japanese cuisine.  Among different kinds of yakis, Yakitori is one of the most famous. Originally referred to only grilled fowl, or skewered chicken, is now accepted as all kinds of grilled food including meat and vegetables.


Let's first learn some Japanese words from Wikipedia, and then look at the photos I took at a visit to Mutekiya 無敵家 (DO NOT mix with the 麺創房無敵家 @ Ikebukuro 池袋). 

• hatsu (ハツ) or kokoro (こころ), chicken heart
• rebā (レバー), liver
• sunagimo (砂肝), or zuri (ずり) chicken gizzard
• tsukune (つくね), chicken meatballs
• (tori)kawa ((とり)かわ) chicken skin, grilled until crispy
• tebasaki (手羽先), chicken wing
• bonjiri (ぼんじり), chicken tail
• shiro (シロ),　chicken small intestines
• nankotsu (なんこつ), chicken cartilage
• toriniku, all white meat on skewer
• ikada (筏) (lit. raft), Japanese scallion, with two skewers to prevent rotation
• gyūtan (牛タン), beef tongue, sliced thinly
• atsuage tōfu (厚揚げとうふ), deep-fried tofu
• enoki maki (エノキ巻き), enoki mushrooms wrapped in slices of pork
• pīman (ピーマン), green pepper
• asuparabēkon (アスパラベーコン), asparagus wrapped in bacon
• butabara (豚ばら), pork belly
• ninniku (にんにく）garlic

Now, see if you can match some of the food in the list with the photos below.

*********************************************************

It was 16th July, 2011. Pre-opening dinner with a group of 10 people. Had so much great food and fun! Totally remarkable experience!

Frankly speaking, I wasn't expecting the food to be really special, because it's just "Yaki", every restaurant can serve "Yaki", so far all the others have been disappointing, how good can this restaurant be?

Then of course, I was proven wrong. The food was simply gorgeous!

The Yakis, were brilliantly prepared! Spare no effort!!! Photos speak louder than words.

Clockwise from Top left : Ginkgo yaki, Chicken-skin Prawns, Chicken kidneys, Ox tongues, Chicken Liver

Clockwise from Top left : Japanese rice cake, Japanese rice pudding, Summer Squash with cheese, Japanese dumplings (imported)

Clockwise from Top left : Chicken Wings split, Japanese sweet potatoes, tomato-avocado salad with unique dressing, bacon with tomatoes

Clockwise from Top left : Minced chicken tendon & pork yaki with raw eggs and shoyu, clear soup tomato ramen with char siu onsen egg, baby whitebait yaki, unique wheat ramen with char siu served separately with rich soup base.

正

Four seasons Sake with lovely bottles

Sake chiller

Lantern-style lamp

Cute bottles which contains something

I must say, this is the best Yaki restaurant I have ever visited, remind me of Tokyo!!! Although the Mutekiya in Ikebukuro is actually a tremendously good ramen shop, the same name in Hong Kong has definitely taken up a special place in my mind!

Once again, proves that when you go to any restaurant, you have got to try what they are best at! For this case, if you come to this restaurant without trying their Yaki, you are SO SO WRONG!!!!!

(Drank quite a bit of sake, so drunk, so much fun!)


Vocabulary:
yaki - (n)[C]
yakitori -- (n) [U] see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakitori
fowl -- (n) [C] a bird of a type that is used to produce meat or eggs

•

old use any bird

skewered -- (vb)[T] to put pieces of food, especially meat, on a skewer




Resources:
Yaki @ Wikipedia
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%84%BC%E3%81%8D


Yakitori @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakitori

Mutekiya 無敵家 @ Openrice
http://www.openrice.com/english/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=54236

麺創房無敵家
http://www.mutekiya.com/

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/fowl?q=fowl
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/skewer_2?q=skewered+#skewer_2__3