Uma Yakitori and Kushiaki @ Orchard Plaza

We drove past this outlet so many times, I finally had the courage (after a ridiculously bad dinner) to check out this place.

Fits twenty at best, okay, thirty but the best seats in the house are in my opinion are the counter seats. I get to watch the chef cook too!

Tempting sets.

Recommended Assortment ($13.80)

I mean, who can go wrong with the chef's recommendations - if anything, it was probably my wrong choices if they did not turn out fireworks kind of great. This took quite a while to arrive, after all there is just one chef over the grill cooking everyone's orders.

The grilled fragrance almost like an addiction got me taking deep whiffs before that sacred first bite.

Beef Harami

Oh my cow, this level of tenderness surely beat the kushiaki version hands down. Melt in my mouth, almost.

Pork Neck

This had a certain chewyness that was as addictive as the tender yet so greasy pork belly.

Pork Belly

Fats and meat never existed so cohesively till this skewer.

Chicken and Spring Onion

Deliciously torched, spring onions gave this juicy skewer more oomph.

Tender Chicken

Sure lived up to its name for tender chicken.

The husband declared that vegetables were served this way when he was a kid, he would have no problems falling in love with it. The fragrance once again was amazing, like opium I took such deep whiffs of it the fellow patrons must have thought I lost my mind over a skewer.

Vegetable Assorted ($10.80)

Asparagus

Smoked and charred at the right places, this shares the slot for favourite with the mushroom.

Shitake Mushroom

So earthy, it was almost like weed. I love grilled mushrooms best - the way the grill and funghi interacts is unfathomable kind of magic.

Shishito

A sweet pepper that I mistook for chilli.

Tomato

I once had a cocktail along the lines of screaming tomatoes because they were torched, and truly this fits the bill of a screaming red cherry tomato - skins split, blackened skin and spewing with juices in a single bite. Tomatoes, never did taste so good.

Green Pepper

Grilled green peppers that barely bit the tongue, almost like capsicum.

Kushiaki Beef ($5.80)

Breaded so light with a sinewy cut of beef, mamma mia is an understatement. Paired with plum sauce, kushiaki became my instant best friend.

Note that this gets served alot faster than the yakitori except this fills me up very fast!

Cold Sake ($7.50)

Calpis ($3.50)

The sheer sign of satisfaction.

The second visit happened all too soon - the beginning of an addiction methinks.

Cold beer this visit!

Set B for the hungry and we even topped up with ala carte orders. Personally the sets are great value if you have no preferences and would like to try a variety of yakitori, kushiaki and dengaku.

Seafood Assorted ($9)

Octopus

Smoked and so tender, I wonder what have rubbery crap I been eating all my life.

Shisamo

Salted and grilled, these never tasted so good, right down to the tail. I sound like a beast already, consuming food in whole.

Prawn

I hardly rave about grilled prawns because if they are not tiger prawns they usually miss out on bite. This however was stellar, succulent and tasty.

Deep Fry 5 Assorted ($12.50)

Lotus Root

Lotus root soup I have been drinking all my life and the lotus roots have been disregarded mostly. Trust the Japanese to treat it so seriously, this lotus root kushiage made me rethink my priorities. The crunchy root soaked in cold water before dousing in batter and carefully fried - was plain genius. Plum sauce sealed the deal for me.

Onion

Onion rings in its finest. Hardly do I consider myself a huge fan of sliced onions but this - changed the game.

Pork Belly

Always so good, I wonder where's the magic - probably the fats.

Beef

A tad tough, I would prefer it yakitori-ed.

Quail's Egg

The magic continued throughout the platter with this crisp skinned quail egg skewer.