We know you’re sick of hearing it, but this might be another hidden gem you can add to your list. TOYA is a newly-opened yakitori restaurant tucked within Orchard Plaza, offering affordable 15-course yakitori omakase dinners for just $55++ per person, inclusive of unique chicken parts, seasonal seafood, noodles and more. Unlike other “fast food” takeaway yakitori joints, you get to experience a leisurely sit-down omakase-style experience, with items freshly prepared to order, for just a fraction of the price.
Currently, they only serve yakitori dinners: a 15-course Signature Full Experience featuring a seasonal appetiser, 12 chef’s selection yakitori skewers, signature somen and dessert. The skilled chef will grill the skewers right in front of you one at a time, so you get to enjoy each item when it’s piping hot for the best taste. For such a hearty omakase course (especially for dinner), we were pleasantly surprised to see that the price is also kept very accessible, priced at $55++ per person.
Aged Duck with onsen quail egg
Shiitake Mushroom
Lady’s Finger
Quail Egg
Scallop
Yakitori skewers included in the course may vary daily, depending on what’s in season, but you’ll definitely be able to try a variety of chicken cuts, fresh vegetables, and even some seafood items, with classic items like chicken thigh and stuffed chicken wings definitely included in the course. During our visit, we enjoyed the following skewers: Chicken Thigh, Chicken Cartilage, Tsukune with onsen egg, Tebasaki Stuffed with Japanese Glutinous Rice, Chicken Heart, Shiitake Mushroom, Lady’s Finger, Aburaage stuffed with natto and cheese, Chicken Tail, Quail Egg, Scallop and Asparagus wrapped with Hokkaido Pork Belly.
Chicken Thigh
Tsukune with onsen egg
Tebasaki Stuffed with Japanese Glutinous Rice
Asparagus wrapped with Hokkaido Pork Belly
Out of all the skewers, our favourites have got to be the classic Chicken Thigh and Tsukune, which were both tender and juicy. The Tebasaki stuffed with glutinous rice was also a delight, and we’re told that the stuffing itself might be changed up periodically, so you get a different experience each time you visit. The Asparagus wrapped with Hokkaido Pork Belly was also a hot favourite, with the asparagus itself grilled to perfection, making it soft and easy to bite into, enveloped in the natural savouriness of the pork.
Chicken Cartilage
Chicken Heart
Chicken Tail
Aburaage stuffed with natto and cheese
More adventurous eaters will enjoy the unconventional chicken parts like Chicken Cartilage, Chicken Heart and Chicken Tail. The cartilage is more plain-tasting and is best eaten while crunchy with their housemade fried garlic salt sauce. While we wouldn’t exactly be reaching for more of the chicken heart and chicken tail, they’re still worth a try, and didn’t have any distinct funky smell to them. The Aburaage stuffed with natto and cheese is definitely an acquired taste, but is something natto fans will definitely enjoy.
King Prawn ($9)
King Prawn wrapped with Kurobuta Belly ($12)
Lobster Tail ($30)
Lemon Sour, $15; Yuzu Umeshu, $15
You also have the option to add on even more skewers to your course from $5 each, including premium items like seafood and even lobster tails. There’s over 10 different skewers available to choose from as add-ons. You can also get some of their soft drinks (from $5) or specialty alcoholic drinks (from $14) to pair with your course.
TOYA Tori Somen
Blue Sea Salt Ice Cream
After you’re done with all your skewers, you’ll be served the TOYA Tori Somen: a light noodle dish in chicken broth. While the somen and broth are minimally seasoned and pretty plain-tasting, it does make for the ideal palate cleanser after all that greasiness. You also get a scoop of their signature Blue Sea Salt Ice Cream for dessert. The yakitori course was well-paced, and surprisingly quite filling; though those with a bigger appetite might beg to differ. Skewers might be slightly on the smaller side compared to some other yakitori restaurants, but it’s to be expected given the affordable price point.
Is TOYA’s yakitori omakase the most refined or mind blowing? Definitely not. But for the affordable price point, and good-quality, no-frills yakitori served with heart, we’ve got no complaints. We also liked the intimate 11-seater space, where everyone gets a view of the chef in action. Reservations are absolutely encouraged due to limited seating, and you can make them via WhatsApp at 8080 0222; for dinner seatings at 6.30pm and 8.30pm.
TOYA
Address: 150 Orchard Rd, #02-22 Orchard Plaza, Singapore 238841
Opening Hours: 6.30pm onwards daily
