Torii in Taman Tun lives up to its namesake for yakitori dishes

Torii, tucked away in the affluent Taman Tun Dr Ismail neighbourhood, is a fairly new Japanese grill bar.

It is difficult to establish the Japanese themed focus of the place when you first walk in, but that difficulty quickly fades away when you start to notice the not-so-subtle portraits of Japanese whisky, wall decors featuring Kabuto war helmets and the smell of barbequed meats lingering in the air. Torii is a yakitori bar with a twist.

Although yakitori takes the spotlight at this restaurant, Torii also features non-traditional Japanese appetisers such as mouth watering stuffed jalapeno with cream cheese served with strawberry compote and spicy salsa dipping sauces. Exactly as tantalising as it sounds, dipping the jalapenos in the strawberry compote helps to bring down the heat of the dish whilst giving it a nice mild sweetness.

Another non-Japanese item is the venison carpaccio, featuring slices of marinated venison tenderloin, tomato and bacon bits. The venison is tender, full of flavour and not too gamey, while a slight drizzling of wasabi and soy sauce gives the dish a nice mild salty spicy kick.

Moving on to heartier dishes, Torii’s salmon don is a simple yet palatable treat. The salmon don incorporates fresh cubed slices of salmon sashimi and ikura (fish roe) paired with Japanese rice, resulting in oily but delightful mouthfuls. The taste of the dish is accentuated when consumed with Chichibu whisky, for the whisky features intense and pure concentrated flavours that help curb the oiliness of the fish and also brings out the taste of the salmon at the same time.

Torii lives up to its namesake when it comes to yakitori, for you can really detect the quality of the food when you take that first bite. A popular favourite that is an instant winner is the chicken wings yakitori, thanks to its incredibly smoky and savoury qualities. The crispy chicken skin coupled with simple yet rich seasoning makes for a succulent piece of wing, with whiffs of smoky qualities travelling through the nostrils as you begin to chew.

Another immediate winner is the beef wagyu yakitori, featuring succulent cubes of juicy, well-bloodied cuts of beefy goodness. The wagyu yakitori is even better when paired with Yamazaki whisky, thanks to its delicate, mellow taste with a lingering woody dry finish. Yakitori-styled scallops are also a hit, with two well-grilled scallops on a skewer dressed with teriyaki sauce to give them a sweet note.

The menu features more than a dozen choices of yakitori for the yakitori enthusiast and has a systematic process of which non-signature menu items are replaced by a few new creations every month.

During our visit, we also sampled some of Torii’s upcoming dishes that have yet to be featured on the menu, such as rock lobster and baby octopus done three ways. Seasoned with salt and pepper, the rock lobster was extremely tender and tasty with a buttery crumbly texture, while the baby octopus done three ways with shio (salt), teriyaki and salt and pepper made for a diverse and flavourful treat.

Desserts and alcohol go hand-in-hand at Torii, with exclusive popular ice cream flavours such as Yuzu, Dark Chocolate Sorbet, and Whisky & Raisin made especially for the restaurant by local ice cream makers Forty Licks. 

Those who prefer their ice cream accessorised with toppings should opt for the Torii Sundae, featuring whisky raisin ice cream with berries, strawberries, chocolate and other toppings that make it a refreshing mild alcoholic dessert treat.

If ice cream doesn’t float your boat, try one of the many Japanese whiskies Torii carries to clear your palette, as the establishment prides itself on having the largest selection of Japanese whiskies in Malaysia.