“Taisho” means “commander”, or “admiral” and, from the glassed-in grill stand, the chef of this yakitori bar keeps a close eye on his charges and their appetites.Chic and elegant, yet simple and no-frills; there is Sapporo beer on tap to go with the tasty morsels you are encouraged to eat direct from the skewer. Get in the swing of things immediately by shouting your order as you come through the door (not at all uncommon in Japan, believe me); something like, “Nama to negima” (nama is draft beer, and negima is yakitori chicken skewered with pieces of roasted spring onion).
A personal recommendation is the nankotsu; this soft-boned part of the chicken is particularly toothsome, and comes served with a sliver of lemon to enhance the flavour. If you are unfamiliar with the arcane side of yakitori, note the following :
(1) this is like a Japanese form of tapas – lots of little dishes, so, if you’re hungry, just keep’em coming,
(2) the secret is in the sauce !
(3) the flavour of the chicken is enhanced by a form of traditional Japanese charcoal, binchotan, which burns at a low temperature and is smokeless. Just follow the aroma of succulent roast chicken and you’ll know you’re there once you sight the big, red akachochin lantern – the centre feature of the restaurant.
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Y, 11 years ago
Great food, good atmosphere. Would love to go back. We have, actually.
Lisa, 12 years ago
Great food is even better with BYO option.
Funky restroom is part of fun as well as the dessert – had an ice cream in espresso. Yum!
Ange, 12 years ago
This welcoming and cosy restaurant is one of my favorites in Auckland. The chef is Japanese, the staff are friendly and personable. The food is authentic and tasty – there is plenty of variety on the menu including vegetarian options. We always leave feeling fully satisfied and light. Great place for a couple to enjoy a variety of dishes or a small group to share an occasion.
Amanda, 13 years ago
Best yakatori I have had in Auckland. Always indulge in the chicken wings, scallops in bacon and pork yakatori. Especially love the tofu salad. Staff always polite and attentive.
Liam, 13 years ago
Went last night for the first time. Luckily we found a park just around the corner (public parking, so it’s down to luck as to whether you can get a space, although there seemed to be a few)
We didn’t have a reservation, but luckily the second floor was free and we got a nice table by the window with a good view.
The beer glasses were well-chilled, which is always excellent.
Our waitress was friendly and polite, and didn’t mind chatting to me in Japanese.
Food was good, on the whole. Servings maybe a little small and pricey for what you get, but not too expensive when you think about it. The style of the Aspara-bacon wasn’t what I’m used to; these were very small portions and I couldn’t really taste the bacon or asparagus. The scallops wrapped in bacon were nice, even though I usually steer clear of shellfish.
In all, a decent alternative to the usual Ken or Tanuki yakitori. Nice location and friendly staff get Taisho points. Next time I’d like to sit on the ground floor and try the rest of the menu.
Cheers.