Yakitori Torishin Reviews

Loved The ambiance and excelent Service Wonderful portions and delicious Highly recommend for a nice dinner out Great sake selection

One of the more intriguing dining experiences. a 10 item chef menu, reasonably priced. each item very good

Despite the Michelin star, this is basically a hyped up yakitori place. It's OK to raise what is basically a street food of skewers of chicken and duck to gourmet level along with the prices, if you can do better than the lowly food stalls. I read about their careful meat selection and the TLC meat cutting and preparation, and thus was expecting some fantastic flavors or chewiness from the chicken meat, gizzard, liver and duck, or some extrairdinary sauces to dip them in. But elaborate process notwithstanding, it's the end result that counts. Alas, they were some of the blandest yakitori l have ever tasted, both in Japan and here. There was no spices or sauces to complement, only wasabi. If you close your eyes, the different skewers tasted pretty much the same. The biggest disappointment though was the 6 little pieces of wagyu beef ($24). They came in well done, unheard of for Japanese beef, and tasted dry of course. The Japanese manager (?) looked a little bewildered when I brought up the issue, but was kind enough to reorder it to be medium rare. Still, it wasn't juicy and the sauce did little to complement. The sake was the best part, sweetly aromatic. The ambience was bare-boned while service was friendly and efficient. (Good English) All in all, a disappointment.

This was truly the star experience of our NYC trip. We did the Select Counter experience and enjoyed 15 courses each and every one were delightful and pushed us out of culinary safe zones. The Uni and Wagyu were incredible, however as noted so was every other servicing. Thanks to Tatsu for the amazing experience, the history, origins and stories. A truly memorable experience!

Stunned, just stunned. I was tentative about going, because much as it sounded delicious, it ain't cheap, in fact, having lived in NYC for 23 years and then coming back to visit once or twice a year for the last 11, it's in the top ten most expensive meals I've had there. But.... Bite after bite, plate after plate (we did the whole yakitori tasting menu, at the yakitori bar), the food was jaw-dropping fantastic. Honestly, one of the best Japanese meals I've ever had, anywhere, and were I to sit down and think it through, it's also probably in my top ten meals of any kind in a restaurant.

On my recent trip to New York, I booked dinner at the Torishin. I was welcomed very graciously by all the staff and chefs, and ordered the Omakase Menu which comprised of the best selection in the menu. The food was excellent and of the highest quality and standards. The Head Waiter took time to explain every course which made it a memorable experience. Will definitely come back

If you understand Yakitori, this place is for you.. It kind of being at a tasting menu at eleven Madison

It’s in a typical Japanese decor that you can taste the restaurant’s specialties, at least what’s left of them because we were missing a good part of the menu, a guarantee of quality you will tell me but very frustrating. The service is ok but it lacks that touch of attention I expect in a star. The dishes are good but nothing amazing either. Award quality ratio of 6/10.

Went with family. We used to go to Yakitori Totto a lot. This is my new favorite. Everything here is great. The regular meats and vegetables. Give it a try.

This is without doubt my favorite restaurant in NYC. They really deserve more Michelin stars for serving Yakitori that is simply sublime. Thank you Chef URASHI and Chef KONO — I will be back soon!

We were recommended this place by friends in London but left feeling a bit underwhelmed Seating round the grill seemed to lack any real sense of theatre and there is an odd system where if you are sat at the end you are constantly having trays of crockery passed under your feet! (We asked to move) The skewers are great if you’re in to beak to tail dining (lots of offal based options ) but we preferred to stick to the more mainstream cuts The food was OK but not sure I’d rush back - ironically for all the chicken on offer our favourite was the asparagus!!!

An awarded place with great food. Was lucky to sit in front of the open kitchen and actually had the chef in front of me cooking. The tasting menu was to die for. Probably the idea of eating chicken while is cooked well done will be a bit disturbing to some. However it's not your typical cage chicken raised in 3weeks. It's from a small farm production. Sea urchin, fish roe, pickles...... My favorite was the minced duck and chicken served with an egg yolk and soy as a dipping sauce. Oh, I can still taste it in my mouth.

Food made with love and passion. Each skewer is carefully cooked over charcoal fire with a fan Everything was delicious. Since we were not as adventurous as others, it was nice to opt out of organs for our omakase dinner. (No heart, kidney, liver etc). It was a lovely dinner and authentic Japanese dining experience without actually going to Japan.

A monographic restaurant for yakitori. Our second visus was gorgeous. Basically chichen with some extras of Wagyu and iberian pork. Good service and excellent atmosphere. We were the knly “gaijin” in the omakase counter

We have chosen this place to try a special tasting menu and never regret about it. True Japanese atmosphere and wonderfull quality of products, plus great chef team work on the open kitchen🔥

Good yakitori.... beautiful presentation and all delicious... nice ambiance and good service... A bit pricey, but that’s NYC... had the 10 piece chef special... really enjoyed the cooked quail egg, and the chicken oyster..

If you love chicken then you gotta go to this place. Service is nice and they have a great menu. Have dined here on several occasions and it is very consistent. Brought my dad here, from Japan, and he loved it. I recommend the Uni and chicken tails. Also nice to sit at the bar and have a few snacks. It's usually easy to grab a seat at the bar in the front. Ask for a table downstairs.

For what it is, they do it well. I would rate this more a solid 3.5 than a 4. I love yakitori and everything that it entails but this place is slightly different. You have to really like chicken. I have nothing against chicken and the pieces were quite good but I'm more a variety guy. This is more of a beak to tail experience, literally. I'm not typically a huge cooked uni fan but the grilled uni was pretty good. My favorite piece was probably the chicken tail. Surprisingly the chicken meatball was my least favorite and it's usually the best. It doesn't come with a raw egg and the meat felt under seasoned. The overall experience was good but I think I'll save my yakitori cravings for St Marks. I might come again (for the record it was my second visit) but it wouldn't be a first choice.

Fantastic Japanese skewers, with a focus on various chicken parts. The chicken is perfectly cooked and seasoned. We splurged for the Omakese, which also included several small plates, a rice dish (we had the chicken and cod roe), and dessert. Not cheap but worth it for a nice night out.

We came here with high expectations to finish our NYC trip with a high. But the service was a disappointment though they later tried to make for it. Food was just about ok

I enjoyed a very unique dinner at Yakitory Torishin last night. We felt a little bit like “ outsiders” since most of the customers were Japanese, however, we were treated with great respect and while my wife wasn’t wild about a menu that was primarily about grilled chicken served on skewers in many different variations, I loved the presentations, the servers and my dinner. While I would love to return, my wife felt no matter how many ways they served the parts of the chicken, it was too much poultry! I happen to love chicken and was delighted with the simplicity of the dining rooms, the elegant way everything was presented and served so I have overjoyed with my dinner.

Traveled to the orient often. This place is fantastic and on par with many restaurants for Yakitori in Japan and the Orient. We sat at the counter, which was our preference to watch and enjoy Chef Konoand Chef Urachi prepare a wonderful treat. Highly recommend and if your first time a definite. Servers and chefs are ore than helpful to explain everything and make wonderful recommendations. We stayed for almost 2 hours taking our time to slowly enjoy everything along with a will recommend bottle of Saki. Before sitting w had a drink at bar and the bartender provide some knowledge and tastings. He paired one with our meal wonderfully. We started with Broiled “Aburi-Uni” Sea Urchin with Garlic. What a way to start. it melted in your mouth. It only got better and better form there. We ordered more ala carte and would recommend this. Try many of the different items. If you are in to Saki and Yakitori, this is the place to go. Not just in NYC but throughout most of US.

I was looking forward to visiting Tori Shin as it is Michelin rated. We ordered the Chefs Omakase (Chefs Choice) dinner which made it easy for us to experience the best of the restaurant without having to make a lot of decisions. The Omakase consists of starters, 8 skewers (6 meat, 2 veggie) and a final seasonal dish. I didn’t opt for the organ meat as I am not a fan of heart, liver or main artery - all of which could be on the Omakase menu. I appreciated that the food was served in courses - starting with the appetizer and then usually two skewers at a time. The service was great and the courses came with just enough time in between to relax and digest. All the meat skewers that i was served were some form of chicken meat. One had chicken ‘knuckles’ which is cartilage and another was chicken oysters - which is he ball shaped muscle next to the backbone. These are both prized items but I didn’t like them very much. Basically, the dinner seemed like a celebration of all the parts of the chicken, cooked and presented well. Dessert was not inspiring so I didn’t bother ordering. Overall, it was a good experience, bit not a great one.

We visited here for our anniversary weekend while visiting NYC (my wife is particularly a foodie and careful about restaurant selection), and we were extremely impressed. It is a bit hidden on a non-descript street, but the restaurant is appointed wonderfully and the service was excellent. The food was also delicious and the overall package is certainly worth the Michelin rating and prices (which were rather reasonable for NYC and it's level of service/preparation). Definitely recommend.

I went to Torishin on a solo experience as my wife was in a Broadway show. If this is your first time on a Michelin restaurant, the whole experience -besides the food- is worth it. Please be noted that in the Omakase option ($80) you’ll get a lot of organs, such as chicken hearts or liver. If you are into it, they were great ! I left Torishin extremely glad of the taken choice !

Damn this place is amazing. I went twice within the same week. If you want outstanding yakitori with outstanding service. This is the place. A Michelin star restaurant worth every penny you will pay. Amazing food.... just extraordinary. Look up the menu, check the small bites skewers and order them all!!!.... drown yourself in their choices of Sake and be merry. No doubt one of my best restaurant ever. Will go back as soon as I can. Just love the place.

The atmosphere and staff were applaudable, but restaurants should serve good food. I had the 10 skewers set and the ingredients were cheap: chicken skin, heart gizzards, quail eggs. All in small quantities and extremely salty. Felt like I was going to get hypertension after consuming their food. And the price was absurd for the cheap ingredients and the not-so-tasteful meal.

Yakitori is one of my favorite foods but there are many more reasonably-priced Yakitori places with better food in NYC. It’s extremely over priced for its offerings. The only noticeable difference is the chicken is organic, but that still is not enough for us to return. The service was pleasant but nothing spectacular given that it has a Michelin star. We are glad we tried it to compare but will go back to our old standbys - Yakitori Totto and Soba Totto.

The food quality is very good, though not surprising and not unlike other good yakitori restaurants. I am not sure if this is the branch that won the Michelin Star, but frankly I would be surprised. Anyway, for those who lives yakitori, this is one of the best. Though don't over-expect.

Went before a show, 4 people, loved the food but even more the graciousness of our hosts, who were more than accommodating our multiple needs and wants.

To do the Omakase (chef's choice), everyone at the table must also do that or the other Prix fix choice. So we couldn't do that unfortunately. But we ended up having all kinds of yummy yakitori. The chicken ribs and the special meatball (chicken and duck) were my favorite. Would have been nice to get aliitle rice with the meal. Had to order the soboro-don (ground chicken on rice) to get some rice --it was very good as well. The Creme brûlée with 3 Japanese flavors (matcha, hojicha, & black sesame) was awesome but quite small.

We ordered the recommended set menu and enjoyed the variety offered. The food was uniformly delicious, varied and the timing was perfect

I like this place so much better since it moved from the upper east side. The new location is much brighter and so much less smokey than the old one. I always order the Omakase and I always sit at the counter. Trust the Chef and the quality of the ingredients. Even though I can't stand chicken liver, when I was given a piece to try at this place I was so glad I didn't specify any restrictions. It was as tender and as delicate as foie gras. This is a Super authentic yakitori place and they use all parts of the chicken. Try all the parts that you've never even heard of, it's all good! Another tip is to fork out the extra $5 to get the oyako don at the end. The chicken broth that comes with it is worth the extra cost alone! The one peeve I have about this place is that they really cram people close together. There's literally no elbow room at the counter and you'll have to bump your neighbours every now and then, making for an uncomfortable dining experience. Waiting time can also sometimes be very long even if you've made a reservation. I hope that these are just teething problems the restaurant can eventually work through. Definitely come to try the food here!

We went there as three colleagues for dinner. What can I say. They delivered very good Yakitori in an amazing space with really great service. Yakitori outside Japan is usually a disappointment and this was the opposite. It was fantastic. It’s relatively a high end version of Yakitori and that said the presentation and taste matched the price. Good value. They have a good selection is sake and draft Asahi. All in all very good indeed. We will return

My wife and I visit NYC a few times a year in search of great eats and frequently we are less than blown-away. Not this time. Torishin is a fantastic restaurant that clearly strives to show their customers a great time. From the moment you walk through their doors until you are rolling your full of delicious food out onto the street, the staff provides respectful attention and service that cannot be beaten. Anywhere. They are ever-present yet not overbearing, they clearly want you to have a great time. And we did! This is an expensive experience. If you really enjoy food, and excellent chefs who are proud of their work and who produce an outstanding product; and, if you can spare a few hundred bucks - then you really must check out this restaurant. We chose to have the chef's choice menu. $160 per person (not including the amazing saki). I am guessing that we were served 15 individually prepared (right in front of our eyes) dishes, each 2 bites or so, by engaging sushi chefs working across the bar. Every bite was delicious and interesting and, well, frankly, bloody perfect. One of the really great things about this restaurant is the layout of the place. The sushi bar where we dined was closed off, and small. It was cozy - yet, clean and crisp. The night was cold and damp -- the restaurant was warm and cozy. Absent was the loud din and and the spartan, somewhat uncomfortable surrounds of the typical NYC full service restaurant. We felt no pressure to move on. Indeed, we did so with reluctance. Kudos to the management and staff that have put together an amazing culinary experience. Can't wait to return! P.S. We are not familiar with saki. We took the advice of the bartender who recommended a half-carafe (smaller than you think) of saki that was was dry with some fragrance. I was skeptical. My wife was worse than skeptical. We were delighted: the hot saki was absolutely perfect, both with the meal and with the cold night. Give it a try.

Possibly the best Yakatori outside of Japan! Amazing use of all of the chicken. Great atmosphere and staff. Brilliant. Don’t miss it!

You’d think you were in a Yakitori restaurant in Kyoto. Nearly exclusively chicken with some beef, pork, shellfish and vegetable options the welcome, service and food is excellent. Fun to eat near the kitchen with the bustle of a Yakitori eatery. We will definitely return. Try to stop me

A Nepalese head chef serving authentic Japanese food? For this reason, for skewers and more, one should try Torishin in Midtown. We had the Omakase course of apps, sushi, wagu beef, skewers and rice bowl plus dessert. You have to be willing to try everything from chicken heart to neck skin for a great experience. You will be filled before dessert but have the dessert. It was a great way to celebrate my son’s birthday.

The Michelin star given Torishin is well earned. We went there on the recommendation of well traveled and astute Japanese-American friend. We did not have reservations and strolled in at 8:30 on a busy Saturday night hoping to get two seats that are not reserved at the bar. We were asked to come back in 30 minutes and we did. We were seated at a table for 4 and treated with respect and care. Not being regulars and being walk-ins I was not expecting anything but general courtesy. The staff was wonderful and very attentive. We chose the Omakase menu informing the waitress we were very open and adventurous. We were treated to an array of dishes that were interesting and delicious as well as beautifully presented. We had the chance to try things we never had and things we have had prepared uniquely different. The desserts were tantalizingly good. The Saki menu was wide ranging, but not overwhelming. Descriptions to the less initiated like I were very helpful. Our mid-priced choice was excellent. This ranks on a short list of memorable meals that will be recalled years from now. Definitely intend to return. The treatment of us was as caring as what was clearly present in the dishes presented.

The assistant manager is an extremely rude and nasty human being. Their policy of treating solo customers as 2nd class citizens is barbaric and makes zero sense. Solo customers can never get a table and can never order a la carte. They betting 2 ppl will always eat more than one person is comical to me because I’m known to eat more than 3 ppl. In any case, they only see profits and know nothing about hospitality and treating the customer right especially the assistant manager who has absolutely no social skills.

Food is great and the service is nice. Because it's Michelin restaurant (no matter how many stars), people's expectation is very high. Food needs to be consistently excellent, the ambience, cleanliness, the service, the level of accommodation that they can offer,,, all play well to maintain the star. Having said that, I am not sure if this restaurant is able to keep the star. We are repeat customer of this place. When we reserved the seat, it required a credit card. It was busy 3 day weekend. When we arrived, our seat was in the front bar area. We were always seated at the counter every time. Obviously they don't keep repeat customers' profile. They said that they called us to confirm, but we didn't answer so our seat was available only in the front bar section. Meanwhile we never received a phone call. No record on our iPhone. We were ready to leave, but a manager was able to arrange counter seats for us. It gave a kind of uneasy feeling. We really appreciated what a manager accommodated for us. Food was good, always good, we enjoyed them. Later group of 4 people came in. They were led to seat at the counter, but a woman showed a piece of paper of her reservation, and said they reserved a table not a counter. While a host was checking and arranging seating, they walked out of the restaurant. I must think that the situation that we experienced and witnessed must be happening on a regular basis. We are fan of this place and we want people to like this place, but they have some challenge to overcome in order to maintain as high end Yakitori restaurant.

Everything was perfect. I cried. It's an experience and was wonderfully executed. Bravo to everyone who has made it possible.

Torishin has been on my list for a while and glad I finally had a chance to go. We walked in around 10:15 after a show. We were seated at the counter by our request. I had a glass of sake with a generous pour. That have all level of prices for sake. We decided on the omakase for $70 each. It was great. A pumpkin soup was a delicious unexpected surprise. Each yakitori was carefully cooked and seasoned. You also get a rice bowl. Tender moist chicken is the key and they do it well. We had nice desserts as well. A sorbet and a trio of creme brûlées. We paid a bit north of $100 each.

Every bit of the chicken is beautiful prepared on skewers and cooked over charcoal. A really unique Japanese dining experience. As soon as you walk in the staff yells a greeting and the wonderful smell of smoky chicken envelopes you. The space is simple and and elegant and the service is Japanese impeccable. Sit at the counter and keep adding to your order because you won't want to stop.

Was going to theater in the west 50's and happened upon Torishin as an nice alternative to the standard fare. Guests are able to watch the chefs at work and the food is beautifully plated and served. Just beware - portions are quite small so it will set you back quite a bit to fill an empty belly.

Torishin was a pleasant experience. I gave the chef omakase a shot and definitely enjoyed the meal. Service was great, the venue was inviting, and the decor definitely offered an intimate and traditional Japanese vibe. I loved every skewer, but I think my only gripe is that I wonder if the meal was worth the price point. Either way, positive experience.

I brought my niece here after reading about Yakatori in an article by Anthony Bourdain. We had two hosts/stewards, one for beverages and one for food. They were so gracious to educate us on what to order and try from the menu. Our Japanese chef's english was spotty, so the hosts filled in. The service was impeccable. The flavors were amazing.

We enjoyed the service and the menus. Original dishes. Torishin deserve his reputation. We will come again furor next trip in NYC.

The meat arrived in just a few pieces per skewer, which was perfect for us to share. We don't have a lot of experience with yakitori restaurants to judge the authenticity. But based on the high percentage of Japanese clients the night of our visit, our guess is Torishin is genuine. Not sure this is worthy of a Michelin Star, but the food was certainly very good.

Having eaten good yakitori in Japan, I was skeptical of the idea of a Michelin-starred yakitori house in NYC. My expectation was that in order to earn such a designation, Torishin would have to elevate the humble skewer to the level of art. I was not disappointed. My friend and I booked two seats at the Select Counter and were treated to 10 exquisite examples of the chef's craft. The meats were beautifully seasoned and prepared right before our eyes and the resulting presentation was something I'll remember always. The service was first-rate and our waitress was extremely helpful in guiding us through the selections of Sake and Shoshu. One particular sake, the Dassai 23, was just amazing. Although this is easily the most expensive meal I've purchased anywhere, I can wholeheartedly recommend Yakitori Torishin.

I've lived in NYC for 26 years to be exact. I've eaten in the finest restaurants over the decades, and the simple brilliance of this restaurant is apparent a few bites in. I'll give you an example: I'm not a big fan of chicken liver, I bet you aren't either. Yet here chicken liver becomes this exalted dish that beats most duck liver and goose liver. God god, who knew chicken liver could taste like that? Good job head chef Bikram! Let's go eat the rest of the yummies you've prepared. Word to the wise-- the $28 sake carafe on the menu pairs with this magnificently, like sake but tastes like a great chardonnay. Everything here is perfect, Kiss $300 away and GO.

Worst service ever. Do not go 2 party celiac guest. Chef said could not accomodate. Worst experience ever, they even didnt let us entrr the venue. Never ever coming back again

As with most Japanese restaurants, they open at exact opening time so I would either come come on time or later otherwise you just waiting outside like a dope. Omakase at chef’s bar is where it’s at for hot, sizzling food off the grill. Most Omakases are cold, raw fish so this will be like a 180 and refreshingly different if you never try it. It’s good to try their main Omakase but I will be going all skewers in my next visits. It’s their specialty and those taste the best. Preshow dinner may be tricky here since it would normally take 2 hrs or more to serve but I got lucky and ate fast so was able to leave after an hour and half. Would not be a problem for 8pm show but 7pm show is questionable. Obviously, more control a la carte at a table but I like it served immediately from the grill at the bar.

I am not saying anything new about Torishin here, I’m sure, but this was an absolutely wonderful experience. This incredible spot transported my husband and I back to Japan for a few hours with a delicious Omakase set (we did the chef Omakase), seated at the kitchen/grill, with impeccable service. We’ve missed going to Japan with COVID, and it was amazing to feel like we were back for an hour or two. The perfectly done Yakitori skewers certainly are the craftsmanship I hope to see in a star, the wagyu beef truly melts in your mouth, and we will gladly be back another time. Thank you for the best first date night post-COVID!

I went with some friends recently, they raved about it prior to going. We were seated and were looking over the options available. I had decided on the yakitori bento box but this was not an option for when we went. Disappointed, I moved on. There was no attempt to make this available. I ended up ordering several skewers and wanted brown rice but this too was not available. The food was good although the skewers were small. I would recommend but have several options of what you may want to eat so you are not disappointed.

Our family of four were treated to exceptional service , with the typically high level of courtesy you can expect of Japanese, and a beautiful meal No wonder it has been recognised as a first class establishment

We treated ourselves to this restaurant before a show. What an incredible experience from start to finish. We ordered the Omakase and it was worth every dollar. The service was fantastic as well.

A delicious yakitori joint with a very reasonable omakase (Chef’s Choice) tasting menu at $65 a head. This was recommended to me by a colleague who had lived in Japan for three years, so I trust that it was pretty authentic too. The Michelin star also helps its credentials. We had primo seats to watch the grilling action and the food was great, as expected. About 10 skewers, a rice bowl and soup, and one dessert later, we were extremely full but very happy. Would visit again!

A decent yakitori place with lots of chicken options. If you are a chicken lover this is very good. Nice interiors and pleasant service. But quiet slow service.