Yakitori Yurippi

Overview

Yakitori Yurippi is a tiny slice of traditional Japanese street eating in the most unlikely of places. Situated in the heart of Crows Nest, this hole-in-the-wall six-table restaurant has a surprisingly authentic charm thanks to some incredibly friendly staff, which includes a few Japanese yakitori veteran chefs and a sake sommelier to boot.

As you'd expect with a sommelier-in-residence, the display of sake is quite impressive, as is the extensive list of Japan's finest whiskies — which, if you love whisky, you'll know is some of the finest in the world. Choose your own sake glasses amongst a hodgepodge of drinking vessels and get a tasting flight to enjoy while you chow down.

A section of the dine-in menu has been seemingly created to cater for Aussie palates, but that's not what you come here for; in fact, we tend to think it should be taken off the menu altogether to let the authentic dishes truly shine. Their namesake is yakitori after all — and with an exposed charcoal grill manned by pros, it's the main drawcard.

You know the drill: choose a bunch of things on sticks and eat to your heart's content. The must-trys include the succulent scallops which are served in the shell and topped with kombu butter, and the chicken and shallot, which is the most popular yakitori in Japan and is done especially well here. Pork lovers shouldn't miss the pork belly or the mochi wrapped in bacon, which is a strangely delicious combination — take our word for it. They've got adventurous eaters covered too, with everything from chicken liver, giblet and heart to cartilage and skin options. Of the specials, the burdock root chips add a crunchy, salty accompaniment to any yakitori and the Japanese omelette better resembles a melt-in-your-mouth souffle.

Overall, this tiny Crows Nest restaurant is nothing short of a Lower North Shore gem and is worth a visit no matter what side of the bridge you reside.