Toritake: A Whole Lot of Chicken-Lovin’
Despite its obviously chicken-centric name, I was still a bit surprised that Toritake’s menu predominantly consisted of chicken items. Sure, I expected that the star of the restaurant would be the chicken, but I thought some beef and pork skewers would make some appearance in its menu.
YAKITORI SET (P450)
Alas, we just decided to go for its Yakitori Set, which features an assortment of Chicken Yakitori, Tsukune (Chicken Meatball), Kawa (Chicken Skin), Teba (Chicken Wings) and the P Man (Grilled Pepper) skewers. The most familiar one would be the Chicken Yakitori, and it was easily one of the juiciest chicken yakitoris I’ve ever tasted. Personally, I’m not a fan of the Tsukene as it felt like it contained more filler than meat; so I recommend skipping this and opting for an extra order of its delicious Kawa or Teba sticks instead as these boast of a perfectly charred and smoky flavor. The P Man helps in giving the palate a refreshingly sweet taste in between meaty bites.
DEEP FRIED AGED TOFU (P200)
The Deep Fried Aged Tofu serves a perfect accompaniment to the robust flavors of the skewers; however, when consumed on its own, it tends to be on the bland side. Best to treat it as a side dish rather than an appetizer.
OYAKODON (P270)
Toritake has a number of rice meal options which come bundled with a bowl of miso soup. One of these would be their tasty version of the Oyakodon. Its perfectly tempered sweet sauce is wonderfully soaked up by the bowl of rice topped by a beautiful golden medley of egg, chicken chunks, and caramelized onions. No - fuss, no-frills, just an honest-rendition and nod to a classic dish.
CHICKEN RICE (P150)
Toritake’s Chicken Rice is a complete departure from the Singaporean classic that we’re all familiar with. Flamboyantly bathed in a brightly colored tomato sauce; the sight of the rice threw me off a bit. However, after a few hesitant bites, I started to warm up to this dish. It actually served as a nice tangy contrast to the Oyakodon; and paired well with the savory Yakitori skewers. An order comes with a side salad and bowl of miso soup, which gives makes it value-for-money.
Overall, Toritake's menu is limited but focused. It may just have a handful of items on its menu (mostly chicken at that); but Toritake undeniably knows what it’s doing.
Toritake
2F UP Town Center, Katipunan Ave., Diliman, Quezon City
November 2, 2018 with Jared Chua and Lily Chua
