[Hong Kong Cuisine] ‘Kadokawa’ in Tai Hang: A modern Japanese yakitori restaurant with a warm, welcoming atmosphere

The small community of Tai Hang is bustling yet tranquil; it’s one of Hong Kong’s upmarket residential areas, and is home to many stylish boutiques and distinctive eateries. As someone who considers myself to have good taste, apart from coming here every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival to watch the famous ‘Fire Dragon Dance’, I also enjoy popping in from time to time to seek out delicious food and soak up the atmosphere. I recently discovered a newly opened contemporary Japanese yakitori restaurant called ‘Kadokawa’.

There aren’t many seats at ‘Kadokawa’, and as soon as I stepped inside, I was warmly welcomed by the two young owners. I’ve always envied the atmosphere in the Japanese TV drama *Midnight Diner*; it’s a shame I’m not very good at Japanese, so even if I were to visit Japan, I wouldn’t be able to speak my mind freely. The owners at ‘Kadokawa’ are very interactive with their customers; they chat and laugh with them, and even recommend suitable food and drink pairings. That’s it! This is exactly the sort of warm, personal touch I was looking for!

Most of the skewers here are cooked using the ‘ju-yaki’ method, giving them a rich flavour with a hint of smokiness. Although the selection isn’t particularly extensive, some of the dishes are quite distinctive, and they even use ingredients from different countries, such as Spanish black pork shank, Other staples include grilled chicken skin, bite-sized Wagyu beef, grilled beef tongue, grilled rice balls, tamagoyaki and edamame, whilst desserts include grilled mochi. I ordered a few of the more unusual items.

 

---

‘Lamb Tsukune’

---

I’ve always been a big fan of Japanese minced meat skewers (tsukune), but usually they’re the ‘oyako’ style—minced chicken with a bit of chicken cartilage, dipped in egg wash before eating. ‘Kadokawa’ has come up with something new, however, and has actually made *tsukune* using my favourite meat: lamb. It was my first time trying it! The owner also mentioned that the eggs come from Tokushima Prefecture and are particularly fresh, sweet, fragrant and silky smooth. Delicious! Delicious! Delicious! Because it’s so important, I’ve said it three times!

 

---

‘Koya Tofu’

---

I ordered the ‘Koya Tofu’, which the owner had recommended, but after a while he brought me out a plate of sponge?! Upon asking for further details, it turned out to be a speciality tofu that the owner had specially sourced from Japan; it requires several further steps to make it soft and tender. Not only does it look like a sponge, but its texture is also soft, fluffy and springy – it’s quite fascinating.

 

---

‘Japanese-style Braised Pork Knuckle’

---

These rather unassuming-looking pork trotters are actually simmered using a blend of Korean kimchi paste and Japanese miso, giving them a slightly tangy and spicy flavour. Paired with the Sapporo dark beer recommended by the owner, they taste absolutely brilliant.

 

The prices here aren’t too steep either; you can get a skewer for as little as twenty-odd yuan. Best of all, you can enjoy a bite to eat and a drink whilst having a natter with the owner – it’s great fun.

 

---

Address: Ground Floor, 5 Jing Street, Tai Hang
Transport: MTR Tin Hau Station, Exit A2; approximately a 9-minute walk
Telephone number: 852 22536608
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 18:00 – 00:00