The Place Located in Hong Kong’s bustling Sheung Wan neighborhood, I am so glad that I managed to check out the One Michelin Star Yardbird Hong Kong in my trip this year. Yardbird is a contemporary izakaya that specializes in yakitori – Japanese-style skewered chicken that’s grilled over binchotan charcoal. 

It was a crazy long queue at the entrance when I arrived at 6pm sharp for my dinner reservation, as everyone was eager to enter the restaurant the moment it opened. Thankfully, it was all orderly and I was ushered to my table shortly. 

It is a huge space at this relatively new location and space for Yardbird, though the brand has been around for many years. There are two main dining halls, where you can choose bar seats or regular dining tables. There are also banquette-style seats which are more cosy and private. The dining ambience is boisterous and relaxed. 

It has been a few years since I last visited Hong Kong and one of the most convenient ways to get from Hong Kong International Airport to the city is via the Hong Kong Airport Express Train which I purchased via Klook for ease of convenience and to save time at the airport upon arrival.

The Food It is great that Yardbird goes by an Ala Carte Menu instead of a fixed Omakase course, since there are innards for the yakitori which I am personally not very fond of even though I am open to trying if it is already part of an Omakase. 

For a start, the yakitori selection is definitely the highlight of Yardbird, and you can expect almost every part of the chicken to be featured including innards. 

Some of the yakitori courses I had were the Miso Breast (HKD52) with parsley, basil & garlic; Ume Thigh (HKD52) with shiso; and Wings (HKD52) with sea salt & shichimi. 

Generally, the flavours of the yakitori here are strong from the seasoning like shichimi and shiso, and you can expect tender textures for most of the parts. 

In particular, the Meatball (HKD56) is a must try. The huge meatballs are glazed with tare and served alongside egg yolk, so you can dip the balls into the egg yolk, and you get a rich, delicious dish. 

There is also an interesting part called Bicep (HKD52)! Frivolous thought but this must be how you get bigger biceps! Jokes aside, the bicep turned out good for me with tare sauce Kyoto shichimi. 

Yakitori aside, there is also a wide selection of large plates for sharing. I have quite a couple of favourites and the Sweet Corn Tempura (HKD130) with sea salt and pepper is a must try. Never have I had sweet corn in a tempura form, and this is an amazing tempura dish on its own. 

The Yuba Gyoza (HKD130) is quite a unique type of gyoza, and it comes in a hot black pan and it goes with the Lao Gan Ma ponzu sauce. 

You also cannot go wrong with the addictive Brussels Sprouts (HKD130) with black garlic & crispy garlic; as well as the KFC Korean Fried Cauliflower (HKD130) with yuzu, chilli & lime. 

Couldn’t resist trying the Katsu Sando (HKD118), and no regrets about it. The sando spots a nice texture and the best bit is the juicy tonkatsu! 

Rants Some popular items will be sold out if you are in the later seating, and my suggestion is to come for the first seating at 6pm if you can! 

Will I Return Again? I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience at Yardbird where the ambience is fun, relaxed and safe to say, the dishes do not disappoint as well. There is nothing comparable to Yardbird in Singapore in terms of cuisine and vibes, which makes this one restaurant which I look to return in Hong Kong if I have a chance.  

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

Yardbird 
G/F, 154-158 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong 
上環 154-158 永樂街 
Tel: +852 2547 9273  

Opening Hours
Tuesday to Saturday: 6pm to 12am
Closed on Monday & Sunday

Ranted by The Ranter