By Drunken Noms
Special to The Post

This past weekend we went to Zakkushi – a Japanese restaurant specializing in yakitori (or kushiyaki).

Before diving into the yakitori, I ordered the Ebimayo which features six deep fried prawn skewers with house cocktail sauce. The prawns had a deep fried coating that mostly retained its crispness despite the coating of cocktail sauce. The sauce itself was creamy and tart with a dash of sweetness.

As for the yakitori, I ordered the Premium Set featuring five skewers including Kobe Tsukune, Beef Tongue, Prime Rib, Duck Breast, and Unagi.

The Kobe Tsukune (or meatball) were marinated in a teriyaki glaze, but still retained plenty of beef flavour.

Although the Beef Tongue had good flavour, certain pieces were overly chewy making it unappetizing to eat. This was my least favourite.

The Prime Rib had a good amount of fat. The meat itself was surprisingly tender, with certain pieces almost melting in the mouth.

The Duck Breast was probably my favourite skewer. Unlike all the other skewers which were well done, the duck was cooked a nice, pink, medium. The charring of the meat added an additional layer of flavour on top of the already succulent meat, making every bite incredibly enjoyable.

I love Unagi, so I enjoyed this version. The meat was drizzled with the typical sweet unagi, and had some beautiful caramelization. The unagi itself was tender and melted in the mouth.

Some of the skewers were fairly pricey for the small portion served, but after having tasted a sample of their offering, I believe that the quality of the meat and preparation warrants the price point. I think they’re definitely worth trying out at least once, and I would be happy to return in the future to try some of the other yakitori options as well.

Zakkushi

823 Denman Street, Vancouver, BC

Drunken Noms is composed of two bloggers 'Drunken Master' and 'Food Wench'.  – www.drunkennoms.com