Kaminariya Yakitori Dining (Tustin)

NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program

ps99472

New member
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kaminariya-yakitori-dining-tustin-4

Another Japanese restaurant on Newport Blvd in Tustin.  This one is close to THH and Carl's Jr. near the 5 Fwy.  Believe it was an empanadas place before.  They're still in soft open phase, no real menu yet, just temporary paper menus for you to fill out.  No too much description but we since we're professional amateur Yakitori eaters, it wasn't hard to figure out what to get.  Is it better than Honda-Ya?  Read on....

0876BAF4-6378-4C30-8B4F-6ADC72A8CA1F_zps0yup8cvx.jpg

First dish to arrive and surprised, wings always last at most Yakitori places.  Flavor is there, but the skin wasn't crispy.  Otherwise cooked well and juicy.  Still not as good as Honda-Ya's. 

7028F62D-56CD-4AA1-A0B2-BC339C2964EC_zpsbqfkqggk.jpg

Fried rice bearing the restaurants name, has to be good right?  Not a fan of Kim chi in my fried rice, sour acidic taste is not what I'm looking for in my fried rice.  Roasty fire flavor and well salted is what im looking for.  This tasted oily and Kim chi.  Chicken pieces were to big as well, ingredients need to be uniform size in fried rice dishes.  Thumbs down, Kairakutei does a better fried rice.

9BE78BF4-46B5-47BA-AD55-BA1E4ABEE1C6_zpsburpeknv.jpg

Chicken meatballs, not bad, dare to say better than Hondayas.  The texture of the crust on the meatball is nice, good technique. 

26A8712C-0AE8-43EC-BA10-C34A93C3B36E_zpsshaxlxgs.jpg

Chicken skin, not crispy?????  Who likes to eat slimy skin?

E8F1D91E-ED63-4DF8-96C0-A467AB710C29_zpst6sywxqm.jpg

From the top:  Yuzu flavored chicken (tasty), gizzard (future McRib), chicken leg meat.
Gizzard was not cooked well done, when organ meat is not well done, it's a little gamy.  Leg meat is ok, didn't smell good but tasted good?

021C7ACA-7580-443C-A2B1-0290BA0B4E59_zpsr3it4m4q.jpg

Sesame tofu, didn't taste it, it's sweet and with wasabi.  Kinda weird to me.

A9E5FD56-CB3D-44CF-8689-BA9137239ACC_zps83bmovqw.jpg

Skirt steak was the best of the night.  Very beefy buttery hearty flavor.  Reminds me of a tender ribeye from a $50 steak.  This is $2.  What a steal. 
What I bought was asparagus bacon was actually mochi bacon.  Yuck, threw up a little.  Not a mochi fan.  Should've paid attention to what wife was ordering. 

6C922432-D0EE-4D72-9ADE-F74627F56988_zpsblokmtxx.jpg

So good I ordered another one and waited an extra 10 minutes.  Worth every penny of the $2 skewer.  Make sure you eat it right away when it arrives.  Toughens up a bit if it is not hot.

They have Asahi draft, no Kirin.  Wait staff poured cold beer into room temperature mug.  My glass was 3/4 foamy head and 1/4 beer. 

Very friendly staff, one patron left and they actually opened the door to shout thank you to her.  Feels like Japan. 

We would come back for the steak, but nothing else we ordered.  At least plenty to try still on the menu. 
 
Back
Top