Torishin

Omg the people who work here are extremely rude. We waited 10 mins because we didn’t make a reservation, however upon being seated the entire upper level was empty.
I brought a ginger ale with me and the manager just stared at me for like 5 mins & didn’t say a word. Finally I asked «can I help you?»
He just kept looking at me with this rude expression then proceeded to say I couldn’t drink that in here.
So I placed it across the table & ordered a hot tea.
The waitress kept coming over to look at our table without even asking if we needed anything. She was just being nosey.
After we ordered she came to the table and kept individually picking up our little skewer sticks and placing them in the cup. Like hello… Can you not put your hand in front of my face while I’m eating.
Lastly she never put in our order for the wagyu.
We asked if she could place the order & this girl had the nerve to ask me «well do you want to just speak with the manager» I said no, just send us our order & the check!
RUDE and would never come back…

Make sure you love chicken as that’s what yakitori is! We sat upstairs where it’s more private, however there were two families with screaming babies sitting next to us. I had a headache within 10 minutes of sitting down and was ready to leave! I mean who brings babies out at 9 pm anyways? Shouldn’t they be in bed sleeping at this hour?
The service was very good, our waitress was polite in explaining the menu and helping us pick out a good sake. I really enjoyed the Uni dish, and my dates favorite dish was the chicken thigh skewer. All and all it was pretty good but I don’t believe it’s Michelin star worthy.

Made a reservation here for 8:30pm but they called later to tell me they’re overbooked/​double booked so they wanted me to cancel or come in later. I could’ve made a reservation elsewhere but not enough time to make a reservation anywhere decent. Thanks a lot ToriShin for spoiling my Saturday evening!
If you get people turned off before they even enter the door to your restaurant I say that’s the worst experience you can have anywhere.
I will not be returning and will definitely let everyone know not to go there.

So when did yakitori become all fancy-​schmancy? I remember when my mom used to make it on her rotisserie set with chicken tenders she bought at the Piggly Wiggly. I use to chew on them straight off the skewer, but given the wait staff was intently staring at Jamie W. and me, I avoided that approach here. Truth be told, I had never heard of this place until I saw it on the most recent edition of Eater NY’s 38 Essential Restaurants list. I was looking for a place to dine before seeing an off-​Broadway show a few blocks away and figured an hour-​and-​a-​half window would be plenty of time for a reservation.
It’s almost hidden on West 53^rd near 9^th, and when we entered, we were forewarned that a dining experience would take at least two hours here. Oh. I explained we had a show to see at 7:30PM, so they trundled us up to the vacant dining room upstairs. We felt perhaps our casual dress motivated them to quarantine us away from the other customers, but in hindsight, I felt like we lucked out with a private dining experience with our own dedicated staff. Even though we went through the voluminous menu, we followed the advice of the Eater NY writer and ordered the $ 70 Chef’s Omakase for each of us.
It amounted to several small dishes and eight sets of skewers. But first we needed some sake, a $ 47 carafe of Midorikawa, which was cold and crisp with hints of vanilla and apple that made it the perfect accompaniment for everything that followed (photo:
). Things started quietly with a bowl of pickled cucumbers and daikon (photo:
). Fresh but nothing special. The creativity picked up considerably with the so-​called seasonal dish which was an artfully displayed grilled chicken thigh with micro-​chips made from the skin nestled with grilled fava beans and bits of red and yellow peppers (photo:
).
It was a gorgeous dish, almost too pretty to eat. Almost, I say, since it was tasty. The yakitori parade began from there with a pair of «Meltingly Tender (Chicken) Belly Skin» skewers, their marketing, not mine but accurate and quite unusual in texture (photo:
). Then came a pair of skewers with Whole Chicken Hearts, my favorite part of a giblets phở and never seen them look so, uh, organ-​like (photo:
). The third pair of skewers were Chicken Thigh Fillets perfectly grilled and plump with flavor (photo:
). Interestingly, they served a bowl of Grated Daikon instead of rice, and it worked since it provided a bit of crunch to all the tender meat (photo:
).
A vegetable break was next with first Grilled Shishito Peppers on skewers (photo:
). I had a similar skewer in Tokyo’s Piss Alley (Omoide Yokocho), and this was just as good. Then came a plate of Grilled Wild Mushrooms not on skewers but resting on a plate (photo:
). The yakitori highlight came next with the Sot I’y Lasse or Grilled Chicken Oysters on a skewer (photo:
). A chicken oyster? Yes, that’s what I wrote. It’s the two small round pieces of dark meat on the back of a chicken near the thigh. We were told to pop them whole in our mouths and savor them quickly to get the full flavor. Quite tasty and over far too soon.
Interestingly, we received the one non-​poultry skewer duo next, the Grilled Pork Belly, which was just as luscious as I was hoping it would be (photo:
). Our final skewer set finally arrived, and it was Chicken Meatballs, which were oddly anachronistic to the refinement that came before but tasty nonetheless (photo:
). The server encouraged us to order a side dish, so we just went with the $ 6 Grilled Edamame just to ease our wallets a bit (photo:
). Then came our rice bowls. Jamie had the Soboro Don (Ground Chicken over Rice) (photo:
), while I went for the heartier Oyako Don (Chicken and Egg over Rice) for $ 5 extra (photo:
).
Both came with bowls of, you guessed it, Chicken Broth with a touch of miso (photo:
). There was even a little post-​dinner amuse-​bouche in an Omelet Square with Asparagus Tip (photo:
). Stuffed? Oh sure, but we still had room for a small scoop of refreshing Shiso Sorbet, an intriguing herbaceous twist to a minty granita which earns the nickname of «Japanese mojito» (photo:
). Believe it or not, we were finished with our meal in about an hour and a quarter, plenty of time to catch our show. Fancy-​schmancy yakitori? I can dig it.
.
FOOD — 4 stars… quite a presentation for mostly chicken meat on a skewer and surprising versatility in flavors and textures
AMBIANCE — 4 stars… hidden away in the upper dining room
SERVICE — 4 stars… attentive bordering on obsessive… but they were nice while they stared
TOTAL — 4 stars…$ 70 for meat on a stick? oh sure, why not…

We were first greeted by two very nice host and because our table wasnt ready yet, we sat at the bar for a drink. The bartender wore a noce suit and enjoyed making the drinks, often smiling and very gracious.
After we were seated, and welcomed by the staff. We opted for the chef’s tasting menu and subbed in chicken liver and gizzard.
The gizzard was a little too crunchy. However, the liver was divine. Super silky and buttery.
We ordered the scallop appetizer, and it was pure bliss. The sauce was so good, my boyfriend and I almost fought on who got the last bits of sauce up from the spoon haha.
The wait staff was extremely courteous and helpful with details and their recommendations.
The shiso sorbet was a great ending to a meal as it was very refreshing and light.
Oh and the bathroom is very clean. And they have the high tech toilet, which everyone should use, it was quite an experience. The staff lights incense in the bathroom as well. Very pleasant.

Yakitori omakaze!
Wasn’t a big fan of yakitori until today.
Never had chicken liver and this kind of tender texture with crunchiness juicy perfectly grilled yakitori before! Heard its tough to make a reservation with the best chef here. So hurry up guys~!

Definitely get the the yakitori combo! They were well seasoned, and you can also add a bit of spice yourself to kick it up a notch. I enjoyed every bite! One advice I would give to people who are afraid to eat the insides of an animal, don’t be. I’m also afraid, but the yakitori served here were delicious. If it helps, don’t ask what you’re eating. Have someone ordered or you and when the food comes, just eat it. You’ll love it, trust me. It also comes with a rice dish, I got the oyakodon, which was nothing special… I prefer the one at Ootoya or Izakaya Mew.
This place did seem a bit expensive… especially because there were supplements for ordering certain things… which destroys the purpose of a set. But I’m willing to overlook it because the yakitori were just that juicy!
The two things I would say were not my top choices were the broiled sea urchin with garlic bread and the avocado with dashi and yuzukosho. The sea urchin was just okay, nothing special and the garlic flavor wasn’t evident at all. As for the avocado, it was just way too salty, and I LOVE avocados. I worship avocados. But they basically cut it in half, took out the seed, grilled it, and poured the sauce in the center and that was all I could taste.
Sadly (literally), our waitress was not the happiest person in the world. A bit TOO shy and soft spoken… and I feel like she just had the WORST day ever (or maybe it was her first day working idk). ON A HAPPY NOTE, the restaurant is beautiful itself and the desserts are refreshing. Get the shiso sorbet!

Went to Tori Shin May 15 for dinner. Again, one of the BEST meals one could ask for! Had an amazing scallop small plate, should have ordered 2! Also, get the avocado. Anything you eat here will be top quality? And delicious.
Wish I lived closer!!!

Beautiful. Fantastic. Been to Japan and this is the only experience I’ve had in NYC that nears the level of the yakitori bars in Shinjuku’s Yokocho side-​streets and allies.
Unfortunate to see reviewers here make complaints like «it’s not as good as Gyukaku» or «the portions are too small.» They don’t get it. «It was too greasy» was another that stood out. Since the chefs are grilling your food and not frying, theres no additional «grease» being applied. That «grease» you’re tasting is actually the delicious juice of high quality chicken. I kinda feel sad for these folks.

If you love yakitori, this place is for you!
I loveee Yakitori Totto, used to be my go-​to, now this might be my new spot! We got the chefs tasting menu and was superb! A very special experience and reasonably priced for a tasting menu THAT unique.
Uni, crab brains, truffles, every part of the chicken imaginable, and of course to top it off-​GOLD sprinkled on half of the courses!
That being said, since we have tasted the best of the best that the menu has to offer, we will probably not do the tasting menu again but most definitely be back for more chicken hearts, chicken oysters and a couple of other delectables that I would only remember after seeing them.

Worth every penny!
Came with my cousin who is a regular, on a Saturday night. We got seated in front of the chefs that he knows. An awesome atmosphere, quiet and upscale.
We ordered the omakase menu (pic) — the only things we have to decide between are iberico pork or waygu beef, and which oshokuji (rice/​ramen) to get towards the end of the meal
1. Amuse — Today’s seasonal dish
Salmon sashimi — we started with a plate of really yum salmon
2. Appetizer
Seasonal sashimi, grilled seasonal food, homemade chicken pâté, and crab miso and a special pork belly topped with truffle (this is my favorite)
At this point we’ve moved on from Sapporo to sake
Scallop soup came after — it was unforgettable, a little on the salty side but it was really goodddd
3. Yakitori
We had so many different parts of chickens for yakitori, i skipped all the organ ones but my cousins said the chicken liver was to die for, all of the yakitori are really above average, and their mushroom was awesome! they also have different refreshers in between yakitoris and that was awesome
4. wagyu beef
The beef was really good, not as amazing as the yakitori though, but definitely great
5. Seasonal tempura
we had sea bass in the tempura and it was really good, i was expecting more vege option that comes with it though.
6. Oshokuji
I picked the grilled rice ball with chazuku, which is essentially rice in soup, it’s average, i’ve had better, but at this point i’m really full already. They had the mini ramen and loved it
7. Dessert
We picked 3 out of 5 options:
— shiso sorbet — so good!
— crème brûlée with three flavors: green tea, black sesame, and rose tea — my favorite was the green tea, and then the black sesame, but it was really delicious
— strawberry tiramisu — the thought of it made me crave it so much right now, too bad it’s seasonal and runs out quickly, but it’s definitely one of the best desserts i’ve ever had!
Service was phenomenal, sake was awesome (a little overpriced), food was exceptionally good, not sure why it only has three and a half stars, but I would definitely come back again multiple times!

The boyfriend and I came on a Saturday night as we celebrated being together for one year and haven’t gotten sick of each other yet. He made reservations and we were seated promptly at our reserved time.
The staff and the food were wonderful! We were specifically served by the head chef, chef Kono. He consistently had a smile on his face and explained in detail about what we were going to be expecting and asked about our dietary restrictions. Chicken liver and chicken arteries were part of the omakase selection that night. The boyfriend’s eyes lit up! I opted out of those two and at the chef’s discretion, he substituted with quail and chicken breast with shiso and sour plum. Both were incredible. The quail even made my boyfriend a little envious. I was feeling generous, so I gave him a nibble.
After the two appetizers and 10 skewers portion of the meal, boyfriend and I were feeling extremely full and didn’t know how we were going to fit in the chicken rice bowl, but once it was placed in front of us, the feeling disappeared and we were possessed and proceeded to the gluttony phase of our evening. The raw egg on top of the rice was so orange and fresh, chicken was so tender and flavorful on top of piping hot rice which you’re suppose to mixed all together. How can anyone pass that up?
Had we not been full to the brim, I would have gone for the 3 crème brûlée dessert choice, but instead I chose a scoop of sorbet as did the boyfriend. However on the way home, I kept thinking I made the wrong choice.
For $ 140 a person, you definitely get really really full. Keep in mind they serve mostly chicken, but occasionally there would be a pork or a beef item in the omakase. This place is definitely on rotation for special occasion evenings.

I’ll try to keep this review simple: I love Torishin.
A couple of things to remember:
1) Torishin serves primarily chicken + chicken parts.
2) Torishin serves primarily CHICKEN + chicken parts.
3) Torishin serves primarily CHICKEN + CHICKEN parts.
Now that that is hopefully drilled into you, I hope you won’t make a reservation and go into Torishin expecting beef and seafood skewers.
Is Torishin better than the other yakitori joints in NYC? yea.
Is Torishin cheaper than the other yakitori joints in NYC? no.
Is Torishin fresher than the other yakitori joints in NYC? yea.
Is Torishin tastier than the other yakitori joints in NYC? hell yea.
Who is Torishin good for?
1. People who are loaded. (not me.)
2. People who love chicken. (me.)
3. People who love food that comes on sticks. (me.)
Who is Torishin bad for?
1. Vegetarians.
2. Penny-​pinchers.*
3. People who don’t know how to make reservations.
4. People who don’t know how to read menus online.
5. People who gripe about the omakase selection despite the rules that I underlined at the beginning of the review.
*Actually, it depends how you look at the value of the food. If you are on a tight budget (understandably, who isn’t these days) but you are looking to enjoy a nice meal, I definitely recommend the omakase for value: it is a LOT of (tasty) food. If you can’t splash out the $ 70/​person (+$ 5 if you upgrade the rice dish for the famous oyakodon) +tip then wait. There is no shame in that.
**If we’re really going to compare yakitori places though, I personally think that the portion sizes/​piece at Torishin are much more generous than what you would get at another place. PLUS, the quality is incomparable when we’re talking about the fresh, local free-​range chicken used by Torishin. Sinfully juicy meat. Mmmmmm…
It looks like this wasn’t a simple review afterall.

Before coming here, just make sure you’re really into chicken. Your sentiment on that may help determine how you feel about the $$$$ meal.
I am not a huge fan of chicken except the innards and weird body parts like wings, gizzard, feet, heart, etc etc. And disappointingly, my omakase didn’t include any special chicken parts. According to the waitress you’re not guaranteed any parts, so I can’t be choosy. But anecdotally, I was not pleased to see parties that arrived after us served far more interesting looking fare.
I know Japanese restaurants tend to treat long time customers a little nicer, and that’s perfectly fine. Unfo it just made my meal overpriced and not quite worth the hype. There were some very well done pieces and the thigh meat (chicken oyster — totally not the same as Rocky Mountain oysters!) was amazingly juicy and tender. But not sure I’d personally pay $$$$ for yakitori unless I get to eat some unusual parts…
The highlight of the meal for me was by far, the dessert. There was a yuzu cookie that tasted amazing, with moist but slightly crispy texture that makes the first bite a total pleasure. The soufflé was also good, complemented the chicken well.
Service was very good, until a large party was seated near our table after which point the waitstaff completely forgot about us.
Hey, maybe it was an off night, maybe a supply crunch that day in the chicken exotics, or maybe you’ll be more passionate about chicken skewers that you won’t care about the other stuff. But personally, the place didn’t quite live up to my hopes.

Came here on a Saturday night (8:30 pm ish) with a party of 5 and we all got the omakase or 10 skewer option. The food was delicious but be warned that this place is very traditional (e.g. most skewers are chicken). Moreover, the food came out rather slowly and as a result, we were there for over 3 hours. That being said, our waiter was great/​friendly and we definitely enjoyed our meal as a whole.
Bottom line: As long as you’re in the mood for yakitori and you have plenty of time to enjoy your meal, you should check Torishin out.

Love it! The chefs and waiters had a great attitude and the avocado was my favorite dish:)

Type Of Cuisine: Traditional Japanese Yakitori
Ideal Occasion: casual meal with a small group, tightly packed tables make large groups difficult
Best Place to Sit: anywhere if small group, reserve «Special Section» if large group
Service: really great, very attentive although it was sometimes hard to understand our waitress.
Ambiance: casual & at times loud, you can hear everything the table next to you is talking about
Can’t Miss Dish: The Special Meatball and The Chicken Oyster
Awards: Michelin Star
Despite it being a high end Yakitori spot, it’s best for having casual beers and choosing your own skewers. The Chef’s Omakase is not worth it, if one person gets the Omakase the whole table has to, for us we found that it would have been better to save room for the truly delicious skewers instead of stuffing ourselves with the «seasonal dishes» that to be honest, fell flat.

Tori shin is one of the best yakitori joints I have been to in the city. Even though I am not usually keen on yakitori, every morsel at Tori Shin would leave you craving for the next skewer. I would highly recommend the special meatball, pork belly with miso, and liver skewers, as well as the oyako don! They have a great selection of sake and I usually default to Dassai50, which has a good price point and is good to the last drop.

we decide to try this place because it’s one star michelin but we regret so much. we are ok with the price if the food is good but THE FOOD IS TERRIBLE. From the very first bite it was simply disgusting and no taste. I would rather go to sake bar hagi and yakitori taisho for much better yakitori. The serve the chicken medium rare which is disgusting because it doesn’t even taste good. The only good thing about this place is the desserst but then again, would you pay $ 140 just to wait until dessert comes because you feel like puking out everything else before? I don’t think so. I am not sure why they got one michelin but my advice, just go somewhere else. NOT WORTH TRYING!

Decent yakitori, but just found the food generally a bit too greasy for my taste.
We arrived with a reservation on a weekend, and it wasn’t completely full but had a fair number of patrons already there. We each ordered omakases in addition to the uni starter, which was very good and a unique dish. However, I found the rest of the dishes to be just fine, the meat generally pretty tasty but with just a bit too much grease, generally speaking. I also found the oyako don not particular filling, although the crème brûlée dessert was pretty good.
The service throughout the night was very helpful and friendly, but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to come back here, although that might be just due to my lack of excitement over yakitori.

3.5 stars:
If you’re looking for legit Japanese Yakitori — this is your place. High end, definitely something you would find in Japan. **Note** I feel like not many people would appreciate this meal if they havent been to Japan or have not been exposed to authentic Japanese food (hence some low score ratings on Unilocal).
Hypes:
— Omokase — definitely hit it. You have an option of the one thats on the menu if you’re into that or adventurous (includes kidney skewers, heart skewers, artery, and some other out of the park options), or you can stick to the common chicken and meatball one (thats what we got)
— All the skewers come out hot, crispy, and in a good paced time. The chicken shoulder, meatballs, shishito peppers,
— for 2.5 hours of a sitting meal, you are stuffed beyond belief (soup, skewers, rice bow — oyako don was delicious), dessert)
— get an extra side of miso sauce and yuzu sauce. both are worth it and deliciuos
Gripes:
— if one gets omokase, you all get omokase
— gets pricey with drinks and sauces and sides — but definitely an experience
— make a resi
— dessert — hits and miss

I have been to the original location many times.
Since I was coming to NYC for my 61^st Birthday I decided to try the Select Table. I was thrilled to find Chef KONO san behind the counter!
For about 2 ½ hours of amazing food and service it is definitely worth doing.
I have since been back and sat at the regular counter, and was definitely not disappointed!
Only thing missing was Chef KONO san.
I did pop in to say hello at the Select Table.
ALL the chefs are amazing…

We had a bunch of skewers, including the pork belly, meatballs, zucchini, shiitake, and chicken wings. They were of course super tiny portions for high prices. The food was ok, a bit salty and greasy so I’d probably rather go somewhere like Gyu Kaku, my fave!
Anyways-​what was irksome was that after we paid the bill, our server chased us down and demanded that we leave the suggested tip that was printed on the receipt. My friend actually left an 18% tip pre-​tax, but she wanted it post-​tax (which was 46 cents more). Because our server kept demanding we follow company policy by adding in 46 cents, we just wrote it in and left. C’mon now… we won’t be back.

I had high hopes for this spot and had heard wonderful things about their other location. This was by far the worst experience we have had in Hell’s Kitchen. The service was awful and we had to send back multiple portions that were undercooked and took forever to come to the table. The waitress came over multiple times and took our order twice. She then brought just two drinks back although we had four at our table. She did not bring another drink over until being asked two more times. Then the food came. The chicken was undercooked with feathers on it and when sent back she returned with the same chicken and said «this is actually fine». Food is just mediocre and the service is atrocious. There is no way this place should have a Michelin star.
* I would also like to add that I have been to Japan and have had better yakitori for all those saying they think bad reviewers don’t know what yakitori is. This place needs to at the very least improve its service. Unimpressed.

Came here on a trip to New York and was not prepared for the deliciousness that I was about to encounter. For a chicken fanatic I was doubtful I’d taste a skewer that was really all that different. Boy was I wrong. Every delectable bite was out of this world. Even the mushroom yakatori was amazing.
If you make the trek, make sure you don’t skimp out on the Uni appetizer and chicken chasu. It was literally the best chicken chasu I’ve ever eaten. It was so good that I had to order it again before my meal was done!
I opted not to get the omakase because some of the chicken parts felt off putting to me but I’m sure they would be delicious. It’s no wonder they are consistently Michelin star ranked.
Also, their toilet is straight from Japan, with tons of buttons and fancy features.

This was my friend’s first time eating yakitori, and since my friend had recommended this place, I thought I’d give it a try. The atmosphere is truly Japanese. For one, we were surrounded by Japanese businessmen, all doing their happy hour as if we were in Japan. The best way to probably rate this would be similar to my sushi posts, notes on anything that I found to be amazing will go right below the pictures. Things that we ate included:
–wagyu beef
–duck with asparagus
–oyakodon (chicken and egg over rice)
–shitake mushrooms
–chicken skin with yuzu sauce
–chicken breast with yuzu
–chicken thigh with yuzu
— — -
Wagyu Beef: this was amazing. I really like a good steak, but it has to be done perfectly. This is especially so for really amazing cuts of beef as well. You can’t really get any better than wagyu. As you can see from the pictures here:
, this was cooked medium, but borderline medium-​rare. It’s more rare than I’d normally like it, but it was really juicy and definitely melted in my mouth.
— — –
Duck with Asparagus: this was particularly good. You have to like duck though. It wasn’t over cooked and had the perfect amount of flavor between duck and asparagus. Asparagus has a very particular taste to it. In addition, it can be particularly hard to eat, especially if an «old» stalk is used. However, the asparagus was fresh and «crunchy», non-​fibrous. Great. The shitake mushrooms were so-​so though. I almost want to say that Oh! Taisho had better grilled shitake.
— — — -
Chicken: they did this perfectly. The chicken skin is of course, my favorite. However, it is really hard to keep chicken from being too dry or overcooked, especially when it comes to yakitori. It’s almost too easy to ruin, but this was done really well. The meat was actually super tender. I guess the words «Chicken Temple» as briefly seen on another Unilocal post is true to description!
If you want a very luxurious type of yakitori, then this place is definitely for you. I’m not sure if I completely enjoy the fact that something that I normally find by the railroad tracks in Japan at some street izakaya is fancied up in New York. However, it is a really nice place to take an important guest. Especially for yakitori. Truth be told, my heart for yakitori lies in St. Marks or rather, Japan. But St. Marks definitely comes in first for the USA, East Coast. Now how it fares on the west coast I have yet to figure out. Still, it’s a very small restaurant, and it’s worth trying. Just be prepared to throw down a credit card after closing your eyes.

From the moment you enter to the moment you leave Tori Shin is all about customer service, the experience and the meal. It is all about the chicken here.
The posh interior greets you has you enter the door. The intimate setting is great for a group of four or two. Our table did the Omakase and just let the chef do the picking for us tonight. Everything comes out is well presented. Well, seasoned and delicious. Even though each item looks dainty but it packs a punch. Eating slowly, enjoying, savoring. You think it isn’t filling but it is.
If you want less go for the 10 skewer set but you might end up ordering more.
Tori Shin is for that fancy night out cause it doesn’t come cheap.

KenScale: 8.0÷10
I didn’t realize Torishin had recently moved from a quiet corner of Upper East Side to in the middle of Hell’s Kitchen. Torishin was one of the first restaurants I had visited when I moved to NYC, and in general I liked the yakotori-​centered coming out from the kitchen. You really can’t go wrong with tasty skewers of meat, right? I guess that’s true especially where you have sake to go along with your food, the my recent meal at the reboot of Torishin was still satisfactory.
In addition to a la carte options, the restaurant also offers omakase at $ 70 per person and 10 skewers set at $ 65 per person. I went for the latter and also ordered broiled sea urchin with garlic as my dining companion was salivating just looking at its photo. Yes, you obviously can’t go wrong with uni, but I liked that there was peppercorn to give uniquely spicy kick and you can actually spread the uni on toasts. Next came the skewer sets with a variety of vegetables and chicken parts. My favorites were the spicy yet tender chicken neck (which apparently is a rare part of chicken meat), juicy chicken oyster, delicate mushroom and chicken breast that was as well cooked as you could possibly hope for. On the other hand, chicken tail had somewhat funky texture, while pork belly with garlic miso turned out to be too salty to my taste. After the meat-​fest, we finished with a dessert of tofu mousse with pomegranate sauce that gave soothing flavor following all the greasy meats.
The restaurant has a modern Japanese décor that is clean and accessible to everyone. Getting a reservation wasn’t particularly hard, but the dining area is rather small so I would suggest booking in advance if possible. I was somewhat puzzled that a Japanese yakitori place doesn’t have as large a sake collection as I would typically assume, but definitely get a glass or bottle to complement your meal. Torishin is a nice place for casual yakitori-​style dining experience; it’s probably as cheap as other joints in East Village, but the restaurant does deliver in terms of quality of meat here.

Michelin one star.
Much better thanYakitori Totto. Great service with unique dishes not found at other yakitori places.
All the dishes were perfectly prepared.
Best yakitori in NYC, imo.
Highly recommended.
: A

My boyfriend took me here for my birthday since they are known to be the best yakitori in nyc. After hearing they moved to theater district from upper west side which is closer and easier to travel I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys yakitori.
We sat at the main grilling bar where we got to see the chefs cook. For two we had two Omakase which includes appetizers, veg and meat yakitoris, rice dish and dessert. We added the broiled uni as well as their special scallops. The yakitoris were delicious especially the chicken tskune with the raw egg yolk. Their special chicken hearts was also interesting and very good. For their rice dish I chose the chicken & egg over rice, a classic rice dish but for +5 $. For dessert the crème brûlée was amazing. 3 flavors that would take your breath away.
Overall the dining experience was great. For two we ended up spending about 250 $. I would skip the broiled uni and scallops and get more chicken yakitoris. The bar seating is great especially getting to interact and see the chefs cook. The main chef was extremely friendly and attentive. However bar seating is very very very tight. Although it is not the servers fault, it was not pleasant getting elbowed throughout dinner. Every time she poured wine to the customers next to me I would get elbowed. The restaurant is beautiful. Very well designed and spacious at the dining room.

Please, do yourself a favor and go.
This was my third Tori Shin experience (my first on the Westside– my bf and i were devastated to hear that they were moving! We had recently moved closer to the old Eastside location and he was so excited to get the bento boxes they had… wonp womp)
We always had a great time at the UES location… but after some reviews of the new HK location, I was a little nervous that the «Flavor» of the restaurant had changed. Thankfully, they were able to transfer their famous great service and delicious food without a problem.
I strongly recommend the Chef’s Omakase– $ 70 for a seasonal appetizer, pickles, skewers, nice hot rice dish and that sorbet at the end– completely worth it.
If you feel like you want to opt away from the rice dish, there is also a 10 skewer omakase set.
Every skewer is piping hot, juicy, and super flavorful– whether it be their tsukune or chicken wing or pork with dabs of miso. Each skewer is also timed so that it comes out right when you finish the previous one.
Definitely check out the daily specials too! We had a beautiful scallop with bits of seafood in a thick sauce served in the original scallop shell. The presentation and flavor was impeccable.
Enjoy! And best of luck to Tori Shin at their new location!

Best Chicken skewers I’ve eaten in a while!
We got a set menu so I don’t remember what each one was, but the chicken is so tender and he chose the best ones! Authentic Japanese food! Eat here if you’re looking for some yummy yakitori

It is so good to have Tori shin close to me so that I do not have to travel all the way to upper east side! And it is even better that here at Midtown they allow you to choose different appetizers. To compensate what I did not order last time, I went with the uni with bread. So delicious! The juice simply went inside the uni itself. The skewers were also tasty, think many of them were from their specialties, like chicken shoulder and special meatball. Last but not least, they have one more choice of dessert-​sake jelly, compared with UES location. (They also provided homemade cocktails)
It was apparently more spacious than the other location, yet I still prefer the atmosphere over there, accompanied by more smoke and laughter. Nevertheless, the food was comparable and so was the attentive service. One suggestion was to try their tasting menu, essentially that incorporated every signature dish.
Best yakitori in town. If you prefer something simple and cheap, go to east village; if you prefer something simple yet delicate, come to Tori shin.

Still the best yakitori in NYC, no doubt. I still would prefer the UES location, however that’s going away soon according to the chef.
Any skewer here is good, but the best ones are their «special» skewers such as neck meat, tail, artery, chicken oyster, etc.
The omakase will fill you up — 8 skewers, 2 appetizers, a main dish and a dessert –it’s the way to go. I remember it used to be $ 55/​person when I first dined there. Now it’s $ 70…so the bill will easily top $ 100 after couple Sapporos.
Always sit at the bar so you catch all the action!