My experience at Bird Land was ok. When we entered we were greeted enthusiastically by the staff and promptly seated. They took great care explaining how everything worked and how much each option would cost. Once I had informed them of the likes and dislikes of my dining companions, we settled for having the chef prepare a special for us. The meal went without a hitch, tasty and good all around but I found many pieces to be a bit too for my liking. I am not sure if this is down to the cooking or the type of chicken they used, but it really was not a chewiness I have encountered in all the other yakitori places I had visited. Wine selection was good, they treated our two young dining companions very well as well. In conclusion — great customer service, nice food save for some(personal?) objections to the texture of the skewers. Probably good to bring a first-timer just to sit at the counter for the spectacle of the large open grill kitchen in the middle.
Lillian T.
Classificação do local: 3 San Jose, CA
Don’t know how many people in Japan check Unilocal,but hopefully this review helps someone! We ate at Bird Land for our last meal in Tokyo because all of our other nights were booked. Bird Land allows reservations via Open Table so you theoretically do not need to know how to speak Japanese. I have an OT account in the US, but OTUS and OT Japan run on two different systems, so they’re not linked. You would need to make an OT Japan account to be able to reserve here. I ended up not making another account because I don’t know how often I would use it in Japan, so I just walked in. The place is initially a bit hard to find, but if you’re facing the entrance of «The Suit Company,» look to your right, and go down the stairs(to basement level). The stars are actually to a subway line, but once you’re down the stairs, make a left and walk straight. You’ll see Bird Land right in front of you, and to the right of bird land, you will see Jiro Ginza right next to the bathrooms. Anyway, Bird Land has 1 Michelin star, and I’m not entirely sure why. The food was decent, but I feel like I’ve had better yakitori elsewhere. My friend and I both ordered the Omakase. She ordered the smaller version, at 6300Y, and I ordered the larger one at 8400Y. Each Omakase comes with assorted appetizers, chicken liver’s pâté, 8 kinds of yakitori, a side of terriyaki chicken, and oyako –don(chicken and egg on rice). The larger omakase comes with these extras: char-grilled filet(chicken), char-grilled cheese, and a dessert. Overall, I’m not sure if the larger omakase is necessarily worth it, or if eating there was even worth it. With the US to Yen exchange rate, we paid about $ 150 for 2 people, which is a decent meal considering they have a star. The restaurant is decent sized, they have two tables that are not attached to the bar that can seat 6, and 4. The bar is a 3-sided bar that wraps around the center where they do the skewers. The bar can probably seat around 25 people. When I arrived, I was immediately disappointed that we were seated at a table(to share with two other people), when there were clearly seats at the bar. I don’t know if it was because we didn’t make a reservation, or because we’re foreigners. Whatever it was, didn’t leave a good taste in my mouth at the start of the meal. The restaurant closes at 930PM(2130), but I think if you come any later than 830 and the restaurant is full, they would not seat any more so plan accordingly. We saw this Japanese couple get turned away because a part of 1 guy from Indonesia came in 2 mins earlier. The servers, unless you get the one that looks like he’s mixed ethnicity, hardly speaks english. It was hard to figure out what something was if you didn’t already know. Overall, I wouldn’t come back. It was a good meal, but I don’t think the variety of skewers given was that great.
Jana C.
Classificação do local: 4 East Bay, CA
Certainly there are more ppl that patronize than care to review, or know about Unilocal.By 7, the 3 sided bar was full and bustling. I didn’t eat one untasty skewer. Standouts were the tsukune(soo incredibly juicy, so balanced and rich in chicken flavor) and the reba(liver). Cooked to perfection on the wood grill. Chef no longer used electricity and chef too no longer gets his shamo from Iwate. Now chickens come from 3 hrs away, from Ibaraki. Sorta like that chinese muscular chicken who runs all day long and is lean and more concentrated in flavor(zeow day gai). Pleasant experience watching everything before your eyes, as open a kitchen as one will find! Price is $$! Small skewers, 2 piece to a skewer. Haute yakitori, for sure.