Great service and vibe. I normally don't enjoy chicken, let alone chicken skewers but it was great at this place! I still prefer beef over chicken but definitely recommend this for a try.

I assure everybody that Torishin is one of the best Japanese restaurants in the U.S. Especially, the best and the most sophisticated YAKITORI. Every single one of Torishin's staff, such as reception, server, and chefs provide the most comfortable and amiable service. Particularly, the authentic Japanese chefs provide you with valuable experience that your sense of taste goes beyond your common sense. The ambience makes you feel that you are in a different world by producing a relaxed but the most Japanese traditional atmosphere. If you want to feel a real Japan, definitely Torishin is the one to experience.

Torishin is truly a masterclass in the art of grilling. Upon arriving, the front of the house notified us that two spots were open at the chef's counter, so my wife and I of course took advantage of this great opportunity. We both ordered the Chef's Omakase which consists of 6 meat and 2 vegetable skewers accompanied by various small bites, 1 special grilled meat (we selected the Wagyu), 1 special rice bowl (we selected the Mentaiko), and your choice of dessert. From the meat skewers, my favorite was definitely the chicken oyster. The skin was crispy and flavorful and the tableside lemongrass/sansho pepper really complemented the smoky flavors from the grill. The Wagyu was a nice change from the different chicken skewers we were trying, cooked super tender and paired well with the dehydrated, almost beef jerky like seaweed strands that came with the dish. There were various small dishes served throughout the omakase, but my favorite was a cold soba noodle that had a rich dashi broth. As the dish is served cold, it was a refreshing palette cleanser to prepare you for the rest of the meal. The mentaiko rice bowl was a great finishing dish. The combination of the rice, seaweed, mentaiko, and umami fish broth altogether made me feel quite warm and complete as I stepped out into the cold streets of NYC. Staff was super accommodating as the recommended time to allot for the omakase specials is 2 hours, but we needed to leave earlier to catch a Broadway musical. Not only did they seat us at the chef's counter, they also expedited the serving speed, so we had ample time to walk to the theatre afterwards before showtime. Aesthetically, the restaurant looks very old school casual, but refined. There's no shortage of fragrances here as meats are being grilled every minute. Overall, a fantastic experience in NYC if you get the chance!

This Hell's Kitchen restaurant has both a chef's counter experience and booth dining (up and down some steps with seating at different levels in the space). Note that there is an age requirement for counter dining (i.e. no kids under the age 12 I think). Service is quick and very courteous. The servers are helpful but also very unobtrusive too. You can do both an omakase or a la carte choice. The omakase is nice if you don't want to make any decisions and gives you a pretty good tour of the menu. There are two omakase choices (different is that you get wagyu OR pork on one and you get both on the other). You can always add a few more skewers later if you want (although as it gets later into the night certain items may be sold out). We did the omakase and added some skewers too. Part of the omakase is a rice dish - we did one each of the Kiji Don (grilled chicken over rice) and the Mentai Chazuke (hot rice in bonito broth with spicy cod roe). Both of these were really good - hard to pick one over the other. With the skewers, you get some interesting pieces like Knee Gristle and tail - but all of which are quite tasty. The meatballs are always a hit as well. Crispy skin proved quite popular since it was out before we could order some. This place isn't exactly cheap - but for NYC it seems to be a bargain for some very nice authentic Japanese yakitori.

Came here to celebrate my birthday! The servers indeed made it extra special by singing :) Just know that this place serves yakitori exclusively. So if you are looking for other types of Japanese food, this would not be the spot for you. Sitting at the counter is the best seat in the house. We opted for the Omakase special ($108 for 14 courses where you can choose either the Wagyu or the Iberico) - it was a great call. The skewers were all very tender, and the ones that surprised me the most were the chicken heart and the crispy skin. We also ordered the meatball (chicken & duck) to try as extra. The service here was top-notch, and everyone made you feel so welcome. The atmosphere felt zen despite how busy the grill station was.

This place is so much fun! This restaurant has been on the Michelin list (starred and guide) since 2012. We got the chef's omakase which was $70, it came with 8 skewers (2 veggies and 6 meats), amuse bouche, appetizers, a choice of rice dish, and a choice of dessert. We started off with an assortment of amuse bouche and appetizers: -Amuse bouche: pickled radish and cucumbers -App 1: fried chicken with asparagus in sesame sauce, the chicken came with a peanut dipping sauce, it was soft fried, loved it -App 2: firefly squids, these came in a trio and paired with carrots + radish, not my favorite but they had alot of flavor -App 3: soba noodles, the flavor of the noodle was mild but the fish roe was salty so that created a nice balance The skewers: -Chicken in a sweet sauce (think the waiter said this is a 50-year old sauce) -Chicken thigh: super juicy and nicely smoked -shiitaki mushrooms: these were huge mushrooms that were packed with flavor -chicken breast: this came with wasabi, the meat was quite lean - that wasabi was really spicy! -duck: the duck was dripping in fat and it was so delicious, this was my favorite -zucchini: really yummy and nicely smoked outside with a super soft inside -chicken oyster: this chicken is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, really yummmm For the rice I chose the Mentai chazuke which was rice in hot broth that was served with seaweed and fish roe, it was recommended we mix everything together to eat. The flavor reminded me of barley tea, really soothing. Lastly, for dessert, I got the matcha ice cream which was a great way to finish the meal. For $70 this tasting menu was a great value. Really enjoyed the experience! Would definitely recommend.

Yummy skewers! Have been wanting to try this place for a while, but was finally able to on a special occassion. Opted for the tasting menu and it did not disappoint, each skewer was delicious! Service here is very prompt and courteous, comparable to many other higher end Japanese establishments.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND FOR A SPECIAL OCCASION my boyfriend and i treated my parents to torishin since it was my mom's 60th birthday. we had an incredible time!! from walking in to leaving, we were met with such exceptional service. they offer coat check in the front which was really nice since we all had fairly large coats (it was so cold outside). we opted for sitting at the omakase counter, and we all got the $125 omakase option which came with: - amuse-bouche - seasonal appetizer - yakitori (6 meats, 2 vegetables) - special grill (A5 grade japanese wagyu beef steak, bellota iberico pork from spain) - seasonal refresher - rice dish (we chose kiji don and mentai chazuke) - dessert (we got all to try - shiso sorbey, matcha ice cream, panna cotta) honestly it was just such a fantastic meal. i won't forget how tender and juicy those chicken skewers were. and the chicken oysters, MY GOD, SO GOOD, definitely a fan favorite of the night! the zucchini and shiitake mushroom skewers were also so good, i can't believe i would rank the zucchini skewer higher than some other skewers we got since i don't even like zucchini that much. simply immaculate. wow. and the wagyu, so delicious, so fatty, YUM. it was also my first time trying iberico pork and that just simply blew me away. i think i prefer the A5 wagyu though, love those fatty pieces! i got the mentai chazuke and REALLY liked it! if you're not a fan of wasabi, maybe not the best idea to dump the entire ball of wasabi they give you in there, but if you are (like me) then i guarantee you will love that flavor combo. the warm tea with the rice and all the other toppings... super refreshing and different from the rest of the meal. we all got fairly full from the omakase, especially given that each skewer had such big and yummy pieces of chicken. for the dessert, i couldn't choose a favorite, but the shiso sorbet was really unique and refreshing, perfect to end the meal with!