Yakitori Izakaya Kin No Tsubo is the place to be for great ‘yakitori’ and ‘oden’ in Bukit Bintang

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — When life sends me to one of the many watering holes along Changkat Bukit Bintang, whether as an 18-year-old on a tear fresh out of high school, or more recently, struggling financially at a friend’s birthday, I always let out a little sigh of resignation. 

Resigned, because I know that no matter what transpires over the evening — encounters with drunk tourists or an overeager massage parlour promoter — my dinner will be at best, “just okay”. 

Not that the area has ever truly held a reputation as a glittery destination for gourmands, but surely, somewhere amongst the countless bars, pubs, sports bars, izakayas, gastrobars — did I mention bars? — there exists a great meal. 

Lo and behold, on Jalan Mesui, where not one, not two, not three, not even four, but five izakayas stand on the same hundred metre stretch of road, the answer lies in Yakitori Izakaya Kin No Tsubo.

The restaurant is located beneath The Mesui Hotel. — Picture by Ethan Lau

Unlike its neighbours, where attractive drink promotions rule instead of compelling dishes, Kin No Tsubo prides itself on its offerings. 

Yakitori, in particular, is excellent, from juicy, succulent skewers of momo (thigh, RM7) to crunchy, snappy bonjiri (tail, RM7) and seseri (neck, RM8). 

Seasoning is a choice between shio (salt) or tare (sweet sauce); bigger, meatier pieces and crunchy, cartilage-type textures shine with a clean, salted profile, whereas the stronger flavour of offal like kimo (liver, RM6), kokoro (heart, RM6) or gingawa (outer gizzard layer, RM7) really benefit from the richer, sweeter glaze. 

One exception to this is the tsukune (meatball, RM8). A dense, firmly-packed chicken meatball, tsukune is traditionally always brushed with tare then grilled. 

Kin No Tsubo serves theirs with a dab of hot mustard for a bit of sharp contrast. 

Smaller, crunchier skewers like ‘bonjiri’ (chicken tail) and ‘seseri’ (chicken neck) benefit from the clean profile of ‘shio’ (salt) seasoning. — Picture by Ethan Lau

Not to be outdone, Kin No Tsubo does have its share of attractive drink promotions. This is Bukit Bintang, after all. 

We opted for lemon sours (an izakaya staple of shochu, soda and lemon), but beer and other highball drinks are immensely popular. 

When I walked to the restroom, I spotted an obscene number of Kakubin bottles with customer names labelled — all Japanese, unless Kenji and Shota were popular names in Malaysia decades ago — sitting outside the private room. 

A set of six lemon sours (RM115) set us up nicely for the yakitori and the fried izakaya dishes coming next. 

Apart from yakitori, kushikatsu are skewers of the deep-fried variety. Uzura katsu (deep-fried skewered quail eggs, RM8) are like mini Scotch eggs minus the sausage coating, which means the egg slips out its batter coating far too easily for my liking. 

The ‘tsukune’ is grilled with ‘tare’ and served with a bit of mustard on the side. — Picture by Ethan Lau

The result is a dry, hard-boiled quail egg, an empty shell of deep-fried batter, and a plate of thick, sweet demi-glace sauce to dip both in. 

Much better than this is the nankotsu karaage (fried chicken cartilage, RM14). I already have an affinity for nankotsu when grilled, but the crunchy bits of soft bone take on an even lighter, crisper texture when fried in a light coating of batter. 

But the best of the fried dishes we tried has to be the most unassuming of all: agedashi tofu (RM14). The staple of deep-fried cornstarch-coated tofu served in a hot tsuyu broth (dashi, sake and mirin) was made remarkable with smooth, soft tofu and an enriched broth, thickened to the consistency of gravy rather than soup. 

Topped with a sufficient amount of ponzu and bonito flakes, this is a winner every day of the week.

‘Kushikatsu’ is a different type of skewer, where the ingredients are deep-fried then skewered, like this quail egg. — Picture by Ethan Lau

By this point in the meal, I was on my last glass of lemon sour, and the restaurant had become increasingly filled with Japanese customers. 

At one point, we were the only non-Japanese table inside. 

The meal called out for a soupy, comforting finish, so we opted for oden. This is no FamilyMart variety of oden, by the way. 

I ordered satsumaage (fish cake, RM5), atsuage (fried tofu, RM5) and gyu suji (beef tendon and skirt, RM9), which were served with just a bit of the sweetish soy sauce broth. 

Deep-fried soft bone bits, with a squeeze of lemon juice. What’s not to like? — Picture by Ethan Lau

A unique feature of Kin No Tsubo’s oden is the ginger soy sauce dip that comes with an order. 

It is typical of Himeji-style oden, which hails from Hyogo prefecture, and it lends a warm, aromatic touch to the rich, sweet soy sauce. 

By the time I walked out of the restaurant, I realised something unusual had happened: I had actually eaten well in Bukit Bintang. 

Kin No Tsubo is not flashy, nor is it trying to modify the izakaya experience for local tastebuds. 

Instead, it succeeds through attention to execution, technique and detail, whether in its yakitori or oden. 

Simple and unassuming, but so, so good: Kin No Tsubo’s ‘agedashi tofu’. — Picture by Ethan Lau

In an area where drinks usually take priority over dinner, Kin No Tsubo is a rare exception — a place where the meal itself is the night out.

Yakitori Izakaya Kin No Tsubo

13, Jalan Mesui, 

Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.

Open daily, 5pm-12am. Open from 3pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Tel: 03-2110 3577

https://kinnotsuboyakitori.com/

Facebook: Yakitori Izakaya Kin No Tsubo

Instagram: @kin.no.tsubo

Kin No Tsubo serves Himeji-style ‘oden’, which is served with a ginger and soy sauce dip. — Picture by Ethan Lau

*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

*Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.

*Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and occasionally self-deprecating humour.