Spanish Yakitori?

First published in Options, The Edge, April 6, 2016

Initiating the uninitiated into the cult of Spanish Yakitori

The entrance, tucked in a corner, is not obvious. When you climb the steps, you encounter a symbol emblazoned in red on a wooden door. Stepping in, the place is narrow, long and dim, with brick walls, plenty of wood and at the far wall, that strange symbol again, lighted in red against a black background. You might have stumbled into a secret Japanese cult, except that the symbol is a stylized yakitori stick, and this is a restaurant, Palillos, which means “Chopsticks” in Spanish.

Plenty of wood, an overhead row of sake bottles, a long counter, bar-like seating, red chairs and black ceiling provide it with a special hideaway aspect; a quiet secret for the initiated, away from the bright lights and noise of the street below. 

The restaurant marries the Spanish concept of tapas with Japanese yakitori. Although it seems unnatural, it turns out to be an easy, obvious pairing so that you wonder why no-one else has done it before.

A long grill burning imported Binchotan charcoal is the centerpiece, grilling yakitori the traditional way. Generally, yakitori from the restaurant had a deep flavor, crisp and grilled outside, yet retaining moisture and tenderness within, without the smokiness one sometimes encounters in yakitori.

Being a bar, an extensive drinks list features various alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The dining style was to imbibe plenty of alcoholic liquid while nibbling freshly-grilled yakitori.

A complimentary bowl of crisp cut cabbage in a soy-vinegar dressing was a touch of freshness. The Mizuna Salad (Rm23) was fresh, green and intriguing, and no wonder, since it was kaiware (daikon shoots) and miyoga ginger dressed in citrus-based ponzu sauce.

Breaded oysters (Rm22) were excellent, each bite crunching into the distinctive flavor of oyster, enhanced with creamy tartar sauce. The Spanish connection was evident in the day’s special of Spanish Salted Cod fish sushi (Rm27), with four pieces of salted cod wrapped in seaweed and topped with salmon roe, salty flavours of the sea layered one on the other in firm-textured bites.

Fresh off the grill, the foil-wrapped Mushroom Ajillo (Rm19) was a smouldering combination of mushroom flavoured with Iberico bacon, garlic and oil – and it tasted every bit as appetizing as the combination suggests.  An accompanying paste, an orange Romesco sauce, added zest to the grilled items – Romesco being Catalan in origin, combining almonds with ground capsicum, onion and oil.

The paste was also excellent with grilled vegetables – Okra (Rm4) and onion-like Endives (Rm7) but the Shishito (Rm9), didn’t need any help, being small, sweet peppers wrapped with Iberico ham and Mahon cheese for a full bodied flavor of fragrant ham, creamy cheese and spicy, crunchy peppers.

The Iberico Pork Collar (Rm29) took a while on the grill, but it was worth the wait – glisteningly moist, lightly crispy, the pieces oozed flavor and satisfaction with each bite, the lightly nutty, neutral-tasting pork hardly needing the assistance of mustard to bring out the flavor.

The chicken breast/Mune (Rm6) with wasabi allioli mayo was uninspired, even dry, but the Ebi (Rm9) made up for it with the crunchily fresh, dense prawns, with a titillating titbit of grilled Serrano ham.

Something more adventurous was the Spanish Octopus (Rm11) flavoured with Spanish pimenton paprika, chewy, slippery, neutral with a faint underlying flavor, while the Chicken Wing/Tebaski  (Rm11), semi-deboned and butterflied, possessed the sweet flavor that the chicken breasts did not – what a little fatty skin can do for a portion.

Small bites can sneak up on you, especially in the quiet, soothing atmosphere of the restaurant, with jazz guitar music from hidden speakers lulling you into more yakitori and drinks. Soon, we were looking at the desserts.

The Yuzu ice cream (Rm7) was a sweet, tart sorbet, just the thing to awaken the senses from the lull of dining, while the Vanilla Ice cream on Grilled Pineapple (Rm12) was a sure thing – cold ice cream on pineapple, rendered sweet and smoky over the grill. 

Outside, it seemed like a different world – Palillos is a comfortingly serene place to forget it all for a while.  The flavours of Spain, in small bites, concentrated by the yakitori experience, and plenty of drinks, make Palillos a favourite night time haunt, an exotic location matched by an exotic dining experience.  

Palillos Spanish Yakitori Bar,

No 18A, (1st Floor),

Jalan Changkat Bukit Bintang

50200 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 603-21105051,

Email: palillosrestaurant@gmail.com

Fb: www.facebook.com/palillosyakitoribar/

Business Hours: 6.30pm to 1am nightly.