Tori Sei — Restaurant in Jakarta

I came across this hidden place while walking from Blok M Square to Papaya Fresh Market. There are many Japanese restaurants in this area that can cater to everybody's taste and wallet. That the Tori Sei is less obviously advertising itself and seeing Japanese entering caught my attention. I returned later at early evening with my wife and we entered. It had the original appearance of a " Yaki Bar ' such as which can be found in the vicinity of Shinjuku or Osaka Station. Well organized and clean with professional attentive service. Despite of having a massive japanese - english menue I got the impression that the main purpose of this place was to serve alcoholic drinks and the small food portions being a compliment to the drinks. The waitress immediately asked me if I would like to have a beer but I abstained from having any alcohol and ordered Japanese green tea ... free refill. INot that I don't like to drink put I didn't want to spoil the food taste. Both my wife and I have lived and traveled Japan extensively in the past. My wife ordered Chicken Ramen and Ebi Sushi Dragon Roll whereas I had Grilled Black Pepper Beef Tongue Skewer, Spicy Cod Roe and Grilled Yellow Tail Tuna Cheek. Taste wise apart from the Beef Tongue Skewer all food tasted like authentic Japanese food ... slightly on the salty side. All of my dishes were mini portions and I can't really say that I enjoyed any of them. The at Rp 180K overpriced Yellow Tail Tuna Cheek was more like a Tuna Jaw Bone with hardly any meat on it. The actual Cheek had been cut out and not served. The waitress surprised me by asking if I wanted the Tuna Cheek to be small, medium or large and if I preferred frozen or fresh. The Cod Roe was under seasoned and didn't seem to be the real thing ... can buy better quality at Papaya . The star of the evening was the Ebi Sushi Dragon Roll ... a generous serving well presented, tasty and reasonably priced. I did not regret trying out this place ... it was a nice experience. With a Japanese friend I might consider going there again but for having some drinks in an authentic Japanese setting rather than for trying their Tuna...

Recently, I had the chance to revisit Melawai, and we decided to try dining in at Tori Sei, famed for its Yakitori, with 7 of my best friends.

The highlight of our meal was undoubtedly the Omakase Yakitori Moriawase, prepared to perfection. Each skewer was juicy, well-marinated, and offered options for both sweet and salty flavors—it was impossible to choose a favorite! We enjoyed it so much that we ended up ordering it three times.

Our feast didn’t stop at Yakitori. We shared an array of delightful dishes, including the special unagi roll, agedashi tofu, chawanmushi, salmon skin salad, California roll, aburi salmon roll, and beef okonomiyaki. These dishes were perfect for sharing, creating a wonderful variety that added flavour and fun to our meal.

The ambience of Tori Sei perfectly complemented the dining experience, with its cozy setup reminiscent of classic Japanese restaurants. The service was friendly and accommodating. We sat in a tatami room, shared with four other guests and separated by a partition. Despite the shared space, we could easily engage in lively conversations without feeling crowded.

However, the one downside we noted was that the tatami room allowed smoking. When other diners began smoking, the air quickly became heavy and uncomfortable, leading us to end our night earlier than planned. It was unfortunate but did not diminish the overall enjoyment of the meal.

Overall, our visit to Tori Sei was a fantastic culinary experience. For Yakitori enthusiasts and fans of Japanese cuisine, this place is a must-try—just keep in mind the smoking policy if you plan to sit in the...

My recent lunch meeting at Tori Sei offered a mixed dining experience. The standout aspect, unfortunately, was the slow service, particularly noticeable when waiting for drink refills—a detail that can significantly affect the flow of a business lunch. In comparison to other yakitori places, Tori Sei's flavors didn't quite hit the mark. The taste of the dishes served was average at best, with the curry being notably bland, lacking the rich thickness and flavor one might expect from such a staple.

Furthermore, the quality control seemed to falter significantly, as evidenced by the unwelcome discovery of a hair in the salmon sashimi—a major faux pas in any dining establishment, let alone during a professional meeting. This incident, coupled with the overall dining experience, suggests a need for improvement in both service speed and culinary execution at Tori Sei.

Given its status as an old establishment, I hold out hope for Tori Sei's improvement in the coming future. There's a charm and potential in its foundation that, if polished with better service and culinary excellence, could shine once again. For those seeking exceptional yakitori and impeccable service, it may be advisable to explore other venues until such improvements are made. The expectation for a business lunch venue, especially when hosting or participating in important meetings, includes prompt service, high-quality food, and a flawless dining environment—areas in which Tori Sei currently...