This is one of my favourite spots for a laid-back evening with great food, strong cocktails and a bit of light barstaff oggling. Yardbird, a yakatori restaurant, opened late last year and was an instant hit. Located just on the edge of Soho, the restaurant's USP is nose-to-tail, Izakaya-style dining of the chicken variety. Always packed, this buzzy two level restaurant feels more New York than Hong Kong. You can't make a reservation, so head down early, put your name on the list and while you wait for a table, pull up a bar stool, get stuck into a bowl of edamame and start working your way through the cocktail list. The black t-shirt clad bar staff (who all look like off-duty models) mix seriously strong cocktails while knowledeably and enthusiastically guiding you through the menu. From your standard chicken cuts like breast and wing to the more unusual like knee and tail, all items on the menu are made from birds delivered fresh that day so be sure to order before the most popular dishes sell out. My top picks are the salty, lemony oysters (not the type from the sea, but the fabled circular nuggets of meat from just beside the thighs – the juciest and tastiest meat on the chicken) and the moreish chicken meatballs. Spy KFC on the menu and wonder whether you've had one too many cocktails? Well don't be fooled and don't miss out - KFC actually stands for Korean fried cauliflower. These florets of cauliflower encased in a light, crispy, sweet and sour batter come studded with sesame seeds and are the perfect accompaniment to all the chicken deliciousness.
At the end of the night your bill arrives complete with a little sachet of Yardbird spicy seasoning to take home. Super cool, lots of fun, you’re guaranteed an evening of delicious, unusual food. As the restaurant’s tagline goes – Come Early, Come Often.
yardbirdrestaurant.com/
33 Bridges Street, Hong Kong Island.
+(852) 2547 9273
Google map: bit.ly/IQaWqE
* Natalie is our local for Hong Kong. You can read all about her here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/hong-kong-local-natalie-robinson.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/natalierobinson
She also has her own blog at: www.3badmice.com/
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