I like Yakitori #1 - went for a nice meal yesterday with my partner and we both left full and satisfied. I would say that it's more 3.5 stars to me! Now, I'm a massive sushi lover... whether it be traditional nigiri or the modern maki, I'm a seasoned fan (especially from growing up in SF, where not liking sushi is a form of blasphemy).
Yakitori #1 definitely scratched my sushi-itch.
~ Customer Service:
Where it ranks down for me - not with the waiting staff, they were lovely. But my food came way before my partner's. I initially waited for him, but my food started getting cold so he told me to just eat. We ended up sharing my plate of Chicken Katsu Curry because he was starving and I felt really bad. Right before the last bite of my meal was finished, his ramen came. Obviously, that doesn't make for a pleasant dining experience.
~ Food:
Absolutely delicious! For starters, we ordered the Soft-Shell Crab which came with a spicy mayonnaise (£8.95) and a Salmon and Avocado maki roll (£9.50) - both really delicious and reminiscent of the excellent sushi of my childhood. If you're planning on going to Yakitori #1, I'm just going to toss my recommendation out there... DEFINITELY get the soft shell crab; it was divine!
I had the Chicken Katsu Curry as my main for £10.50 - came with a side of rice, salad, and a tempura-battered sweet potato chunk. Not out of this world, but a tasty and satisfying dish nonetheless - the chicken was cooked perfectly and went very well with the rice. My partner ordered the beef fillet ramen for £14.50. All I can say is... if you're a ramen lover like we were, do not go for the ramen. Tasty noodle dish, but nothing like an actual traditional ramen. To be fair, unless a restaurant specialises in ramen it's a difficult thing to get right.
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The food was delicious, but I do feel as though it wasn't exactly worth it for the price, which is why I'm dragging my review down to 3 stars (the food quality itself is probably 4 stars). I get that seafood and sushi is expensive, but for the cheaper-quality dishes such as the curry or the ramen, the portion sizes was just too small for what you pay. That combined with the awkward wait time in between my chicken and my partner's ramen, I won't exactly be running back. Don't get me wrong, the food is amazing and I wish this business all the success in the world, but my search for the best Japanese restaurant in Cardiff is most definitely still in progress. read more