A kushiyaki grill and bar in Bangsar’s quieter Jalan Telawi stretch, Koike Shoten is helmed by Chef Norio Koike who has worked in some of KL’s most popular Japanese restaurants, namely Fukuda and Ri-Yakitori. The restaurant specialises in skewered meat and chicken (yakitori) is their meat of choice, with an extensive selection ranging from the classic chicken thigh and leek as well as chicken tenderloin with plum, to the wings, gizzards, bishop’s nose, skin and heart. There are wagyu beef, shrimp and unagi skewers too, and if you’re the adventurous kind, try the free-range chicken sashimi, a Kyoto specialty that’s seldom found in KL.
It’s obvious that Koike Shoten aims to attract a diverse crowd, with its wide ranging menu that also features rice and noodle dishes, sushi rolls, snacks, salads and fried items such as chicken karaage. If you’re a fan of the sweet-savoury Japanese pancake okonomiyaki, there are eight options to choose from. Notable dishes to order include the Nagoya-style fried chicken wings that are seasoned with Japanese pepper, the spicy pickled celery (which works well as a palate cleanser), the stingray fin that’s been smoked and then lightly grilled (chewy and tastes very similar to sotong bakar), and the mentaiko-seasoned cod roe okonomiyaki.
As this is also very much a Japanese bar, there are whiskies, sōchū, saké, wine and beer. Koike Shoten is made for all-night-long drinking and snacking.
