Toriei

How much chicken is too much chicken? At Toriei, the answer is apparently 18 courses’ worth – and yet somehow we find ourselves making reservations immediately after dinner to do it all again.

Helmed by chef Roy Koh, Toriei is an intimate 10-seat yakitori restaurant tucked away in Cuppage Plaza. You'll recognise him from Skewers, the casual yakitori joint that's since built a loyal following for its chicken soup and grilled onigiri. But at Toriei, chef Roy unleashes his full winner winner chicken dinner powers, with a $180 omakase experience devoted almost entirely to the bird, taking diners through different cuts, textures and preparations with several vegetable courses thrown in for good measure.

The meal begins away from the grill with a chicken chawanmushi made using chicken stock instead of the usual dashi. It's incredibly rich, silky and collagenous and signals Toriei’s intention to extract as much flavour as possible from its central ingredient.

Then the skewers begin. A deceptively simple piece of chicken breast arrives juicy and gently seasoned, with wasabi providing the necessary heat. Gizzard has a satisfying snap, sharpened by sansho pepper, while chicken neck is unapologetically fatty, its juices practically dripping down the skewer. Skin is grilled until crisp without becoming brittle; tail is rich and succulent. Even the most familiar cuts feel distinct from one another.

This is where Toriei separates itself from the city’s many other yakitori restaurants. Every skewer seems to leave the grill at precisely the right second, achieving the right degree of char, smoke and crispness without losing the texture that makes each cut unique. The cooking is restrained too: Toriei specialises in shio yakitori, relying primarily on salt, fire and the natural flavour of the chicken rather than coating everything in tare. And if you're curious about the chickens, Toriei uses GG French Poulet chickens reared locally at Toh Thye San Farm so you're guaranteed chickens that are always fresh.

The vegetables are treated with similar care. Corn turns sweet and smoky over the flames, while lady’s fingers retain their grassy bite. Better still is the restaurant’s understanding of pacing. Just as the procession of smoke and rendered chicken fat begins to feel relentless, a cold dish of tomato and yuba arrives to reset the palate. It is a small but telling intervention – proof that Toriei has thought about the meal as a complete experience, rather than simply a sequence of good skewers.

One of the evening’s best courses comes after the grilling ends: a deeply comforting chicken porridge that gathers the meal’s flavours into one warm, soothing bowl. Dessert is grilled sweet potato with ice cream housed within a lightly toasted monaka wafer – smoky, creamy and just sweet enough.

For chicken lovers or those looking to proteinmaxx, Toriei is close to heaven. From the temperature of each skewer to the pacing of the meal (expect the whole experience to take anywhere from two and a half to three hours), everything feels considered. You don't even leave smelling like the grill because the exhaust is so strong it sucks up all the smoke, and you barely notice a whiff of barbecue while you're there. Right now, we dare say that this is the best yakitori experience in Singapore.

Time Out tip: We hear that Toriei has just started serving tori paitan ramen for lunch. Each bowl is priced at $18, with add-on options like more noodles, a ramen egg, and even a mini cha siu rice bowl. It's currently available only on Wednesdays and Saturdays, though they do plan to scale this up to more days eventually, so keep your eyes on their Instagram for updates.