金之藏 Kinnokura - Quarry Bay

The ancient practice of yakitori is live and well at Kinnokura’s Quarry Bay branch, easily found in the Kiu Ying Building down Finnie Street, just off King’s Road. This Japanese restaurant is slightly more spacious than its hidden twin in Tai Hang, but stocks the same range of exquisite dishes, each making the most of the premium ingredients that Kinnokura so adroitly procures, presenting their famous skewers for the most part unornamented and sizzling straight from the grill.

Kinnokura do offer diners more than merely Japanese yakitori skewers. Sometimes you need more than a flame-grilled chunk of fodder on a stick. So, here you can plough through a plate of French foie gras prepared using Japanese black vinegar, or noisily demolish a generous bowl of Japanese ramen noodles – a popular option among Quarry Bay locals for lunch. However, the definite emphasis at Kinnokura’s premises down Finnie Street is the Japanese yakitori grill that uses traditional white charcoal to grill up bite-sized delicacies beloved by Hong Kong gourmets.

Our recommendations when it comes to Kinnokura’s incredibly well-curated menu of Japanese yakitori specialties include the smoky shiitake mushrooms, three to a stick, the Hokkaido scallops that are certified sashimi-quality and the oysters sourced from the waters around Hiroshima, wrapped with bacon. To Hong Kong’s seafood fans’ delight, fish and shellfish are a big part of the offering at both Kinnokura’s outlets (Tai Hang and here at Quarry Bay), with lobster tail and abalone rustically grilled up with either a dash of soy sauce or a sprinkling of salt. Find Kinnokura down Finnie Street, directly over the road from Quarry Bay exits B and A, but be sure to make an advance booking.