Photo source: lulabyspoon.blogspot.co.id
Buat pecinta hidangan Jepang yang tinggal di Jakarta pasti sudah tidak asing dengan restoran yang satu ini, Tori Ya. Masih bersaudara dengan grup restoran Kinokawa, Tori Ya yang mengusung konsep Yakitori-Ya street style ini berlokasi tepat di jantung ibu kota Jakarta, di daerah SCBD. Wajah restoran Yakitori ini menarik sekali dengan pintu masuk yang ditata cantik seperti rumah Jepang tradisional. Meski tempatnya tidak terlalu luas, tapi kamu pasti akan jatuh cinta saat masuk ke dalamnya dan menikmati interiornya, apalagi saat melihat dan duduk di Yakitori Bar-nya. Serasa makan di Jepang!
Anyway, kalau Kinokawa lebih fokus menghadirkan menu sushi, sashimi, dan omakase yang rasanya tidak ada duanya di Jakarta, Tori Ya hadir untuk memuaskan kamu-kamu pecinta Yakitori atau sering dikenal juga dengan sebutan Kushiyaki alias sate khas Jepang. Berbagai jenis yakitori tersedia di sini, mulai dari Seafood, Yasai (sayuran), Tori (ayam), Gyu (daging), Buta (pork), dan Tamago (telur). Tidak cuma Yakitori saja, menu Donburi dan Udonnya juga banyak disukain foodies lho. Lengkap banget kan?
Mentaiko Spaghetti
Photo source: lulabyspoon.blogspot.co.id
Restoran dengan spesialisasi Yakitori memang tidak sebanyak sushi, tapi percaya deh, Tori Ya benar-benar membawa sesuatu yang segar dan baru di Jakarta. Sebenarnya apa ya yang menjadi motivasi pemiliknya membuka Tori Ya? Well, langsung aja deh simak wawancara eksklusif kita dengan Sharon Haliman, owner dari Tori Ya.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and how Tori Ya came to be.
I’m Sharon Haliman, the girl who graduated with a marketing degree with no food education who later decided to jump into the food business. My father is the owner of Kinokawa, a sushi bar that has been around for 19 years in Jakarta, specializing in omakase. Growing up to see how tough food business is, I thought I would never want to step foot in this area. But after some unsuccessful business attempts in retail, I decided to give food business a try.
Japanese food has always been well accepted by Indonesians, and this is the trend that we have been seeing. With the success of Kinokawa operating in the upper market, my father and I came up with the idea of creating a lower and more casual Japanese restaurant. Just 2 years ago when we started discussing this idea, Jakarta did not have a lot of yakitori choices, and we also saw that modern Japanese cuisine is well accepted by the market. So we started discussing the idea of a casual yakitori, accompanied with some izakaya dishes.
2. What is your philosophy on food and running Tori Ya?
My philosophy on food is that people will always go back to their choice of comfort food, which will be different for everybody. And my definition of comfort food is the one that people will look for frequently. I wish to create this. My vision for Tori Ya is that I want to create a place that people are comfortable with, somewhere casual that requires not much thought. It could be a simple work lunch place or somewhere to kick back after work for some beers and small dishes. This was the idea that I had for Tori Ya. I want this to be a friendly place, comfort food, with affordable prices.
Sukiyaki Gyu Tan Don
Photo source: Instagram.com/foodball
3. What future food trends do you see in 2016?
The trend that I have been seeing in the past 2 years is that people love express food. People love the idea of food trucks, kiosks, and fast rice bowls. Lately there has been more and more places that serve fast bowls, from Mexican, Mediterranean, Japanese and even fusion food. We have been seeing new restaurants creating gyu tan dons (which is very popular for Indonesians). I see this fast comfort food to be a trend for the Indonesian market. Also, as I have mentioned above, Japanese food has always been very well accepted for Indonesians.
Wagyu Premium
Photo source: Instagram.com/toriya_scbd
4. What is your most popular dishes at Tori Ya?
Our best sellers are:
Wagyu Premium, Gyu Tan Jalapeno, Mentaiko Spaghetti, Wagyu Egg Don, Kinokawa Pizza, and Sukiyaki Gyu Tan Don.
Sashimi Salad
Photo source: Instagram.com/toriya_scbd
5. What are your favorite dishes outside of Tori Ya?
Tough question to answer, but if I have to pick a cuisine, it would be Japanese (of course). But outside of Japanese food, I am powerless over breads and pastries. Any kinds of breads, croissants, and other pastries of the alike. I am also a big fan of bakmie and pizza :)
Gomma Almond
Photo source: Instagram.com/toriya_scbd
Lokasi:
Tori Ya
Fairgrounds, SCBD Lot 14, Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, SCBD, Jakarta. Telp. (021) 51402384.
Opening hours: 11.00-14.30, 18.00-22.00
So, buat yang pengen makan kuliner khas Jepang tapi bosan dengan sushi, ramen, atau udon, kamu wajib cicipin Yakitori ala Tori Ya. Jangan lupa bikin teman-temanmu yang lain ngiler dengan share dan review pesananmu di Nibble ya. Klik di sini untuk informasi lengkap seputar Nibble.
