Founded by Mike Zheng and Kuangyi Wei, Hotori offers an authentic Japanese yakitori dining experience, focused on a ‘beak to tail’ menu of expertly grilled chicken skewers, alongside tempura, premium sake, Japanese whisky, and select wines.
At the heart of Hotori’s dining experience is the open kitchen, where diners watch chefs skilfully grill skewers over a custom 1.4-metre hibachi grill. The yakitori menu showcases 17 different cuts of chicken, sourced from Fosse Meadows, a renowned free-range poultry producer in the UK. Guests enjoy a variety of cuts, including chicken oyster, belly, wing, cartilage, and heart, all freshly grilled to order.
In addition to chicken, Hotori also serves skewers of wagyu beef, miso black cod, and seasonal vegetables such as Japanese yam and shiitake mushrooms. Fried dishes like prawn tempura, vegetable tempura, and chicken karaage are also popular. Guests can order individual skewers or opt for one of the curated set menus, such as the ‘Beak to Tail’ set, which includes every chicken cut along with vegetable skewers.
For lunchtime, Hotori provides convenient bento boxes, featuring grilled chicken, fish, and tempura options, perfect for both dine-in and takeaway, the latter especially suited to the array of offices situated nearby.
The drinks menu includes an extensive selection of sake from renowned Japanese breweries, as well as whiskies like Suntory Yamazaki 18 and The Matsui Mizunara Cask. The wine list is carefully curated to complement different yakitori cuts, offering pairings like pet nat rosé and skin-contact whites.
With its welcoming atmosphere and unique menu, Hotori brings a fresh take on Japanese yakitori to London. The ground-floor dining room is soon to be joined by private dining spaces and a gallery for local artists, further enhancing the experience.