Yakitori 39 Offers Japanese Cuisine with French Touch

It's easy to mistake Yakitori 39 for just another take out place on busy DeGraw Avenue. The small storefront with a picture of a cartoon chicken on the sign doesn't give much of a hint to the culinary prowess of the Japanese restaurant's top chef. And what's with the name?

"Yakitori" means grilled chicken, and here it is expertly prepared Japanese free range chicken, which is bite sized, barbecued over charcoal, and skewered on bamboo. The "39?" 39 is pronounced "san kyu" in Japanese, and is used to mean "thank you."

There is much more than chicken here, Executive Chef Yoshikatsu Yamashita says.  With a resume that includes stints in France and New York City, and training at culinary school in Tokyo, Yamashita offers nouveau cuisine at Yakitori.

But don't let Yamashita's credentials fool you, this is an unpretentious spot with hardwood floors that seats about 30.

The restaurant was opened in May 2009 and is owned by David Nachman and David Sindell, who have experience in Teaneck's restaurant scene.
"The two owners,"Yamashita says "also owned the French bistro that was here before this. Due to the economy, they changed things. So far things have been very good."

And how's business at Yakitori? Reservations are imperative for weekends. This is a small place. Don't wind up being turned away, something Yamashita and staff hate to do.

Yamashita, also a food and wine consultant, specializes in chicken yakitori, but his menu also includes duck breast and lamb chop yakitori, and French dishes like homemade country pate and yellowtail Carpaccio, as well as a variety of appetizers including cold tofu dishes, Japanese style salads, deep fried Japanese chicken wings, and French desserts.

And when it comes to ordering the yakitori, you have the choice of having it served with salt or a special tare sauce, which is a combination of mirin, sake, soy sauce and sugar and a special inclusion of bordelaise wine sauce. The tare sauce is applied to the skewered meat and is grilled delicately. The tare sauce is then also served as a dip.

There are featured specials every day, and meat and lamb dishes are popular on weekends. Yakitori also offers premium sake, beer, and shochu (Japanese vodka) to enjoy with your meal. The restaurant also offers a generous wine list, courtesy of New York City-based La Coume Wines.

If you can't grab a table, Yakitori offers custom catering services, invites private parties and accepts take out orders. There is a free parking lot and street parking available.

Hours:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, & Sunday: 5pm - 10:30pm

Friday & Saturday: 5pm - 11pm

Website: www.yakitori39.com