An Asian eatery simulating Tokyo’s backstreet alleys is now open in Gzira

As soon as I saw the above picture pop up on my timeline, I knew I had to investigate further. This snapshot reminds me of not only my old neighbourhood of Shimokitazawa back in Tokyo when I lived there, but the six-seater hole in the walls that I frequented on the daily. This sparked my interest.




Opened yesterday in Gzira, Yami Yabi's concept was born after the founders' trip to Tokyo, where they discovered the deep and intricate Japanese cuisine.

The restaurant is inspired by one of those characteristic Tokyo backstreet alleys - narrow, long, with lots of neon lights and light bulbs hung on cables. This was brought to life thanks to the talented team at Carlo Schembri  (who designed joints like Carlolina's Petite Cafe and the soon-to-open Charles Pintonino ) and Bold Design.

Yabi Yami's menu is not however solely Japanese, there's  a range of plates from China, Thailand and South Korea (with new specials launching such as bao pao and dim sum). You can see all of it being freshly-prepared from an open theatrical kitchen. 

Starters include ebi (prawn), white fish or salmon tempura, tuna, toro or beef tataki, chicken or crab spring rolls, and satays.




Sushi makes a strong presence. Yami Yabi offers several kinds such as nigri, uramaki, hosomaki, futomaki and temaki (with various assortment of seafood fillings or toppings). Of course a plethora of sashimi is to be expected.

Thai curries, pad thais and wok dishes including chicken cashew and basil beef will also make their presence felt.

I am pretty excited for the teppanyaki offering at Yami Yabi. Teppanyaki is a traditional Japanese method of cooking which uses an iron griddle to cook food. You'll get to choose your protein (beef, chicken, prawns, scallops etc) and base, then let the chefs do the rest.

I really hope that the food does the interiors, concept and menu justice. Yami Yabi is an opening I am very excited about and cannot wait to say itadakimasu before each dish. Let's see - more to follow when I actually try it out. 

Yami Yabi
The Strand
Gzira
Website