When a new aesthetic Japanese restaurant opens up, I can count on news spreading pretty quickly within my circles. Us gen Zs are like a moth to a flame at the mention of “izakaya” and “A5 Wagyu”. I’m saying this because new Manning bar and restaurant Hiyori has been open for just over a month now, and it perplexes me that it hasn’t been featured in a manicured Instagram story yet.
The venue is dressed head-to-toe in a sandy washed concrete. There are warm pops of French birch in the tables but the curved spaceship-esque counter and low lighting make it feel somewhat dystopian, in a chic Kardashian way. The menu is extensive, with picture-perfect small plates and more substantial (but equally good looking) wooden bentos.
They’ve got a small but mighty drinks list, with crowd-pleasers in the wine, beer and sake department, but surprisingly no cocktails in sight. First up we went with the aburi scallops ($16). We counted about seven scallops; they were topped with charred cream sauce and came prettily presented on a bed of salty kelp.
At this price point for scallops, who could complain? I also found the futari wagyu steak ($26) to be quite fairly priced. It was a marbled fatty cut and sliced into 12 decent-sized chunks. The miso sauce served on the side was a little too salty, but the beef was tender and overall, very impressive.
The yakitori ($14) is a must-try at Hiyori. The three sticks were covered in an addictive sweet soy glaze and there was a good level of .
