It's always exciting when a favorite restaurant sprouts an offshoot, especially if that restaurant is among the best of its kind in the city. And even more so when it's such a hot table that reservations are nigh-on impossible.
But will the new spinoff complement the original, or diminish it by splitting the chef's time and attention? And, most critically, will it be easier to book?
Making my way past the celebratory orchids on the sidewalk outside Gallus, it didn't take long for my concerns to be allayed. After all, this snappy-looking new yakitori restaurant on Meguro's main street has serious pedigree. It is the new sister operation to Torishiki, one of Tokyo's holy-grail destinations for skewers of charcoal-grilled chicken.