Palillos is one of 2015’s most unexpected new eateries – a Japanese-inspired joint that specialises in skewers, spearheaded by a Spanish chef who founded Changkat Bukit Bintang’s popular Pinchos tapas restaurant six years ago & professes to be a fan of Subang’s Sumi-Ka yakitori bar. Expect a harmonious marriage of Japanese gastronomy with some Spanish sensibilities.

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review1

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review2

Unique Ingredients

Right off the bat (or the binchotan white charcoal grill, in this case), there are many unique ingredients here that seize the attention – take a seat at the counter & start with the flavour-packed pork, from Iberico belly (RM7), Iberico ribs with pimenton smoked paprika (RM8) & Iberico collar with truffle oil (RM9) to chistorra chorizo (RM6; savoury cured sausages) & regular pork belly prepared with shiso leaves (RM6) or with a pungently sweet-salty, creamy combo of dates & blue cheese (RM9).

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review3

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review4

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review5

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review6

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review7

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review8

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review9

The Extensive Selection is Confidently Cooked

The extensive selection is confidently cooked, retaining all the essential succulence & resulting in an enjoyable smokiness, from meaty sticks of Spanish quail (RM9), rosemary-rubbed Spanish suckling lamb chops (RM15) & ox tongue (RM12) to the ocean’s fresh bounty of Spanish octopus with pimenton paprika & olive oil (RM8), Spanish Carabinero large red prawns (RM19), Japanese oysters wrapped in pork belly (RM10), shrimp in serrano ham (RM7) & squid with shiso leaves (RM7).

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review10

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review11

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review12

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review13

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review14

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review15

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review16

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review17

Chicken-Based Section

The main chicken-based section hits the right notes too, featuring thigh meat (RM4), tail (RM4), gizzard (RM4), crispy-juicy wings (RM10), melt-in-the-mouth liver with tare sauce (RM4), breast with wasabi aioli (RM6) & tsukune meatballs made with a mix of chicken & pork (RM5), pretty much as satisfying as what you’d find at the Klang Valley’s Japanese-run yakitori venues.

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review18

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review19

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review20

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review21

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review22

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review23

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review24

Palillos harks back to the heydays of Changkat, when engaging eateries were the norm, not the exception, on this street. Save space for both the starch & the fibre – we like the baby potatoes in bravas sauce & the grilled rice with butter (RM5 each, one reflecting a Spanish classic & the other intrinsically Japanese), eggplant with thyme (RM4), lady’s fingers (RM4) & eryngii & shiitake mushrooms (RM4 & RM6). Order a few bowls of salads that nicely complement the skewers: Japanese cucumber with ponzu dressing (RM7), tomatoes with ginger (RM8), romaine lettuce with quail eggs (RM11), olives prepared with anchovies, yuzu, sake (RM9) & springy kimchi with olive oil & pine nuts (RM8). Outlet founder Roberto took more than a year from thought to conception for Palillos, & his effort establishes an impressive impact with interesting touches in nearly each recipe.

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review25

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review26

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review27

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review28

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review29

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review30

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review31

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review32

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review33

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review34

Desserts

Even the desserts are distinctively delicious: Spanish melon with sake (RM9), yuzu ice cream (RM7), grilled pineapple with vanilla ice cream (RM12) & our favourite, a skewer of grilled marshmallow with strawberries (RM5), made with quality ingredients handled with expertise. There’s also no lack of liquor – wine to sake. Many thanks to Palillos for having us here.

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review35

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review36

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review37

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review38

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review39

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review40

Palillos_Spanish_Yakitori_at_Changkat_Bukit_Bintang_Restaurant_Review41

Location and Contact Details

Palillos Spanish Yakitori

18A, First Floor, Changkat Bukit Bintang

Tel: +603-21105051

Mon-Sat, 630pm-11pm

Find: Contact details and map for Palillos Spanish Yakitori