My favourite yakitori place Toriyasu とり安 in Shanghai, I was thankful that I had the chance to go again before 2020 was over.
The difference between Jan and Dec were the masks. Now every staff needed to be masked up behind the grill.
Visit on Jan 2020
It was packed as usual in Jan. Everything was bustling and we have jostled for a space with the expatriate crowd. We were totally unprepared for what was to come in just two weeks later.
Visit on Nov 2020
Right after I came out of quarantine, I went to Toriyasu とり安 for my yakitori fix with my colleagues. It was dinner time and the place was packed as usual. A regular waitress spotted me and came over to say hello. She was glad that things had came back to some normalcy despite an obvious lack of Japanese expatriates and foreigners.
Visit on Dec 2020
After a short trip out of Shanghai, I returned to the same place and when I needed that midnight bite, Toriyasu とり安 was the only choice. After 11pm, the place was much quieter then it was before Covid-19. Obviously the crowd outside was less too.

I was surprised that even in a peculiar year like 2020, I managed to eat there three times in the last 12 months. I hope that I can return more often in 2021 to come back.
Niao’an 鸟安
172号-174 Huichuan Rd, Zhong Shan Gong Yuan, Changning Qu, China
上海市长宁区中山公园汇川路172号-174号
Tel : +86 21 5241 1677
Date Visited : Jan, Nov and Dec 2020
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