Hyperlocal Tokyo

Just a 2-minute walk from Nihonbashi Station, this yakitori restaurant has been making waves since opening just half a year ago. The head chef is said to have trained at a restaurant in Nagoya. They only offer an omakase course, which includes five appetizers, ten skewers, and a ramen for the finale. I found it interesting that they served several skewers with unique, original flavors I'd never tasted before. **Omakase Course** ▫️ Herb Salad ▫️ Heart and Liver ▫️ Breast ▫️ Tsukune (Chicken Meatballs) ▫️ Liver ▫️ Padron Peppers ▫️ Thigh ▫️ Chicken Katsu Sandwich ▫️ Summer Vegetable Pickles ▫️ Sasami (Chicken Breast) ▫️ Heart ▫️ Wing ▫️ Chouchin (Chicken Intestines) ▫️ Negima (Chicken and Scallion) ▫️ Furisode (Additional) ▫️ Shirako (Milt, Additional) ▫️ Seseri (Chicken Neck, Additional) ▫️ Takikomi Gohan (Seasoned Rice, Additional) ▫️ Ramen ▫️ Shine Muscat Grapes and Cherries Elderflower Jelly and Crackling Candy The sasami was made into a fluffy, dumpling-like dish resembling a Japanese potato starch cake, skewered with tomato. It had an Italian look, but the ume (plum) oil and perilla paste gave it a distinctly Japanese flavor. The chouchin was served with a sausage made from the chicken's oviduct, which was a novel combination. The sausage had a strong, spicy flavor that I really enjoyed. They used a variety of sauces and seasonings, and I particularly liked the sauce for the liver. It wasn't too sweet, had a strong soy sauce flavor, and went perfectly with the liver. The liver was cooked to a tender, melt-in-your-mouth consistency. The tsukune was made without any binder, resulting in a soft, tender meatball. It was fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth, with a very rare center. I was a little worried about the rareness, but they explained that they use a low-temperature cooking method to carefully control the temperature. I don't know the details, but I felt reassured. 笑 The chicken katsu sandwich was another unusual dish for a yakitori restaurant, with a crispy bread filled with a moist, rare chicken cutlet. The ramen for the finale was very light and flavorful, so I also ordered a seasonal takikomi gohan. The omakase course is ¥14,500, the seasonal takikomi gohan and additional skewers are ¥800, and the drinks are also priced on the higher side overall. So, it's not a place that's easily accessible for everyday use. However, it's a very creative restaurant, so I would recommend it to anyone who's tired of ordinary yakitori.

A yakitori and wine establishment. I wasn't much of a yakitori person before, but after trying the yakitori at tori8, I became a huge fan. I've been going there at least once a month since it opened. The skin is crispy and the yakitori is piping hot. The "sori" and "aka" cuts are my favorite skewers. The half-rare chicken katsu sandwich, fluffy tsukune, and the ramen for the finale are all supervised by the famous Osaka ramen shop 210k. The ability to enjoy rare wines at a bargain price is also a big draw.

This yakitori restaurant is located a 1-2 minute walk from Nihonbashi Station. It's on the 8th floor of a building that houses other famous restaurants, like a tempura place and another yakitori shop. This place has been gaining popularity lately, and it was even featured in Tokyo Calendar recently. I visited on a weekday evening with a reservation. They have a two-seating system, so I went in during the second seating. The interior is an L-shaped counter, cozy but not cramped, with relatively spacious seating. They only offer one omakase course for 14,500 yen. It includes five appetizers, ten skewers, and a final ramen. You can also order additional skewers and rice porridge. The course, two extra skewers, and two drinks came out to about 18,000 yen. It's a substantial meal, and while yakitori can be difficult to make original, this place offers dishes you won't find anywhere else. The Tsukune (chicken meatballs), Negima (chicken and green onion skewers), and Katsu Sando (pork cutlet sandwich) were particularly memorable. The Tsukune was incredibly fluffy. The Negima had green onions inside, which meant there was less green onion overall, making the onion flavor a bit less pronounced, but it was still delicious. They char the skin until it's crispy, which I personally liked, but it does make the meat a bit tighter. This is definitely a high-end yakitori experience, but it's worth it for the unique dishes you won't find elsewhere.

Located just a 2-minute walk from Nihonbashi Station, this restaurant shares a building with Tempura Asanuma and Yakitori Taka, owned by the former head chef of Moto-Tori Kado. The yakitori is made with the rare Kurotei chicken. The chicken katsu sandwich was delicious. The sommelier is reportedly from Cantesans. I had wine pairings on my third visit, and they were excellent. The experience can vary greatly depending on whether you go with someone who enjoys wine or not. I think this restaurant is more enjoyable for wine lovers.

The best yakitori restaurant I've ever been to in my life! ☆ I often hear rumors that there aren't many good yakitori restaurants in Nagoya, and since I don't go to yakitori restaurants very often, I thought maybe that was true. (^^;; One day, an acquaintance invited me to a yakitori restaurant in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, that was opening with a focus on quality. ☆ The chef was the one who used to grill at Yakitori Shige, Higashi Sakura in Nagoya, and the owner is a famous wine collector. ☆ The owner has been to many hard-to-book restaurants all over Japan. ☆ I was a little hesitant when I heard the chef was from a Nagoya restaurant, but when I heard that the owner was a famous wine collector who had been to many restaurants, I knew I had to go! So I went all the way to Tokyo to eat. (^^)♪ I was overwhelmed by the grand architecture of Takashimaya in Nihonbashi as I walked towards the restaurant, which was located on the 8th floor of a building behind it. I met up with the person who invited me downstairs and we took the elevator up to the 8th floor. ♪ When we got off the elevator, the restaurant wasn't open yet, and there was a line of people in front of us, so there wasn't even any space to get off the elevator. But the door opened right away, so I was relieved. (^^;; ◯ Omakase Course ¥14,500 ☆: Skewers ◎ Chicken breast and herb salad, egg yolk sauce Chicken breast and chicken breast made into chicken salad ◎ Liver mousse, baguette, blueberry jam and Khmer Rabbit (Cambodian honey) ☆ Chicken breast ☆ Tsukune (chicken meatballs) ☆ Liver ☆ Thigh ☆ Domestic bamboo shoots ◎ Chicken katsu sandwich Homemade mustard, salt ☆ Heart ☆ Wing ☆ Tomato ☆ Lantern and oviduct sausage Delicious in one bite! ☆ Negima (chicken and green onion) ☆ Shirako (cod milt) (additional) ☆ Back liver (additional) ☆ Quail egg (additional) ◎ Ramen ◎ Rice cooked in a pot ◎ Strawberry (Khmer Rabbit honey) The chicken breast skewer I had first was already incredibly delicious! Then I ate the tsukune, and the perfect surface sear and the exquisite rare center were amazing. When I chewed it, the deliciousness of the chicken spread throughout my mouth. Then I ate the liver, and I was already convinced that it was the best yakitori I had ever had! I haven't been to any famous yakitori restaurants around the country, but even compared to famous restaurants of all genres, this was incredibly delicious. (´∀｀)♪ When I asked the chef about it, he said that he had been thinking about opening a restaurant in Tokyo, and he met the owner and they hit it off over their love of yakitori, so he was scouted and opened this restaurant. ♪ After eating this yakitori, my whole concept of yakitori changed. It was that good! After that, I kept hearing about the restaurant's commitment to quality, and everything I saw, touched, and ate was a testament to that commitment. (lol) It's a counter-only restaurant with 8 seats, but it doesn't look like a yakitori restaurant at all. It has a stylish bar-like atmosphere. ☆ But it's not too Westernized, and there are Japanese elements scattered throughout, making it a very high-quality space. ☆ The glasses used for the yakitori sauce were Baccarat. ☆ I was amazed that each glass made a different sound when I tapped it with a brush, but thinking back on it, I'm not sure if that actually affected the taste of the yakitori. (lol) The glasses used for the highball were old Baccarat Rohan from before 1900. ☆ The embossed pattern on the surface was made by melting the glass while creating the pattern! ⁉️ I couldn't help but be in awe of the delicate craftsmanship, but as I got drunk, I just enjoyed the highball I was drinking. (lol) I love wooden counters, and I thought the color was so rich, but it turned out to be a counter made from wine barrels! ⁉️ It's no wonder the owner is a famous wine collector. His sense is amazing! I never even thought of that idea. (lol) The wine chosen by the famous wine blogger who was at the table with us was incredibly delicious, but when I heard it was a wine barrel counter, the wine tasted even better. (^^)♪ The sommelier was also from Cantesans! ☆ I was surprised to hear that he used to be the head sommelier. The owner's desire to provide good wine at a reasonable price, and the hospitality of everyone who works at the restaurant was amazing. (´∀｀)♪ The yakitori stand is black for the first half of the meal, and then changes to a wooden stand for the second half. This wooden stand is made from Noto wood, I think? ❓ The craftsman who made it is no longer alive, so you can't buy a new one. It's a stand that's made with a lot of care. ☆ The owner's commitment, the chef's skills, the sommelier's wine selection, and the staff's excellent service all came together to create a perfect marriage of flavors, and I enjoyed the most delicious yakitori and drinks. (^^)♪ By the way, I was looking forward to the ramen from before I came to the restaurant, but the owner said that he still hasn't found the perfect noodles, so he asked me not to comment on the ramen. w However, I think they've probably improved it by now, so I'll save the ramen for next time. (´∀｀)♪ When it first opened, anyone could make a reservation, but I think it will become a hard-to-book restaurant soon. (´∀｀)♪ Thank you for the delicious meal. m(__)m