Yakitori is bite-size chicken grilled on skewers over charcoal, seasoned with tare (sweet soy glaze) or simply shio (salt). A skilled grill uses every part — thigh, breast, skin, liver, heart, even the tail.
What it means
Yakitori is the soul of the izakaya evening: smoke, beer, and easy conversation under red lanterns. It's craft disguised as casual — the yakitoriya judges each cut's fat and timing by eye and ear.
Why it's wonderful
Charcoal does the magic: crisp skin, juicy meat, the caramel edge of the tare. Ordering omakase lets the grill walk you nose-to-tail through the bird, one perfect skewer at a time.
A legendary fish izakaya tucked beneath the Yurakucho railway arches since 1946, run by Brit-owner Andy who hand-picks the catch at Toyosu Market each dawn.
A reservation-only Ginza counter where an entirely gluten-free kushiage omakase is fried in rice oil with rice-flour breadcrumbs — a rare safe haven for coeliacs.
The towering wooden-beamed izakaya that inspired Kill Bill's House of Blue Leaves, where lantern light conjures an Edo-era warehouse over plates of fresh soba and charcoal skewers.
