In January 2023, at Meguro, Tokyo, there is a restaurant called "Torishiki" with a rating of 4.51 on Tabelog. It is ranked 1st in the yakitori category in Tokyo and 1st nationwide on Tabelog. I have always wanted to visit, but could never get a reservation. Finally, I managed to get one and visited. The entrance opened exactly at 5:30 PM, and I was surprised by the size of the skewers, which were quite large! It might be a bit too big for women, but it was impressive. The skewers were well-seasoned, and the sake flowed smoothly. I'm glad I went. The dishes I had that day included 7 different parts of simmered chicken, kashiwa sand liver, neck skin, yagen cartilage, heart, ginkgo nut, white soup, quail, shiitake mushroom, potato butter, seseri liver, tsukune, thick fried tofu, okra, and chicken wings. I also added chouchin sand liver, eggplant, and soliles, and finished with oyakodon. #TokyoGourmet #Yakitori #MeguroGourmet #Torishiki #YoshiteruIkegawa #ProfessionalWorkStyle #HardToReserveRestaurant

Budget: 16,000 yen, Omakase course. It had been 2 years since my last visit. Two years ago, during the pandemic, there were non-alcoholic restrictions. Now, alcohol is served, and the restaurant operates in one rotation, starting at 5:30 PM and continuing until 9:30 PM with skewers served throughout. The course is an Omakase style with a stop system. I managed to finish the course without stopping. The Omakase course included: - Chicken stew, bread - Juicy and large chicken thigh meat - Gizzard with a crunchy texture - Soup - Grilled chicken cartilage, large and satisfying - Eggplant with sesame accent, even for someone who doesn't like eggplant - Normal white dumplings - Chicken heart, tender and with a good texture - Ginkgo nuts with strong saltiness - Soft type of meatballs - Chicken neck, with a chewy texture - Hot thick fried tofu, although not a fan of tofu - Normal chicken liver - Broccoli, with a crispy texture and surprisingly delicious - Large chicken wings, not too difficult to eat - Okra - Chicken knee with leek sauce - Normal lantern meat - Miyazaki red sweet potato, aged for a year, sweet with high sugar content - Large chicken tail, a favorite part - Bonito without being greasy - Chicken wing tips with a slightly different texture, similar to skin - Shoulder meat with a chewy texture and peppery taste - For the finale: - Chicken soup rice with crispy rice - Oyakodon, with delicious egg and chicken, excluding shiitake which I don't like - Compared to the last visit, there were 5 additional dishes, and the switch from non-alcoholic to alcoholic resulted in a price increase of about 5000 yen. The amount of skewers, portion size, and taste were all fantastic. There were no disappointing skewers. I've been to various yakitori restaurants in the past 2 years, but going back to the basics felt great. The portion size was impressive. Although it was a bit pricey and hard to get a reservation, I would love to go back again. I also want to try their bento box.

I visited after several years and could only say "amazing" haha. A friend took me there and I enjoyed yakitori from start to finish. The yakitori here completely exceeded all expectations, it was so impressive that I felt love haha. I won't be able to eat yakitori at any other restaurant again. Ah, it was a happy night haha.

This was my second visit this year. Once again, I sat in the prime seat right next to the chef's grill at exactly 5 o'clock. When I come here, all the delicious yakitori stars come out, and the portions are so generous that alcohol really doesn't go down easily (laughs). I couldn't even make it to the final closing rice dish, so it was a tearful check. I hope to make another visit soon. Thank you for the meal.

This visit was sudden, but once again, I was completely satisfied. The presence and skill of Master Ikegawa never fail to impress. This time, I was able to try sweet potatoes for the first time. The meat is delicious, but the vegetables are even better, with their moisture locked in and flavors concentrated to perfection. I look forward to my next visit.

I was able to visit this month as well. Ichimon, which is accelerating its overseas expansion, but the seats at the main store here are becoming more and more scarce. This time, I received a large number of skewers after a long time. The seasoning and cooking were perfect and to my liking. The summer vegetables were really delicious, so I ordered as much as I could. I look forward to the next visit.

Finally, the day has come. I visited the best yakitori restaurant in Japan, Torishiki in Meguro, for the first time! Michelin 1 star, Tabelog rating of 4.41, Tabelog Award 2023 silver, Tabelog Yakitori EAST Top 100 2023. I studied like a student preparing for an exam the day before my visit to Torishiki. In front of me was the legend of the yakitori world, Master Yoshiteru Ikegawa. The name "Torishiki" means that they want you to feel the four seasons through their yakitori and also to boost the morale of their customers. They served homemade pickles and grated daikon radish as palate cleansers. The daikon radish was refreshing. They used 7 different parts of the chicken for their simmered dish, which had been aged for several days. The flavor was rich, almost like a stew, made with chicken thigh meat. The portion was huge and the skewering technique was robust. The meat was incredibly hot but delicious. The technique of concentrating umami and finishing it juicy is truly amazing. With just one skewer, I could tell how skilled Master Ikegawa is. The tenderness of the meat is crucial in yakitori. The Fukushima Datte Chicken they use at Torishiki is raised in free-range coops, resulting in a unique tender texture, crispy skin, and rich umami flavor. And when it comes to Master Ikegawa, he is known for his "strong fire close to the fire" technique. By bringing the meat as close to the charcoal fire as possible, the surface is coated, and the umami is retained. The key is to rotate the skewers and fan them to release the surface heat and cook with radiant heat. This process creates the perfect yakitori where the umami is sealed in. I ordered the New Masataka Sake "Hinotori Torishiki Label." It's a gentle sake that complements the chicken fat well. The chicken heart had no odor, just a subtle blood aroma. Some people who have been to Torishiki mentioned that the saltiness was strong. I pondered this during the chicken heart and found that if you chew it 20-30 times instead of the usual 10, the umami and saltiness blend perfectly. The skin was crispy on one side and tender on the other, with no unpleasant fatty taste. The quail egg was cooked with a firm surface and a runny yolk, with a strong smoky flavor from the charcoal. The chicken bone broth soup was rich and flavorful. The soft cartilage had a crunchy and moist texture with a strong fatty richness and intense saltiness. The zucchini was sweet and delicious. The ceceri, made from the thick neck meat of Datte Chicken, was juicy, tender, and full of flavor. The bonjiri was crispy outside and had a nice fatty sensation. The shiitake mushroom was juicy and fragrant. The knee joint had a strong umami flavor and a chewy texture. The blood liver was beautifully cooked with a light sauce, deep in flavor without any odor. The ginkgo nut was chewy with a strong sweetness. The thick tofu had a crispy texture outside and a smooth texture inside. The tsukune was fluffy with plenty of cartilage. The gizzard was large and flavorful, with a sesame oil aroma. The crunchy texture and juiciness were enjoyable, with a strong umami flavor. The liver was incredibly hot and I couldn't hold it for a while. It had a savory soy sauce aroma, overwhelming sweetness, and texture.

Since June, the operating hours have changed at Torishiki, making it even harder to get a reservation. It had been about 3 months since my last visit. On this day, I had 16 assorted skewers and oyakodon, and I was very satisfied. I also got to enjoy the summer specialty, grilled corn. I don't know when I'll be able to visit again, but Torishiki's yakitori by Mr. Ikegawa is still the best for me. [August 2023 Assorted Skewers] Chicken Stew, Kashiwa (chicken thigh), Maruhatsu (heart), Neck Skin, Kappa (cucumber), Shiratama (soft bone), Seseri (chicken neck), Bonjiri (tail), Shokudo (gizzard), Sand Liver, Blood Liver, Grilled Corn, Ginnan (ginkgo nut), Tebasaki (chicken wings), Hatsumoto (heart meat), Tebasaki Skin, Tsukune (chicken meatballs), Oyakodon