Basically, "Yakitori" is grilled chicken, but Yakitori has had a long history - during the Heian period in around 1000 AD, there were records of "grilled bird" cuisine mainly made of wild game birds. In the Edo period, it was explicit depicted, "The game bird meat is skewered, sprinkled with salt like thin frosting, grilled; it is then seasoned with soy sauce and a bit of wine." It is similar to modern Yakitori recipe. The ingredients used included sparrows, quails, herons, and doves. It has only been a few decades since they switched completely from small birds to chicken. Today, it is still named "grilled birds" instead of "grilled chicken" for it is a legacy from 1000 years ago. The first restaurant to visit today is Isehiro Kyobashi Main branch. Founded over 100 years ago, this resto pioneered some of the common dishes and recipes of Yakitori nowadays. They can be called a Yakitori mogul. They moved to the current location in 2020 right in front of their old site. We reserved a table one week in advance. They have only set menu for dinner, but you may add extra sides on top of the set. There are three sets with different prices, and we will try the most varied one - with 12 dishes, priced at JPY8000 per person. The first skewer is the commonly seen Sasami (sashimi chicken breast) which is said to be invented by Isehiro. Besides wasabi, there's not much seasoning, not even much salt; that way, you can taste the savor of the meat and the BBQ flavors from Binchōtan. The second skewer is Kimo (chicken liver). There are two main flavors for Yakitori and Japanese skewers - Shioyaki (salt-grilled) and Teriyaki (sauce-grilled). The Kimo tastes quite metallic, so it's often cooked with strong Teriyaki sauce. This Kimo is extremely tender with a slight tint of BBQ fragrance. The sauce is flavorful. Then, they'll serve a cup of chicken soup. This resto consumes a lot of chicken every day, so this soup must be the real deal. This is included in the menu as one of the 12 dishes. Next, we have Sunagimo (chicken gizzard). It is a bit dry, with a pronounced BBQ fragrance. The gizzard is firm and tender. Yakitori uses up all parts of the chicken - not even the giblets, skin or haunch will go to waste. Yakitori rose after WWII when food was rather scarce. Time makes the man and established Yakitori's place in Japanese cuisine today. Negimaki (scallion roll), another must-have in all Yakitori restaurants. Isehiro is, once again, said to be the first in making such combination. The point of this skewer is scallion and green pepper. Grilling exhaustively brings out their aroma, which is then absorbed by the fowl. With a sweetish soy sauce, it is intensely aromatic. This is Dango (chicken meatball) made with minced poultry. It is very different from the chicken sticks commonly found in Izakaya; proportionally, this Dango contains less potato starch, egg or soft bones, but more chicken meat. It tastes firm and a little dry. It has a slightly scorched, crispy crust with distinct fragrance of charcoal. Then, we have a lightly marinated cucumber as an intermission to clear the taste buds. This is Kawami (skin), the star of tonight. Restos may have different approaches, and this Kawami contains not only skin, but a little meat, in a ratio of 6:4 - 60% of skin and 40% of meat. Since the meat is packed, only the sides have been scorched, and the middle remains soft. It has a variety of textures - like crispy scorched skin, tender skin, and crunchy poultry. Now I must point out that this resto never changes your plates - the Shioyaki comes after Teriyaki, so sauces accumulate on the plate and more or less affect the light-tasting food. I don't really like this. The next skewer is Momoniku (chicken thigh). It is made the same way as the Negimaki, just that the meat is bigger, there is no greens wrapping it, it is smaller in portion with more sauce, and it takes longer to grill. They taste similar overall, so you can see which proportion you prefer. Last but one, we have Aigamo (duck meat). It's made exactly the same way as the Momoniku, just that this one is bone-dry and very tough. Just have Momoniku if you can. The last one, Teba (chicken wing). This one is unacceptable. The meat is tough, dry, and tasteless. This meal for two costed over JPY19000. Special thanks to Surfshark VPN for sponsoring this video. There are potential threats on the Internet; people with malicious intent might track down sites we visit, information we look at or where we go online. We may encounter computer virus too. VPN can reduce the risk of these threats, making it safer to go online. We can also connect to VPN servers in different countries. When we watch Netflix or Disney+, we can join plans outside of Hong Kong. We can check the prices and shows available in different regions. Also, if we are overseas, we can connect to Hong Kong's server and keep using our old accounts and services. For Surfshark VPN, you only need one account to install and use it on unlimited devices. If you are interested, you may use the link here. With this promotion code, you can enjoy 83% off and a free, extra 3-month trial. Check out the link in the description box. The second resto we visited is Toriki, a Yakitori store with one Michelin Star for 10 consecutive years. It is still managed solely by President Yasuto Sakai. We also reserved our table a week in advance. They have only one set for dinner, with 12 dishes. With appetizers and consumption tax, the price is similar to the first resto's. We ordered drinks and extra food, and the bill is under JPY20000. This is Chef Yasuto Sakai. As you can see, he is meticulous even with sprinkling salt. He's very careful with the amount. 90% of the time tonight, he's maintained a high level of concentration while handling each skewer. Toriki uses Kishu Binchōtan as well. The chef controls the intensity of fire only by fanning the stove. The first one is Sasami invented by Isehiro, but with a different approach - The chef deliberately used strong flame to quickly make the surface done, and it's served without much scorching. The middle of the meat is still half raw, so it'll taste juicy and soft. This is the best move of the chef: each food is grilled with different temperatures and durations to reach the chef's most ideal doneness. Chicken sashimi is a part of Japanese cuisine, so they won't react as strongly as we do to raw poultry. Of course there are special requirements for sourcing and handling, but you would like to opt out of raw poultry, remember to inform the chef when you visit Yakitori restos. For the Sasami and Sunagimo, these two have more umami flavors than Isehiro's. The gizzard is tender and soft, even. Many Yakitori restos in Japan purchase pre-cut poultry and giblets for skewering, but this resto buys and cuts whole chicken on its own. One, it will be fresher; two, they can control the shape and size of the pieces. The first two skewers really opened my eyes. This is Kashiwa (chicken thigh). Each slice is thin. There are many pieces on this skewer. They smeared sauce thrice; and like the Sasami, this skewer is grilled above strong flame. In the last shot, the chef had been fanning so hard. The inside is a bit raw, so it's flavorful and tender. This small onion has been grilled for a while on the side above low flame. It's completely cooked, with zero pungency and fully released sweetness. With a little salt, I can't help but drool when I think of it. Then, they served a skewer of Ginnan and a out-of-menu chicken thigh skewer. The last one was Teriyaki, and this one is Shioyaki. It's fully cooked, but still juicy, This is an intermission - a cold mixture of avocado, chicken breast, wasabi and sauce. Then, we have grilled mushroom - an aromatic type called Shiitake. It is apparent that the chef has arranged the order of the dishes - from lighter to stronger tastes with greens as refreshing intermissions. The next skewer is Chigimo (liver) - as stated on the menu, this skewer will be rare. As diners get seated, the chef would ask if they accept raw livers. Of course I'll have a try, but once is enough for me. Raw livers taste really metallic, and it's too slimy, so it's not really my thing. This Konasu (eggplant) is a full embodiment of the chef's mastery in controlling the ingredients' doneness. As the eggplant gets done and goes soft, the chef stops right at the critical point. It's so accurate that it's worth a round of applause. And this softness is indeed the best texture for grilled eggplant. There are two things I'd like to say about this Tsukune: first, this is much better than Isehiro's as the poultry is fresh, with delicate texture. Second, it shows the chef's meticulousness. He's been grilling every night for years and it got him Michelin stars. This skewer of Tsukune takes more than his instinct; as it's almost done, he'll pick up the meatballs and press them to feel how much they've shrunk. If undercooked, he'll grill them a bit, then press them, and repeat all these. He has done the same thing for many years, and he is still attentive and conscientious. I have only admiration for him. The last one is chicken wings. Wings are usually the last to be served because they take more time to grill. In the process, the oil will be lost, and the flavor of the chicken will be lightened, so the chef will put in more salt. Going from light to strong flavors, the strong-flavored wings are served last. The chef also demonstrated the correct way to enjoy the wings - that is, to debone the wings with hands. You can try this. Not every resto's wings can be deboned this way. The chicken meat is super tender and soft, the skin has a strong BBQ aroma, and the savoriness is just right. This is probably the best Tebayaki I've ever had. This Shiratama (quail egg) is served with the Tebayaki. It's just up to par, and nothing's special about it. Then, we have a piece of tomato. This is it for the meal set. We're not full yet, so we ordered more. First, we ordered two Chochin - the oviducts, ovaries and unshelled fertilized eggs of a hen. It is the most delicate and precious part of a Yakitori. You'd best order it right when you're seated in a Yakitori resto. Chochin is also the most challenging dish for the chef's techniques. The egg yolk should be runny while the other parts are done and scorched. It requires very accurate control of the strength of fire. Some restos would grill the parts separately, then skewer them together. But a master chef wouldn't do this. The best thing about Chochin is that you can taste the crispy giblets as well as the very rich flavor of egg yolk. Ordinary egg yolks are nothing compared to these ones. After all the praises, the Kawa skewers we ordered were under par. The menu said that the skin would be scorced until crispy. We ordered two skewers - the first one is half cripsy and half soft like Isehiro's, but the other one is undercooked. Undercooked chicken skin is tough and super chewy like rubber bands. Eventually, I spat it out. Then, we ordered a Kiji-chaduke and Kijidon priced at JPY1100 each. They're good. Throughout this meal, I sat in front of the chef, watching him work. There are 18 seats in the resto, and the house is full tonight. The chef is 1 against 18. Besides him, there are 3 employees, but I noticed that the chef's taken up over 50% of the work. He takes care of the skewers as well as serving guests - he arranges seats, takes orders, serves drinks and waters, and puts away used tableware all by himself. Sometimes, I see the 3 other employees idling and having nothing to do. When they work, the chef keeps a close eye and lectures them when they're not doing well. Although the chef is professional and concentrated, he inevitably gets distracted. More efficient staffing and management would raise the quality of this restaurant. But of course, it's quality already. I am very satisfied with this meal. This is it for today. See you next time.
