Chicken, Charcoal, and Smoke Yakitori (Grilled Chicken) is the quintessential food of the Izakaya (Japanese pub). While it can be cheap street food, high-end Yakitori dining involves chefs who butcher their own special breeds of chicken (Jidori) and grill them over Binchotan (premium white charcoal) with surgical precision.
The Menu: Know Your Parts
Ordering Yakitori can be overwhelming because every single part of the chicken is used.
- The Classics:
- Momo: Thigh meat. Juicy and flavorful.
- Negima: Thigh meat alternating with pieces of leek (Negi). The sweet leek balances the savory chicken.
- Tsukune: Chicken meatballs. Often mixed with cartilage for crunch and served with a raw egg yolk for dipping.
- Kawa: Skin. Grilled until crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
- The Offal (For the Brave):
- Reba: Liver. Should be creamy and soft, not chalky.
- Sunagimo: Gizzard. Crunchy and salty.
- Hatsu: Heart. Rich iron flavor with a firm texture.
- The Rare Parts:
- Bonjiri: The tail. A burst of fatty juice.
- Nankotsu: Cartilage (usually from the knee or breast). Pure crunch.
Tare (Sauce) vs. Shio (Salt)
The chef will often ask you: “Tare or Shio?”
- Tare (Sauce): A sweet, thick soy-based glaze.
- Best for: Fatty cuts (Momo, Tsukune, Kawa) and Liver. The sugar caramelizes over the charcoal.
- Shio (Salt): Simple sea salt.
- Best for: Lean cuts (Breast/Sasami), Gizzards, and high-quality Jidori chicken where you want to taste the meat itself.
Etiquette
- The Skewer: You usually eat directly off the skewer. Pulling the meat off with chopsticks (while sometimes done by groups sharing) is technically considered to cool the meat down too fast and lose the juices.
- The Cup: There will be a small ceramic cup on the table. This is for your used bamboo skewers.
- Seven Spice: Feel free to sprinkle Shichimi (seven spice chili) or Yuzu-kosho (citrus chili paste) for an extra kick.
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