Torikizoku

Torikizoku
Kawashin Building 6F
1 Chome-14-3 Kabukicho
Shinjuku
Tokyo
Kanto 160-0021
Japan

The Lenka Building 6F
1 Chome-5-9 Dogenzaka
Shibuya
Tokyo
Kanto 150-0043
Japan

https://torikizoku.co.jp/

Yakitori Kushi / Grilled Chicken Skewers

Tasty And Affordable Kushiyaki Skewers, Accessible Setting

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 8
Value for Money: 9
Spent about JPY ¥3,700 / SGD $33 per person.


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Founded in November 1985 in Higashiosaka, Osaka, Kansai, Japan, by Tadashi Okura, Torikizoku is an accessible family-friendly kushiyaki / grilled skewers restaurant chain with a winning formula. It offers a wide variety of delicious and consistently well-executed charcoal-grilled skewers, in a casual setting at affordable prices, with convenient locations (over 1,130 outlets) that open till the wee hours of the morning. No surprise that Torikizoku is crowded during peak meal periods, with local salarymen, families, students, and tourists patiently queuing for seats.

Ambience at Torikizoku capture the quintessential kushiyaki / grilled skewers restaurant vibe, with warm subdued lighting, sturdy wooden furnishings in booth and counter seat options, partitions which lend partial privacy, and a buzzing atmosphere. The inviting environment is a friendly backdrop for lively conversations, but also carries the tantalizing aroma of grilling. Some outlets accept advance reservations, while others are walk-in queue only.

Service at Torikizoku is swift and accommodating even during busy periods. Staff energetically greet and seat guests, and ordering is easily done through the multi-language digital tablet ordering system. The menu is extensive, helpfully supported with enticing pictures and clear prices. Orders are fulfilled after a short wait, and staff proactively offer to clear finished plates throughout the meal, they also clean up quickly when diners leave. Payment is made over the counter.

Food at Torikizoku is traditional Japanese cuisine, focused on kushiyaki / grilled skewers, particularly Yakitori Kushi / Grilled Chicken Skewers. Their philosophy of using fresh locally-sourced ingredients, hand-skewered and grilled to order according to consistent standards, results in high quality dishes that are good value for money. Portions are sized for individuals, or for communal group sharing. Prices are more affordable and wallet-friendly than elsewhere, budget about JPY ¥3,700 / SGD $33 per person.


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Torikizoku Signage

Torikizoku Exterior

Torikizoku Interior

Entrance

Decor

Seating

Seating

The Beer Suntory Premium Malt (JPY ¥370) is a traditional Pilsner. It has a light straw golden colour, aromas of grains, corn, and malt, with a clean, light, crisp body that has medium carbonation. Taste is of lemon citrus, hops, wheat, and barley, smooth and sweet with a tinge of sour, almost creamy. Finish is dry and sharp. Refreshing and drinkable.

Beer Suntory Premium Malt (JPY ¥370)

Beer Suntory Premium Malt

The Kushiyaki / Grilled Skewers is a style of cooking wherein ingredients (including meat, seafood, vegetables, and others) are skewered then seasoned and grilled, typically over charcoal. There are several types of seasoning for Kushiyaki / Grilled Skewers, including: Shio / Salt which lends a salty flavour; Tare Sauce (made with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, white sugar, ginger, garlic, mirin rice wine, rice vinegar, and black pepper) which lends a salty sweet savoury flavour; Ponzu Sauce (made with citrus juice of lemon, lime, or yuzu, blended with white sugar, light soy sauce or dark soy sauce, mirin rice wine, and rice vinegar) which lends a salty sweet sour zesty tangy flavour; Yuzu Kosho Paste (made with fermented red chili peppers or fermented green chili peppers, yuzu zest, and salt) which lends a bright fruity salty sweet sour zesty spice flavour; Wasabi which lends a sharp vegetal spice flavour; or Shichimi Togarashi / 7-Flavour Chili Pepper (made with sancho peppercorns, nori / dried seaweed, white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, red chili, orange zest or yuzu zest, and ginger) which lends a complex savoury earthy spice zesty sour nutty flavour.

The Yakitori Kushi / Grilled Chicken Skewers is a subset of Kushiyaki / Grilled Skewers, focused solely on seasoned and grilled chicken meat and chicken offal. Traditionally, Yakitori Kushi / Grilled Chicken Skewers only features 2 types of seasoning, namely, Shio / Salt which lends a salty flavour; and Tare Sauce which lends a salty sweet savoury flavour.

Yakitori Kushi / Grilled Chicken Skewers

Yakitori Kushi / Grilled Chicken Skewers

The Bataa Anko Mochi Kushi / Butter And Red Bean Rice Cake Skewer (JPY ¥370) is a modern twist on a traditional Japanese wagashi / dessert confectionery. The base is a chewy soft sticky mochi / rice cake with grainy sweet flavour, made from a blend of glutinous rice flour, water, and either potato starch or corn starch, steamed then pounded into shape, and finally deep-fried till the outside turns crispy while the inside remains gooey. Topped with chunky rough grainy adzuki red bean paste with earthy sweet flavour, made from a blend of mashed adzuki red beans, white sugar, and salt. This dessert skewer is then drizzled with melted salted butter, lending a luscious buttery salty savoury flavour.

Bataa Anko Mochi Kushi / Butter And Red Bean Rice Cake Skewer (JPY ¥370)

Bataa Anko Mochi Kushi / Butter And Red Bean Rice Cake Skewer

The Buta Bara Kushi / Grilled Pork Belly Skewer (JPY ¥370) features medium thick slices of pork belly, seasoned with salt then grilled. The pork belly has alternating layers of fat and meat, and while grilling over binchotan charcoal, the fat renders, bastes the meat, and drips onto the coals resulting in smoke infusing back up into the skewer. Has a tender juicy chew to texture with smoky meaty salty savoury fatty flavour.

Buta Bara Kushi / Grilled Pork Belly Skewer (JPY ¥370)

Buta Bara Kushi / Grilled Pork Belly Skewer

The Edamame / Immature Soy Beans (JPY ¥370) features immature soy beans in their pod, boiled in salt water. This renders a vegetal earthy salty sweet flavour, with a firm crunchy texture.

Edamame / Immature Soy Beans (JPY ¥370)

Edamame / Immature Soy Beans

The Gyu Kushi / Beef Skewer (JPY ¥370) features bite-size strips of beef, either a cut of striploin, skirt, short rib, or flank, seasoned with either shio / salt or tare sauce, then grilled till medium doneness. This has a tender juicy chew to texture, with robust smoky meaty savoury salty flavour.

Gyu Kushi / Beef Skewer (JPY ¥370)

Gyu Kushi / Beef Skewer

The Negima Shio Kushi / Salted Chicken Thigh And Green Onion Skewer (JPY ¥370) has chunks of juicy tender boneless chicken thigh interspersed with crunchy slices of green onions or leeks, all lightly seasoned with shio / salt then grilled. Carries lovely smoky meaty salty savoury vegetal herbal sweet flavour.

Negima Shio Kushi / Salted Chicken Thigh And Green Onion Skewer (JPY ¥370)

Negima Shio Kushi / Salted Chicken Thigh And Green Onion Skewer

The Negima Tare Kushi / Chicken Thigh And Green Onion With Tare Sauce Skewer (JPY ¥370) has chunks of juicy tender boneless chicken thigh interspersed with crunchy slices of green onions or leeks, all lightly marinated with tare sauce then grilled. Carries lovely smoky meaty salty sweet vegetal herbal savoury flavour.

Negima Tare Kushi / Chicken Thigh And Green Onion With Tare Sauce Skewer (JPY ¥370)

Negima Tare Kushi / Chicken Thigh And Green Onion With Tare Sauce Skewer

The Piman No Nikuzume / Kushi Stuffed Bell Pepper Skewer (JPY ¥370) features large halved slices of bell peppers / capsicum, stuffed with a patty mixture made from minced pork, minced beef, minced yellow onions, whisked chicken egg, salt, white pepper, black pepper, and panko bread crumbs. Beautifully grilled, the exterior is firm juicy crunchy with smoky vegetal bitter sweet flavour, while the interior is smoky meaty savoury salty bready sweet peppery spice in flavour.

Piman No Nikuzume / Kushi Stuffed Bell Pepper Skewer (JPY ¥370)

Piman No Nikuzume / Kushi Stuffed Bell Pepper Skewer

The Shio Kyuri / Salted Cucumber Salad (JPY ¥370) is a simple appetizer of fresh sliced Japanese cucumbers seasoned lightly with shio / salt. Usually paired with drinks, this carries a juicy crunchy texture with bright vegetal sweet salty flavour.

Shio Kyuri / Salted Cucumber Salad (JPY ¥370)

Shio Kyuri / Salted Cucumber Salad

The Tako Wasabi / Octopus Wasabi (JPY ¥370) is a common appetizer with fresh sashimi-grade tako / octopus diced into small chunks, marinated with light soy sauce or dark soy sauce, white sugar or mirin rice wine, rice vinegar, and wasabi, then garnished with spring onions or green onions, and served chilled. This carries a slippery chewy crunchy soft texture, with sharp spicy earthy salty sweet vegetal flavour.

Tako Wasabi / Octopus Wasabi (JPY ¥370)

Tako Wasabi / Octopus Wasabi

The Tori Hatsu Tare Kushi / Chicken Heart With Tare Sauce Skewer (JPY ¥370) a considered a luxurious dish, with several chicken hearts basted with tare sauce while being grilled. Seasoned with shichimi togarashi / 7-flavour chili pepper, this carries a complex smoky meaty salty sweet savoury earthy spice zesty sour nutty flavour with a crunchy chewy firm dense texture.

Tori Hatsu Tare Kushi / Chicken Heart With Tare Sauce Skewer (JPY ¥370)

Tori Hatsu Tare Kushi / Chicken Heart With Tare Sauce Skewer

Their Tori Karaage / Deep-Fried Chicken (JPY ¥370) was, in my opinion, probably the weakest dish we had here. It lacks the crispy crunchy exterior we like, and was thick enough that the center bordered moist and dry. Could be improved.

Tori Karaage / Deep-Fried Chicken (JPY ¥370)

Tori Karaage / Deep-Fried Chicken

Tori Karaage / Deep-Fried Chicken

The Tori Kawa Age / Deep-Fried Chicken Skin (JPY ¥370) features strips of chicken skin, tossed with shio / salt, grated ginger, grated garlic, mirin rice wine, and potato starch or all-purpose flour, then deep-fried twice (or twice fried), sprinkled with shio / salt and served piping hot. This shatters beautifully with a crisp crunchy texture, carrying addictive salty savoury spice fatty flavour.

Tori Kawa Age / Deep-Fried Chicken Skin (JPY ¥370)

Tori Kawa Age / Deep-Fried Chicken Skin

The Tori Momo Tare Kushi / Chicken Thigh Meat With Tare Sauce Skewer (JPY ¥370) has chunks of boneless chicken thigh marinated in tare sauce then grilled. Carries lovely smoky meaty salty sweet savoury flavour with a juicy tender succulent texture.

Tori Momo Tare Kushi / Chicken Thigh Meat With Tare Sauce Skewer (JPY ¥370)

Tori Momo Tare Kushi / Chicken Thigh Meat With Tare Sauce Skewer

Tori Mune Shio Kushi / Salted Chicken Breast Meat Skewer (JPY ¥370) features chunks of boneless lean chicken breast lightly seasoned with shio / salt then grilled. Carries gentle smoky meaty sweet salty flavour with a firm dry moist chew to texture.

Tori Mune Shio Kushi / Salted Chicken Breast Meat Skewer (JPY ¥370)

Tori Mune Shio Kushi / Salted Chicken Breast Meat Skewer

The Tori Sasami Shio Kushi / Salted Chicken Tender Meat Skewer (JPY ¥370) features chunks of boneless chicken tenderloin lightly seasoned with shio / salt then grilled. Carries gentle smoky meaty sweet salty flavour with a tender soft moist chew to texture.

Tori Sasami Shio Kushi / Salted Chicken Tender Meat Skewer (JPY ¥370)

Tori Sasami Shio Kushi / Salted Chicken Tender Meat Skewer

The Tori Sasami Tare Kushi / Chicken Tender Meat With Tare Sauce Skewer (JPY ¥370) features chunks of boneless chicken tenderloin marinated with tare sauce then grilled. Carries robust smoky meaty sweet salty savoury flavour with a tender soft moist chew to texture.

Tori Sasami Tare Kushi / Chicken Tender Meat With Tare Sauce Skewer (JPY ¥370)

Tori Sasami Tare Kushi / Chicken Tender Meat With Tare Sauce Skewer

The Tori Sunagimo Shio Kushi / Salted Chicken Gizzard Skewer (JPY ¥370) has chunks of chicken gizzard lightly seasoned with shio / salt then grilled. These carry a firm crunchy texture with a unique smoky meaty earthy bitter minerally savoury salty flavour.

Tori Sunagimo Shio Kushi / Salted Chicken Gizzard Skewer (JPY ¥370)

Tori Sunagimo Shio Kushi / Salted Chicken Gizzard Skewer

The Tori Tsukune Shio Kushi / Salted Chicken Meat Ball Skewer (JPY ¥370) comprises patties of minced chicken shaped into a ball, then lightly seasoned with shio / salt and grilled. With a soft tender grainy texture that holds together well, it has an enticing smoky meaty salty sweet flavour.

Tori Tsukune Shio Kushi / Salted Chicken Meat Ball Skewer (JPY ¥370)

Tori Tsukune Shio Kushi / Salted Chicken Meat Ball Skewer

The Tori Tsukune Tare Kushi / Chicken Meat Ball With Tare Sauce Skewer (JPY ¥370) comprises patties of minced chicken shaped into a ball, then marinated with tare sauce and grilled. With a soft tender grainy texture that holds together well, it has an enticing smoky meaty sweet salty savoury flavour.

Tori Tsukune Tare Kushi / Chicken Meat Ball With Tare Sauce Skewer (JPY ¥370)

Tori Tsukune Tare Kushi / Chicken Meat Ball With Tare Sauce Skewer

The Yamitsuki Kyabetsu / Addictive Cabbage Salad (JPY ¥370) is a popular appetizer salad that features fresh raw cabbage seasoned with shio / salt, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and optionally monosodium glutamate (MSG). True to its name, this carries an addictive vegetal salty sweet nutty flavour, a satisfying juicy crunchy texture, and a fragrant aroma. Requiring a bare minimum of preparation, its affordability, availability of ingredients, and popularity make this a staple of many kushiyaki and izakaya menus.

Yamitsuki Kyabetsu / Addictive Cabbage Salad (JPY ¥370)

Yamitsuki Kyabetsu / Addictive Cabbage Salad

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