Yakitori Must-Eats

It's high time that I talk about grub that is more relevant to where I am. As anyone who has non-retarded palates, Japanese food is a party of all sorts. You've got your sushi, your ramen, your wagyu steaks and then you've got your chicken.

Yakitori literally means "grilled chicken". Every cuisine has its own version of such simple cooking to enjoying poultry and how can it not be that way? It's delicious in every seasoning. I find myself frequently having Filipino Inasal and Southern Fried Chicken-envy but when there's a poultry-itch that needs scratching ASAP, I look no further than my Yakitori favourites and tebasaki (but that's for another time).

I guess Izakaya-style dining isn't as popular abroad but when you do get the chance to experience it, I hope to goodness you go by it right. I've smelled like smoke enough times having been to many izakayas around Japan but my family goes to a local haunt out in the western suburbs of Nagoya. Walls, floors, ceilings, tables and chairs are all in light wood. If the food weren't so good, I'd be paranoid about fires.

As soon as we wipe our hands clean with the oshibori, we get down to business. We start by ordering at least a bowl of edamame, and some bottled Kirin Lager for kanpai purposes. They're great opening acts before the healthy bit of the meal lands our table--the requisite Daikon salad (not in photos).

Gyu-suji (cooked beef tendon)

Another favourite appetiser is the Gyu-suji. It's a bit sweet, a bit tart and just really wrong in all ways but it's one of those "I don't wanna be right" exceptions. It tastes like beef fat and that's okay because at least it's not pretentious. You get what you get. And while I Googled it for some more information, I just have to share this:

Japanese people like this kind of food.
It is called street food, izakaya food.
It takes 4-5 hours to get soft. Then add daikon radish and other vegetables.

It is good for your skin because of rich gelatin.

I tasted and felt OK. It is too heavy to eat for me.
I prefer OX tail or neck.
Would you like to try? It is available next 3-4days.

I love how Engrish makes me happy. Anyway.
15-20 minutes later, our chicken skewers start coming. Another 5 minutes, they start going.

Tsukune (grilled chicken meatballs)

Now remember, you will get asked whether you prefer shio (salt) or tare (flavoured soy sauce) flavours for your skewers. We go shio all the way almost every time because we dip them in soy sauce anyway. Sodium overload. But duh. That's what the lager is for!

The tsukune is soft and moist inside. I especially love it when it arrives still piping hot from the grill and I have to take caution before engulfing the whole thing in my mouth. Words of advice: don't do that.

Left: Sunagimo (chicken gizzard) | Right: Buta-negi (pork belly with leeks)

Chicken is probably one of the safer meat options nowadays but we just can't help ordering some dirty innards. Some color is always good to break monotony. Go-to orders would be reba (chicken liver) and sunagimo (gizzard). They're just so good with their very light dusting of salt, needless of any dipping!

Though it's a Yakitori joint, they don't discriminate and serve pork-patrons, too. We always get the buta-negi which literally translates to pork-leeks. As in the photo above, they're alternating slices of about half-inch thick pork belly and inch-long leeks on a skewer. Grilled and you've got the most amazing smell. The saltiness of the pork is balanced beautifully by the sweetness of the leeks.

Pari-pari Gobo (crispy-fried burdock) with sesame seeds

Have you ever had burdock before? I know I never have before Japan. I think the main reason why we go to this Yakitori joint especially is because of the pari-pari gobo. Burdock is a root crop quite common here in Japan but seems very rarely served deep-fried in most restaurants. For some reason, it reminds me of bamboo shoots. It's lightly battered, deep-fried and then brushed with some tare and though that already sounds wonderful enough, I reckon it's the goma (sesame seeds) that makes it the bomb-diggity. I cannot express it enough but YOU HAVE TO ORDER THIS if it's on the menu.
**you can also buy some pari-pari gobo from department stores' underground take-away shops
It is  meant to be an appetiser but always arrives mid-way through the meal and that's okay. Perfection takes time.

Momo (grilled chicken)

Momo translates to chicken meat and this should be a standard yakitori order. I'm guessing most joints use the thigh parts because they're always so moist and tender. This is even better when dipped into soy sauce with some chili powder.

Yaki-onigiri (grilled rice "balls")

Japanese people generally go to izakayas to drink so we pretty much expose how gaijin (foreigner) we are whenever we order bowls of rice. Personally, I don't like rice when having yakitori but when it comes down to it, a yaki-onigiri fits the bill. It's lightly flavoured rice, brushed with some soy sauce and then grilled. It's enjoyably chewy, you'll find yourself nibbling small bits between your bites of chicken.

My eyes always light up whenever my dad offers to drive all the way to the west for our weekend dinners. It's an environment better suited for friends who are on a mission to get shitfaced because of all the noise, the cigarettes and the alcohol but my folks don't really mind (we always sit in the non-smoking area anyway) because the chicken is worth going back for every single time.
A skewer costs anywhere from 80 to 200yen so it's a good option if you're looking for something cheap and cheerful here in Japan. I reckon what breaks the bank are the beers but there's nothing wrong with getting loose once in a while. At least not in the company of delicious poultry.

*excuse the poor iPhone photos ;)