Reaching for the Stars #4 | Torishige (Tokyo, Japan) | ex-Bib

Torishige is a top-end Japanese grilled skewers restaurant, which gained a Bib gourmand in 2015 and 2016. It is situated a few steps away from Shinjuku station and is always popular. Booking is not essential only if you decide to visit the restaurant at late night so it is always a good idea to book your table at least a couple of weeks ahead. 

If you are into Japanese culture or know a bit of Japanese, you might fall into the trap and think that Torishige is a Japanese skewered chicken place. After all, yakitori restaurants are a very popular destination for salarymen to visit after work. But what if I told you that this restaurant, while having chicken (Tori) in its name, actually specialises in pork and beef?  

It turns out that in the early-mid 20th century, people in Japan were poor and they suffered from various food control measures as a result of continual warfare including the WWII. Compounded by the fact that chickens were expensive back then, some grilled skewers restaurants chose to serve pork or beef skewers instead, while many other opted to serve cheaper cut of chicken meat. Many of such restaurants are still referred as Yakitori-ya nowadays. 

Time was 7pm and I went with a friend of mine who I knew back in university. We decided to go with a five skewers menu each and ordered a plate of sashimi to share. All skewers were cooked over Bincho-tan, a kind of charcoal made of oak which added a hint of dark, smoky flavour to the dishes. The beginning was a bit disappointing. Tsukune, or pork mince paste was nothing special. However, the pace quickly picked up. Intestine was soft yet retaining a bit of chewiness, and the signature stuffed green pepper was a miracle and it was hard to not appreciate the little char on the edge that made all the difference. Now that thinking about it, I should have ordered another portion of tongue (not pictured) which was also fantastic. The sashimi, came with, if I remember correctly…beef skirt, pork uterus and lower side of pork’s tongue was also fantastic. 

The food was actually very decent, but we felt let down by the service. Front of house was obviously understaffed, and the seats were overcrowded to fit in more seats. Service was quick but felt inanimate. Feeling disappointed, we made a margin call and got our bill – £70 for five small plates and two beers. We quietly disappeared into the crowd in Kabukicho and continued our search for the ultimate Yakitori-Ya that night till late. 

★★★☆☆ – I’ll try my luck at Torishiki next time.