I had always thought of Otsuka as a bit of a food desert, since it sits somewhat on the edge of Tokyo, but apparently there is one exception: a yakitori specialist called Souten, a nationally famous spot that everyone in the know (read: middle-aged guys) has heard of. It has a high Tabelog score and was open during Golden Week too, so I booked a table right away.
Toriaezu nama (a draft beer to start)
It’s a hot day, so of course we kick things off with a cold draft beer.
Two otoshi: pea shoots and nagaimo
Pea shoots marinated in soy sauce, and nagaimo pickled in ume and shiso. Pea shoots are a common ingredient in Chinese cooking, but here they come with a Japanese twist. They tasted great, and you could somehow feel real skill behind them.
Soup with chicken dumplings
A rich broth, yet so refreshing. My expectations were sky-high even before the skewers arrived.
Smoked trio: reba (liver), shirako and egg yolk
The shirako and yolk were a little strong in flavor, but they make a great snack with beer. They would probably go well with wine too, but this place has an excellent sake list, so that day we mostly ordered sake. I’ll have to try the wine another time.
Three-piece sashimi platter
The tataki, lightly seared on the outside, was the best. It has more bite to it, I guess. The others were great with drinks as well. Like all good chicken, it was tender like fish with a clean finish.
The first sake
This sake is called Hakuko. It carries a “Shukyo-kai” label, which seems to be a club of restaurant people who love sake. I heard they even visit breweries regularly, which got me even more excited about the sake, and it turned out every bit as good as I’d hoped.
Reba (liver)
Just so tender.. Light rather than rich.. I’ve discovered yet another amazing reba.
Tomato
It comes carefully peeled.
Shishito peppers
One of my favorites. Quietly delicious, and a yakitori place just isn’t complete without them.
Rare cut: sagari (diaphragm)
They had quite a range of rare cuts, so I ordered a bunch. The sagari didn’t have a particularly unusual taste. But in both size and flavor it was beyond ordinary yakitori.
Rare cut: furisode (wing shoulder)
This one was really good. Crispy skin and bouncy meat.
The second sake, Nabeshima
Top-quality sakes I’d never even heard of just keep coming. What fun.
Rare cut: sori (chicken oyster)
Out came the sori, said to be the most delicious part of the chicken. Amazingly, the fat melts in your mouth while the meat stays firm and springy. It was about as close to perfect as it gets. At this level it’s not just a skewer, it’s practically art. I wanted to order more, but sadly they had run out. I’ll have to go back.
The third sake, Kozaemon
A sake that lets you enjoy the aroma of undiluted genshu. With snacks this good, the sake just evaporates from the glass. Our pace kept getting faster.
Tsukune
This tsukune is neck and neck with the one at Mitsumasa, where I went not long ago. I need to go back to Mitsumasa too, but there are just too many places to go.
Shiitake
Just because it’s yakitori doesn’t mean only the chicken is good. I figured I’d have to come to Japan often, if only to come back to this yakitori place.
Tebasaki (chicken wings)
Tebasaki is a very ordinary item, but here even that becomes something extraordinary.
The fourth sake, Takemichi
I was told it’s a sake from Shimane, but it isn’t sold locally; the entire output is shipped out of the area.
Tsunagi
Thinking of the ones I’ve had at other places brings tears to my eyes.
Shamo gamecock momo (thigh)
Being shamo, it’s chewier than ordinary chicken.
Hatsu
This is the heart. It’s all muscle, so it’s nice and firm.
Reba (liver)
The rare cuts were all sold out, so I ordered one more of the reba we had at the start.
Sake
I didn’t take a photo of which one it was, but it was really good. One glass each was too much by now, so we asked for a tokkuri.
Ocha (green tea)
We finished with tea. Everything we ate and drank was so good that we kept knocking it back, and went way over budget. At a place where it usually comes to about 6,000 yen per person, we ate 10,000 yen’s worth each. Still, how many times in life do you get to drink again with people who go at it this hard? You’ve got to enjoy it while you can.