A seasoned foodie from the one club I’m actually active in (I usually like wandering around on my own) got transferred to Tokyo. He’s an extremely busy man, so he was hard to get hold of, but we managed to set up a modest dinner together over the weekend.
The venue was Isehiro, a yakitori place in Kyobashi near Tokyo Station. I’d had a very satisfying lunch there not long ago. Today we ordered the 4,750-yen mini course, which comes with seven skewers of yakitori. I’d assumed there’d be a way to order one course and split it between two, but there isn’t. It’s pricey, but it’s good, so we just went for it. Thinking about it, the yakitori-don with five skewers on top for 1,800 yen wasn’t expensive at all. They didn’t have draft beer, so we ordered bottled beer. That was the only letdown.
Sasami
Chicken breast. It’s a bit different from the regular breast meat. (Don’t ask me for the details..) The meat itself is very mild, but with fresh wasabi on top it gets just the right kick and tastes twice as good.
Liver
My foodie friend took a bite and said it was every bit as good as foie gras. I agree.
The grill, seen from the counter
We ate at the counter. The place is cramped, but it was nice to eat while watching the yakitori cook to a delicious turn. That said, unless you’re ordering à la carte, there’s no need to insist on the counter.
Broth
I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s a little salty, and that’s exactly why it goes so well with yakitori.
Gizzard
Nice and chewy. Yakitori really is amazing: you get so many different flavours out of a single chicken.
Baby leaves, served in place of a salad.
My friend praised them and told me to sprinkle some salt on and try them, so I did, and never in my life have I had greens this delicious. So fresh and so tender. Does this place put its baby leaves through special boot camp late into the night or something?
Negimaki
Thinly sliced thigh meat wrapped around leek. The leek is great, of course, but the shishito pepper tucked in the middle is sweet too, all soaked in the juices. Seriously good. I can only marvel at the craftsmanship of grilling it without losing a drop of juice.
Dango
Minced chicken mixed with yam bulbils, shaped into a ball and grilled with salt. Being chicken, it’s a bit on the light side, but the juiciness and sheer volume make up for it, giving a nicely balanced flavour.
Pickled cucumber
Tastes like pickled cucumber. ^_^
Skin
Nice and chewy. We only ordered the mini course, but after this much I was starting to get full.
Thigh
Enjoyed it right to the last bite. It’s a bit pricey, but it’s a delicious place. Dinner is a bit steep, so I’ll try to come often at least for lunch.