Tokyo is a city of nightlife, a city to indulge in all of your desires, especially delicious izakaya. Forgive me, fore my passion lies eating meat and sipping alcohol. Something about eating meat grilled on a charcoal grill and drinking soft-foam beer puts me at a wonderful state in which everything in life feels so carefree. Now, that may sound a bit farfetched, so let’s just continue with us strictly talking about a restaurant we randomly chose to eat at nearby Yurakucho Station. Mind you, this was our second meal for the night. Well, I can argue that to live life is to indulge.
This restaurant was right across from the side of BIG CAMERA building. We decided to stop there after seeing the front of the restaurant. It was quite attractive, with Japanese signs and some photos of yakitori. Yakitori means chicken meat on a skewer. But a yakitori place usually offers more than just chicken, ranging from pork to vegetables. What makes yakitori very special is the charcoal grill. Charcoal-grilling brings out the taste in meat. The texture of the meat is softer and juicier compared to gas or electric grill.
This restaurant, like many, had a very limited English menu. But having eaten yakitori so many times already, we knew exactly what we wanted. We had takowasa or takowasaba for starters with our draft beer. They also brought out salted vegetables with dried tiny shrimps–these are always great with beer. We ordered our favorites: chicken skin, tsukune (ground chicken), chicken liver, chicken wings, chicken cartilage, chicken heart. grilled mackerel.
Everything was exceptional, but I’ve been to more than a handful of random yakitori restaurants in Japan by now and I have not had bad yakitori. I would recommend this place, as the atmosphere is calm, yet inviting. A place where everyone is drinking, talking, and minding their own business. I love that.
Restaurant Visisted:
Kajiyabunzou (鍛冶屋 文蔵 丸の内国際フォーラム前店)
Japan, 〒100-0005 Tokyo, Chiyoda, Marunouchi, 3 Chome−7-18
Tabelog
How to get there:
From Yurakucho Station, walk towards the BIG CAMERA building. Follow path along side the girder.