Our favorite Yakitori menus to order from the Yakitori restaurants

Introduction : Our favorite Yakitori menus to order from the Yakitori restaurants

You might have heard of yakitori if you love Japanese cuisines, haven’t you?

Yakitori is one of the most popular Japanese foods, and you can find it often included in the menus of Japanese restaurants abroad, while in Japan, there are restaurants specially dedicated to serving yakitori only.

Yakitori is made by grilling chicken parts on skewers, and in this feature, we introduce our favorite yakitori menus we would usually order from the local yakitori restaurants here.

Index

1. Negima
2. Tsukune
3. Sunagimo
4. Reba
5. Bonjiri
6. Nankotsu
7. Torikawa

1. Negima

Negima (ねぎま), or also known as torinegi (鳥ネギ), is perhaps the most popular kind of yakitori in Japan. It is made by skewering negi (Japanese leek) alternatingly with chicken thigh, and seasoning it in tare, a sweet and savory soy sauce for yakitori.

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2. Tsukune

Tsukune (つくね), is a chicken meatball made with ground chicken, chopped onions, grated ginger, or sometimes, shiso (perilla) leaves.

Tsukune is usually served as a long meatball, but sometimes it is served as multiple smaller meatballs together on one skewer. It is usually seasoned in tare, and served together with an egg yolk.

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3. Sunagimo

Sunagimo (砂肝) is made with chicken gizzards placed on a skewer, seasoned in salt, and grilled well done. It is best known for its crispy and tender textures, and also for its mild but savory flavor.

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4. Reba

Reba (レバー), is a chicken livers on a skewer, and unlike other yakitori menus, you’ll either love it or hate it. It has an unusual texture and taste, so it is essential to maintain the freshness of the liver as it will taste different and usually bad when the liver is not fresh.

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5. Bonjiri

Bonjiri (ぼんじり) is a yakitori made with chicken tails, and it is usually cut and skewered with some of the cartilages from the tail parts, giving it a bit of crunch.

Unlike other chicken parts, this part is frequently exercised by the chicken as it moves its tail, so the meat is very muscular, and has a very tender texture. Bonjiri is usually seasoned with salt.

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6. Nankotsu

Nankotsu (なんこつ), or chicken gristle, is made by skewering chicken cartilages, and seasoning it with salt. Although chicken cartilages sound like an odd part to eat, nankotsu is loved by the Japanese for its tasty flavor and crunch texture. It is also low in calories and high in proteins.

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7. Torikawa

Torikawa (鶏皮) literally means chicken skin, and this yakitori is actually made with chicken skins placed on a skewer, seasoned in salt, and grilled until they turn crispy and crunchy.

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