Yakitori Kyoto Tachibana

A Yakitori Omakase Story in Kyoto, Japan

Yakitori is traditionally different cuts of chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces, skewered and grilled over charcoal. Often served with beer and second hand smoke at local Izakayas, we decided to go high-end instead, and try a Yakitori Omakase restaurant.

Find the local office building, walk down a hallway, take the elevator to the basement to find the wonders within.

Turn right to the non-descript door in the basement.

The restaurant has been open for two years, and seats 10, although there were 7 patrons there tonight. The master chef and three apprentices run two services a night. I commented on one of the apprentices who was explaining the cuts of chicken to us using nearly native English, and it turns out she used to live in Hong Kong before returning to Japan 15 years ago. She had been there nearly since the restaurant opened, one other apprentice joined shortly afterwards, and the last one was relatively new.

The restaurant was setup like a sushi bar, with the patrons seated around the sushi counter. The walls were made to look a bit like shoji screens and gave off a very minimalist feel with indirect lighting. I did not take pictures of the counter to avoid capturing the other patrons.

It was pretty happening when we got there, with a very excitable and animated (drunk) man shouting "oishi" and chatting with the staff.

The staff was incredibly attentive, and within seconds of finishing a drink, they would ask if I wanted another.

All the different sauces and glazes prepared for the yakitori master.

Master chef hard at work.

Umeshu highball for me.

Kuzuryu sake - or "Nine-headed Dragon". Very easy drinking, starts sweet with a dry aftertaste, from the Fukui prefecture.

A selection of Temmakiriko sake glasses that are locally made in Osaka.

The appetizer - tofu skin with figs and walnut cream, with sesame on top. The walnut cream looked a bit like the common Japanese sesame dressing, but with a strong nutty flavour to it.

"THIS CHICKEN IS RAW!"

"Sir, this is Chicken Sashimi."

Chicken breast, liver and gizzard. The liver was a bit like foie gras or monkfish liver, but much lighter and looser, and went well with soy sauce. The gizzard was tough, so it was sliced thinly and served with a sesame oil dip. The chicken breast sashimi was already marinaded and served alone.

One of the assistants with mise en place. Exactly seven patrons, exactly seven sets of skewers. In serving order from the top left.

Smoked chicken thigh on a sprout salad with chopped onions and a very tangy dressing.

Speciality metal "rake" to remove the meat from the skewer

Chicken thigh with leek. Very well salted, with juicy meat, crispy skin and smoky flavour. This will be a reoccurring theme.

Grated white radish with vinegar, as a palate cleanser between courses.

Chicken "tender" with wasabi - breast meat cooked medium rare, which was extremely tender and juicy.

Chicken drumstick, with a yuzu sauce. Again, extremely juicy, crispy skin, smoky flavour.

Chilled chawan mushi (steamed egg custard) with jelly on top.

Roasted gingko nuts - nutty, meaty, smoky and just a little chewy, like small mochi balls

The highlight of the night - minced chicken sea salt flakes on top. Looser consistency than sushi rice in nigiri. Smoky, juicy, umami and melt-in-mouth tender. I was afraid that it would be too salty, given the generous heap of salt on top, but it was absolutely perfect.

Chicken liver pate on a baguette slice with walnut on top, served with gherkins. Rich, well-executed, but otherwise unremarkable.

Chicken "oyster" (a small piece of dark meat between the thigh and spine) and okra. Smoky, juicy, with crisp skin, just bursting with flavour.

Chicken breast nigiri, served on a shizo leaf, topped with caviar. The chicken breast was relatively flavourless and there more for the texture. Primary flavours were the shizo leaf and salty caviar.

Chicken drumlet - juicy, a little chewy, deep smoky flavour.

Shitake mushroom topped with katsuobushi (skipjack flakes) - flavourful, soft, spongy with just a little give.

Final skewer, and my second favourite - chicken skin. crisped and folded tightly together so it stuck together like a single block. Super fatty and crispy, with a little bit of chew, topped with a sweet teriyaki sauce, with deep umami.

There were two additional skewers that the chef offered to add on: a chicken tail skewer and additional chicken thigh. We were getting pretty full, so we declined.

This may look like ordinary Japanese pickles, but they were smoked over charcoal, infusing a smokiness against the crisp sharpness of the vinegar and sugar.

Chicken shio ramen, with a hint of yuzu and topped with spring onion. Very clear, flavourful broth, with extra firm noodles.

Master chef and apprentice, presenting the chicken and corn claypot rice

The chicken and corn rice with cracked pepper. Little browned crispy bits where the rice touched the claypot while cooking. They offered more servings, but I was already stuffed!

Oh, that piece of zucchini on my plate soaking up the juices from the skewers all night? They grilled that and served it as well.

Snow pear, muscat and rock melon, served with hot tea.

Absolutely amazing Yakitori, with a very different setup than the usual smoky, dingey Izakaya. Super methodical and nearly perfect exeution.

Total damage: 36k JPY for 2 people