Yakitori
If you are a meat lover, yakitori is a given on your list of things to eat in Tokyo. Meat is definitely the main ingredient on this menu with a few vegetables included in the line up if you want to keep some balance to your diet. If you're vegetarian, check the menu to see the selection of veggies available and make sure your grill is clean. The majority of Japanese are hearty meat eaters and vegetarianism is still not high on the average diners wish list.
Yakitori
In Tokyo, yakitori can be eaten as a snack, to compliment a main course, or as a meal in itself. You can buy it from a local street stall as pictured, at convenience stores, at supermarkets or in a restaurant. The choice is entirely up to you. Yakitori literally means 'roasted - yaki' 'chicken - tori', however, the menu usually includes pork as well as a variety of vegetables.
There are many kinds of yakitori so be careful to select the ones that match your taste. Virtually all the parts of the chicken are used with the least amount of waste. You don't want to end up with a plateful of inner organs by accident! To help, here are the names of some of the most popular kinds along with what you'll find on your yakitori skewer.
- Momo = boned chicken thigh
- Negima = chicken and green onion
- Tsukune = meatballs
- Tebasaki = chicken wings
- Kawa = chicken skin - just chicken skin!
- Hatsu = heart
- Reba = liver
- Sunagimo = gizzards
Common vegetables found either in combination with the meat or on a skewer of their own include shiitake mushrooms, leeks, cherry tomatoes, asparagus and green pepper.
Yakitori Extas
The finished article is most commonly served one of two ways: with salt - shio; or with tare. Tare is a rich brown basting sauce similar to terikyaki sauce made from sweetened soy sauce. If you want to add a little spice to the mix, check out the pepper like container on the table filled with a kind of red/brown powder. This is Shichimi - a combination of chilli pepper, sesame and hemp seed among others. Shake and add it to your taste.
A Yakitori Day Out
A great day out can be had if you buy a disposable barbecue and a ready prepared set of yakitori skewers from any of the large supermarket chains - Tokyo Store, Seibu, or Hankyu food hall to name a few. During the cherry blossom festival, food stalls are set up so you can have a good munch while taking in the splendor of the blooms.
In summer, head to the Tamagawa river on the Meguro Line, Tamagawa station. Many a chilled afternoon has been had on the banks of this river with some good company, a cooler box of beverages and a selection of yakitori and meats for the barbecue. Join in the social atmosphere, watch the bullet train as it heads south over the river and have fun.
