If you really want to dine like a local in Tokyo, head to a yakitori restaurant. Tokyo specializes in yakitori and you can easily find restaurants all over the city. If you are in the Marunouchi area, towards the Otemachi Station, try out the ever-popular Tori Kansuke.
Dining at Tori Kansuke
Tori Kansuke is located at Otemachi in the Otemachi Tower, also known as Ootemori. The restaurant has been a long-standing favorite since the building first opened in 2014.
The restaurant specializes in yakitori, kamameshi rice, and wines. The best chances to get a table would be to have an early dinner or a late dinner after the first turnover of diners.
When it comes to locals eating yakitori, you will notice they linger for hours at their table as they continuously order drinks to pair with one or two small plates at a time.
Broccoli & Cucumber with a Miso Dip. This is a great vegetable starter to share with the table while waiting for your food to cook. The miso dip is a bit on the sweet side, but you can save it if you want to pair it with the grilled vegetables.Grilled Shishito Peppers and Grilled Cherry Tomatoes. Each order is one stick, so feel free to order one per person, especially when it comets vegetables. The cherry tomatoes come out piping hot from the grill – so be careful before having your first bite.Leeks and zucchini. The leeks came out of the grill rather undercooked – if this is the case, you can ask the server for the cooks to grill is some more, or you can have it as is. These vegetables paired really well with the miso dip from above.Grilled mountain yam. These yams have a radish-like crunch and it is paired with hot mustard, like quite a few of the other yakitori orders – something that makes this restaurant stand out from others.
Yakitori
Thighs & Leeks and Breast with Wasabi. You have a choice of the yakitori getting seasoned with salt (shio) or sauce (tare). When you choose shio for skewers like these, it really makes the clean, quality of the chicken shine.Chicken Wings and Quail Eggs. If you love tebasaki, Tori Kansuke is one of the better restaurants which deliciously grills up the wings to really let the meat and skin taste so excellently. Plus, these quail eggs are so tender inside as it comes off the hot charcoal grill.Lardo wrapped around mushrooms and Japanese ginger. Aside from chicken skewers, there is also a limited selection of pork dishes on the menu for those that want a variety of grilled meats.The second round of tebasaki. The culture of yakitori eating involves multiple rounds of ordering drinks and food. Order a few items at a time, and order a few more items after that. Then, when you are close to full, you can request to end the meal with your kamameshi rice.
Kamameshi
Seafood Kamameshi and Chicken Kamamashi. Each of the rice pots has a great balance with vegetables, like burdock root and fresh bamboo. The order comes with a pot of perfectly seasoned chicken broth to fill and warm your stomach to end the meal.
Address & Hours
Tori-Kansuke
B2F Ootemori, Otemachi Tower
1-5-5 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Daily, 11am to 4pm and 5pm to 11pm
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links to hotel booking sites. With no additional cost to you, your bookings earn me a commission if you click on the links via my website – Thank you!
