Torigin Ginza: Yakitori and Kamameshi in Ginza

All About Torigin Ginza for Yakitori and Kamameshi.

Yakitori is a must-experience in Japan. A complete yakitori meal includes ending with a rice bowl. At Torigin, you get the yakitori and you also get to experience another classic Japanese dish, kamameshi. For a casual night out, try out Torigin Ginza (with branches all around Tokyo, too)!

Dining at Torigin Ginza

Hidden in a tiny alley between side streets in Ginza, Torigin Honten has been serving yakitori and kamameshi to locals and tourists for decades.

Yakitori is grilled chicken skewers cooked over binchotan charcoal which created a depth of flavor. Kamameshi is a kettle rice pot of steamed flavored rice topped with seasonal ingredients.

Read more about the histories of yakitori and kamameshi:
Japanese Cuisine: All You Need to Know About Yakitori
All About Kamameshi: The History of the Rice & More

Today, Torigin has 14 branches in Tokyo with its main store, Torigin Honten, in Ginza. Insider tip: if that location has a crazy long line, head down the alley to its secondary branch, New Torigin, to see if there are more tables available.

More insider tips: Where clothes that can get smelly from the yakitori smoke. The restaurant gets pretty smoky and it will permeate your clothes and bags.

Also, do not worry if you see international servers – they are there to serve foreign tourists and not because this is a tourist trap restaurant. You will also notice a majority of locals coming in after work to enjoy this local meal.

Lastly, bring cash because this is a cash-only restaurant! You can stop by any convenience store along the way to withdraw from the ATM.

Read TripAdvisor Reviews of Torigin

Food Photos from Torigin Honten Ginza

Tsukune (meatballs), Reba (liver), Negi (leeks), Shishito (peppers), Shiitake (mushrooms). At Torigin, you have a choice of the skewers cooked with simply salt or dipped in a sweet soy glaze. You can also choose to order a la carte or from the set menu with 5, 8, or 14 kinds of yakitori sticks.

Tebasaki, chicken wings. This is always the test of a great yakitori restaurant. If you can taste the depth of the bench charcoal, the crunch of the skin, and the succulence of the wing, then this is a great yakitori place. Tebasaki is best requested cooked with salt to enjoy the crunch of the chicken skin.

When you order kamameshi, expect to wait at least 15 to 20 minutes for the rice pot to arrive at your table. In the meantime, your appetizers and yakitori will arrive quickly. In Japan, do not expect your server to always come up to you to ask how you’re doing. You must actively get eye contact or wave your hand to call them over. Try politely saying, “Sumimasen” (meaning, “excuse me”) to get their attention.

The kamameshi comes in the traditional kamameshi pot in which is it steamed. There are year-round ingredients and seasonal ingredients. This is Awabi Kamameshi, with abalone. Every order comes with a small plate of pickles and an empty rice bowl for personal servings.

Kani Kamameshi with generous chunks of crab meat. You can further season the rice with the salt and hot red peppers located at your table. Tip: Pour the peppers on to the palm of your hand and then sprinkle it over the rice.

Kaki Kamameshi with seasonal oysters. This rice pot is only served from October to March which is considered oyster season in Japan because of the colder weather. For its price of 990 yen, you are given generous amounts of big oysters.

Yakitori tip: At every yakitori restaurant you will notice an empty cup at your table. This is not for the bill or receipt. This is for your used yakitori sticks. Place all the sticks in that cup and not left on the plates.

Address | Reviews | Map | Hours

Torigin Honten | TripAdvisor Reviews | Map | Other Locations | Menu
B1, New Ginza Building, 5-5-7 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Daily, 11:30am to 9:30pm

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Angela

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