Nippon Gourmet

Last night we went to one of my favorite restaurants in Tokyo – Toriyoshi – it’s a little yakitori (literally grilled chicken but it’s soo much more than that) joint on a little street near the train station in Nakameguro. I love everything about this place. I love how everybody sits around the counter, which fits eighteen people tops and hungry patrons line up patiently outside waiting for a seat to become available. I love the hustle and bustle of the chefs around the grill who expertly cook up some of the most delicious food I have tasted. I love the freshness of the food, the beautiful way in which it is presented, and the incredible skill of the chefs and the rest of the staff. I love how the beer is perfectly cold and the sake completely pure. The thing I love most however is chouchin. Now I don’t really know how to describe this in English, or do it in a way that won’t sound revolting. Basically I suppose it is some liver with the reproductive system of a chicken on a stick and the yellow part (see below) is so incredibly tasty that I can only describe it as a flood of pleasure in your mouth. It took me a while to have the guts to try this as it really does not look very appetizing but once I did, there was no turning back.

The delicious sake

Icy cold beer

Amuse bouche of daikon and quail eggs and tsukemono (pickles)

Grilled broad beans

Gingko nuts, kidney and chicken cartilage

Okra

The amazing chouchin

Chicken meatballs

Quail eggs

Liver

Mushroom

Shishitou

This was all that was left at the end