Torikizoku is a popular and affordable yakitori chain store in Japan. What is yakitori? Yakitori is grilled chicken served on wooden skewers in a variety of flavors - teriyaki, spiced salt, spicy, and more. Torikizoku serves extremely tender “Momo Yakitori,” which is the signature chicken meat skewer of many yakitori restaurants, and is a favorite for fans from around the world.
What’s so special about a chain store Yakitori place, you may ask? Well, first of all, every food item is ¥280! Yakitori may just be chicken skewers, but no yakitori meal is complete without variety. This affordable restaurant serves delicious beef patty skewers, crispy fries served with sides of warm, sweetened butter and ketchup, a Japanese style Caesar salad, and even more! Why not invite a few friends, and try an order of everything together? Even better yet, all drinks are also ¥280 yen. A variety of alcohol and soft drinks are served, from Umeshu (plum alcohol), to beer, to liquor, to melon soda and more! Torikizoku is a great place to enjoy a satisfying dinner and to relax and chat with a couple of hungry friends.
I stumbled across Torikizoku one day after work. My co-workers and I were looking for a place to treat ourselves - to celebrate having survived the long day of work - and when I suggested yakitori, my co-worker immediately suggested the Torikizoku located in Otesuji, a shopping plaza in Fushimi right near our workplace. At first I was a little skeptical about the set price of ¥280 for everything, since I had not come across a restaurant like Torikizoku before in Japan, but after seeing the line outside of the restaurant, my worries dissipated. We waited for about fifteen minutes, since it was around 6pm, which is prime dinner time in Japan. After the brief wait, we were greeted by friendly and courteous staff, who ushered us into a little booth. Our eyes instantly scoured the menus and we were delighted to see that there was a “quick-service” button that we could press to call over one of the staff so we could order. We ordered a selection of yakitori, which we all shared. We could not have been happier with the taste and quality of the skewers we were receiving. One of my co-workers even announced that this was the best yakitori she has ever had in Japan, even after living in Japan for one year! Some favorites we enjoyed especially included the Chicken and scallion skewer, the Momo chicken skewer, and the french fries!
So, if you’re looking for a place while in Kyoto to wind down, have some great food, and possibly have a few “Kanpai” moments (Cheers in Japanese), look no further than the Google Maps searches locating the nearest “Torikizoku,” for you won’t be disappointed!
