Located in Kanda-cho, Gifu City, near the Yanagase area, this is a renowned yakitori restaurant representing Gifu Prefecture.It has garnered attention from food enthusiasts nationwide, receiving several accolades:◼️ THE TABELOG AWARD BRONZE 2022-2026◼️ TABELOG Yakitori 100 Best Restaurants EAST 2018-2019, 2021-2025◼️ Michelin Guide Aichi, Gifu, Mie 2019 Special Edition, also selected as a Bib Gourmand.◼️ Overview of the restaurant (excerpt from GeminiAI):The main ingredients are the famous Omi jidori (chicken) and Omi shamo sourced from "Kawana" in Shiga Prefecture. The restaurant prepares the whole chicken on-site, ensuring exceptional freshness, with a firm texture and rich umami flavor that intensifies with each bite. The yakitori is grilled to perfection over Kishu Binchotan charcoal, resulting in a crispy, fragrant exterior and juicy interior.The head chef, who is now succeeded by his apprentice, hails from the prestigious Gifu Japanese restaurant "Takada Hassho," which contributes to the high quality of both the skewers and the a la carte dishes.◆Today, I was working on documents at the office. I had some backlog, but I also avoided going out because I had a dinner meeting in Gifu City. If I had gone all the way to Shiratori Town in Gujo City, it would have taken about 3 hours and 20 minutes round trip, so I decided against it.A colleague from the meeting came to pick me up by car, and I couldn’t help but sing a nostalgic song: "I can drink, I can drink!" ◆Monday, 17:48, I arrived at the parking lot.◼️ ParkingThis restaurant does not have its own parking. I parked at a coin parking lot in Wakamiya-cho. Reference: Night rate JPY 200/30 minutes.I walked towards the restaurant, but even though I knew it was next to the Juroku Bank on the map, I couldn’t find it. Where is it? I wondered, until I discovered a narrow staircase leading to the second floor!As I climbed up, I felt a sense of age; the stairs were quite worn out. Upon reaching the second floor and entering the restaurant, I was greeted by a luxurious atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the shabby stairs.Near the entrance, there were Michelin and Tabelog Bronze awards displayed, along with the 100 Best Restaurants plaque.As I moved further in, I noticed four small private rooms on the right side of the corridor and an L-shaped counter on the left.I was guided to the innermost private room.Although it was the most expensive course on the menu, it felt relatively affordable for a renowned restaurant.◉ Omakase Course by the Head Chef - JPY 7,150This was the pre-ordered course.Since it’s a popular restaurant, I recommend making a reservation.▶ Content of the Omakase Course - JPY 7,150▷ Beer - JPY 660 x 3Cheers with Sapporo Black Label! I enjoyed three pints of Black Label.◯ AppetizerA firm-textured snap pea and boiled tsurumurasaki were served, dressed in a light soy sauce with a strong dashi flavor from bonito.Though it was a small dish, the quality was excellent and delicious!◯ Jidori RillettesServed on slices of firm French bread, brushed with olive oil, topped with a purée of jidori chicken mixed with herbs and spices.The rich flavor of the jidori chicken combined with the herbs and spices was delightful!Even after eating, the umami and spice lingered pleasantly on my palate.◯ ChawanmushiThe chawanmushi was rich in egg flavor and had a strong dashi presence.Topped with shiso flowers and slightly charred eggplant purée, the burnt flavor added a nice accent.This method of enhancing a flavorful dish with a touch of char reminded me of the French cuisine at Belle Equip in Mizunami City, which I found to be an interesting twist!◯ Chicken Daki-mi (as the staff referred to it)I thought I misheard, so I asked again, but they confirmed the same.After researching, I found out that Daki-mi refers to chicken breast wrapped in skin (or alternating breast and skin) skewered for yakitori.The chicken skin was lightly charred and grilled to perfection.As I bit into the yakitori, the aroma of the chicken skin was delightful, and the quality of the fat, along with the perfect saltiness, made it delicious!It had been a while since I enjoyed chicken skin this much!Last Saturday, I had a chicken clear soup ramen at a top ramen restaurant in Ichinomiya City, where the chicken skin was not visible but had a slightly fishy taste and poor fat quality, which was disappointing.By the way, I mentioned a few days ago that I have disliked pork fat and chicken skin since childhood, often swallowing them with water when I had to eat them.I hated the mushy texture and the slightly fishy smell that came with biting into them, along with the poor quality of fat!As a child, I only ate supermarket-level meat, so I thought all pork fat and chicken skin were bad.However, after exploring high-end restaurants as an adult, I realized that I only react negatively to low-quality fat (even at supermarket levels).No matter how finely minced or made into broth, the original meat quality reveals itself through the richness of the fat.This taste detection is quite valuable and appreciated in terms of Tabelog reviews!◯ Chicken Thigh Yuu-an YakiTopped with sprouts, it had a light soy sauce flavor, with hints of sesame and saltiness, and the refreshing crunch of myoga.As I bit into the meat, the thigh's elasticity and juicy flavor burst forth, making the chicken skin delicious too!◯ Omi Shamo ThighThe saltiness was perfect, with a delightful elasticity and rich flavor from the fat!Although the portion was small, it disappeared quickly, but the organizer of the evening brought out some sansho pepper, which paired wonderfully!▷ SORATHI1984 (beer) x 2The organizer mentioned that it has a flavor similar to 'Inedit,' known as the Dom Pérignon of beers.It was described as a wine-like beer, with a pleasant bitterness and no off-flavors, making it easier to drink and delicious!◯ TsukuneJuicy fat was visibly oozing out, looking delicious!The flavor was rich due to the minced meat, and the quality of the chicken was juicy and flavorful, complemented by the crunch of the onions.◯ Chilled Yuba with SauceTwo rolls of fresh yuba topped with sakura shrimp, served with winter melon and shiitake mushrooms in a soy sauce dashi.The high-quality tofu flavor and the smooth texture of the fresh yuba were delightful, with the umami from the chicken and shiitake, and the refreshing taste of the grilled sakura shrimp winter melon.The dashi was robust, making this dish delicious too!◯ White LiverFrom other reviews, I saw that people were happy to see this on the menu.It had a rare quality, not fully cooked, and the sweetness of the sauce combined with the clean umami of the liver created a refreshing and clear deliciousness!◼️ When I arrived, there were no other customers, and the dishes were served quickly, making it a bit challenging to eat.However, as more customers arrived, the service noticeably slowed down (laughs).Isn’t this a course meal?Even if the kitchen was relaxed due to the lack of customers, serving dishes too quickly is questionable.Since it’s a course meal, I believe a certain pacing is important.◇◯ TomatoThree cherry tomatoes skewered and grilled, topped with basil.The grilled tomatoes brought out their sweetness, and the refreshing acidity combined with the basil made for a delightful bite!◯ EelServed hot on a skewer, as expected from a yakitori restaurant (laughs).The smoky aroma from the charcoal grilling added a nice touch.The skin was a bit thick, but the rich flavor of the eel fat was prominent, and the sauce was light, allowing the eel's natural taste to shine through.◯ Quail EggsThree quail eggs skewered, with the middle one smoked.All had a runny yolk, and the smoked one added a lovely aroma, making it an interesting and delightful experience!The high-quality yolk had a rich flavor, making it delicious!◯ CroquetteThe description was simply "croquette," but a colleague who had been there before mentioned, "Is it the jidori and truffle cream croquette?" The staff went to check.Later, they confirmed, "Yes, it is indeed the jidori and truffle cream croquette."I believe that having such descriptions can significantly change the impression of the dish!Upon tasting, the creamy texture and the fluffy truffle flavor were delightful, along with the umami of the chicken!◯ Omi Shamo Chicken WingsDescribed as Yuu-an grilled.The skin was beautifully grilled, crispy, and smoky!Biting into it revealed the quality of the fat, with juicy meat and a pleasant aftertaste.◉ Hida Beef Chateaubriand - JPY 1,100 (a la carte order outside the course)When the evening organizer asked, "Is Chateaubriand included in the course?" the response was "No, it’s not," so we all decided to order it as an addition.The seasoning was perfect, and as I bit into it, the fat oozed out.The quality of the Hida beef fat was excellent, melting in my mouth, ranking among the top in terms of preparation and flavor!◯ Chicken White Soup RamenA rich chicken white soup with a hint of ginger.The chicken oil provided a round flavor without any unpleasant odors or greasiness, making it so delicious that I wanted to add rice!The noodles were thin and had a pleasant, chewy texture, and the chicken chashu was sweet and flavorful!However, the aftertaste of umami was not as clean as the yakitori, having a slight murkiness.Still, I believe this is a high-level deliciousness for a yakitori restaurant's chicken white soup ramen.◯ Ice CreamDescribed simply as ice cream.I thought it might be matcha based on its color, but it turned out to be a nutty, rich pistachio ice cream!◼️ Payment methods include cash and various credit cards; other details are unclear (as the payment was made by the organizer).I was dressed casually upon entering.The service was provided by a young male staff member who seemed a bit gloomy and spoke softly.When the evening organizer ordered a "Iichiko Sour," for some reason, a highball arrived instead (laughs).Moreover, they mentioned that they were out of stock for about two other types of shochu.Additionally, the final dish was confused with a TKG being mistaken for ochazuke, indicating too many order misunderstandings!The inventory management seemed lacking as well.The service and order confirmation were notably poor, which is a shame considering the excellent taste of the yakitori.
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