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Dinner at Tori Chataro (とり茶太郎)
with
Tomoko Morikawa
at
Tori Chataro (とり茶太郎)
on 21 June 2026
- Photo Views
- 1
- Meal Views
- 84
Tori Chataro is an intimate, counter-only yakitori restaurant in Shibuya’s quieter Uguisudani district. Chef-owner Takuya Kaneko, born in Tokyo in 1975, studied business and worked in several fields before entering the yakitori profession at 29. He trained at Yakitori Ebisu in Nishi-Ogikubo and the respected Souten in Otsuka, opening Tori Chataro in 2013.
Kaneko’s philosophy sounds simple: excellent grilled poultry accompanied by excellent drinks. What makes his restaurant exceptional is the range of birds presented within one course. Depending on availability, he uses Hinai-jidori, Nagoya Cochin, Ikkoku Shamo, Gassan Shamo, guinea fowl and Kasumi duck, many raised longer than conventional poultry to develop firmer texture and deeper flavor. Each requires different heat, distance and time over the charcoal.
The modest eleven-seat room focuses attention on Kaneko’s grill. The atmosphere is serious but comfortable, animated by glowing charcoal, drifting smoke and the quiet rhythm of skewers being turned. Service is warm, knowledgeable and precisely paced.
The meal becomes a comparative study of poultry. Lightly seared guinea-fowl and Hinai-jidori breast reveal contrasting textures and levels of sweetness. Smoked white liver is exceptionally rich and creamy, sharpened by salt and a controlled perfume of smoke. Duck thymus brings a softly elastic texture and concentrated savory flavor.
The familiar skewers demonstrate Kaneko’s technique most clearly. Negima combines blistered skin, succulent thigh and sweet, smoke-softened leek. Tsukune remains juicy beneath its caramelized exterior and gains further richness from egg yolk. The signature chicken wing stuffed with sansho rice is a memorable conclusion: thin, crisp skin surrounds rice saturated with rendered chicken fat, while Japanese pepper provides fragrance and a gentle numbing lift.
Rather than treating poultry as trophies, he uses their differences purposefully, allowing diners to taste how breed, maturity, muscle and fat shape flavor and texture.
Tori Chataro received Silver at the Tabelog Awards in 2025 and 2026 and has repeatedly appeared among Japan’s top yakitori restaurants. The recognition feels deserved. This is powerful, generous cooking, but never merely heavy or luxurious. Kaneko turns different breeds, ages and cuts into a coherent progression, preserving yakitori’s elemental pleasure while giving it unusual depth and personality.
8 / 10
