Located about a 3-minute walk from Akasaka Mitsuke Station, Maki Tori Shin Kobe is a highly sought-after yakitori restaurant that has been selected as a Tabelog Silver establishment. This time, I was able to visit thanks to a reservation made by a friend!By the way, the entrance is not on the station side, but on the parking lot side, one street back. I got lost and had to ask the staff for directions, so I hope this helps anyone planning to visit. Haha.As soon as you enter the restaurant, you are greeted by the sweet and fragrant aroma of firewood, which creates a refreshing atmosphere. The scent immediately transports you into a different world. It truly enhances the ambiance of the space.The course starts all at once with a single menu option. You can enjoy the live cooking experience at the U-shaped counter surrounding the kitchen.The firewood grilling technique cooks at a higher temperature than charcoal, resulting in a crispy, fragrant exterior while keeping the inside surprisingly juicy and moist. The unique smoky flavor from the firewood adds depth to the taste. Not only the skewers but also the firewood toast and other dishes were exceptional. Above all, the restaurant's signature dish, the clay pot rice, is worth the visit. It was so delicious that I genuinely thought, "I want to come back just for this."The young staff provided attentive and detailed service. The friendly atmosphere made it enjoyable to chat and spend time there. No wonder it’s hard to get a reservation!----------Order----------【Omakase Course (JPY 24,000)】■ Skewers / ▢ Special Dishes■ Akita Kogen Hinai Chicken Thigh ▢ Sweet Vinegared Japanese Radish ■ Yamaguchi Prefecture Choshu Chicken Heart ▢ Firewood Grilled Shizuoka Mushrooms ▢ Chicken Shumai Soup ■ Yamaguchi Prefecture Choshu Chicken Liver ■ Akita Kogen Hinai Chicken Breast with Homemade Harissa ▢ Chicken Broth Chawanmushi with Firewood Grilled Spring Cabbage Sauce ▢ Akita Kogen Hinai Chicken Calf with Wasabi Soy Sauce ▢ Awaji Island New Onion with Anchovy Sauce ▢ Firewood Grilled Toast with Chicken Breast Rillettes ■ Obi Sori Sweet Long Pepper ■ Akita Kogen Hinai Chicken Wings with Pepper Paste ▢ Refreshing Fruit Tomato ▢ Chicken Broth Red Miso Soup ▢ Iburi Gakko ▢ Clay Pot Rice ▢ Fruit Candy Red Grapes Koto Ka ▢ Homemade Fresh Caramel ▢ Oriental Beauty Tea----------Review----------■ Akita Kogen Hinai Chicken Thigh ▢ Sweet Vinegared Japanese Radish ■ Yamaguchi Prefecture Choshu Chicken Heart The thigh was simple yet allowed me to directly appreciate the goodness of firewood grilling. The aroma spreads before it even enters your mouth, and when you bite into it, the skin is crispy, and the juices burst out. The tenderness and richness of flavor left a strong impression. The heart, when chewed, becomes soft and tender, spreading its flavor beautifully. The seasoning was just right.▢ Firewood Grilled Shizuoka Mushrooms ▢ Chicken Shumai Soup The mushrooms were topped with salted chicken breast. They were surprisingly juicy, with the saltiness and umami perfectly balanced. I really enjoyed this. The chicken shumai was made with dashi from Rishiri kombu that had been soaked for two days. The dashi was pure kombu flavor, with a delicate umami that didn’t have any bitterness. While you can feel the presence of chicken, the fluffy shumai, combined with the sweetness of onions, created a good balance, and breaking it apart enhanced the umami from the kombu.■ Yamaguchi Prefecture Choshu Chicken Liver ■ Akita Kogen Hinai Chicken Breast with Homemade Harissa The liver was glistening on the outside, and when bitten into, it burst and melted in the mouth. The breast was paired with Tunisian harissa. The tender breast meat, combined with the mild spiciness of the harissa made from paprika, provided a nice kick.▢ Chicken Broth Chawanmushi with Firewood Grilled Spring Cabbage Sauce ▢ Akita Kogen Hinai Chicken Calf with Wasabi I love chawanmushi, but here, the spring cabbage takes center stage. Typically, heating it gives a sweet impression, but firewood grilling adds a fragrant and slightly bitter umami. I liked the structure that made the chicken broth sauce and egg mixture complement the chawanmushi. The calf was from the first skewer of the thigh. Being a muscular part, it has a strong umami flavor, yet it was very tender and juicy, showcasing the careful cooking. The strong flavor was perfectly accented by the wasabi soy sauce.▢ Awaji Island New Onion with Anchovy Sauce ▢ Firewood Grilled Toast with Chicken Breast Rillettes The new onion was served with an anchovy cream sauce. Its creamy sweetness and texture provided a nice palate cleanser. I must highlight the toast. As soon as you bite into it, the aroma of firewood spreads, and since it’s soaked in oil, it’s crispy and juicy like it’s been fried. It’s thickly sliced and slightly sweet, but the toast itself is subtle, allowing the rillettes to shine. I wanted to order more of this... it left a strong impression.■ Obi Sori Sweet Long Pepper ■ Akita Kogen Hinai Chicken Wings with Pepper Paste The soft and chewy obi paired with the firm texture and rich flavor of sori on one skewer. The texture of the sweet long pepper matched perfectly. The chicken wings had green onions stuffed into the deboned part. Turning the strong pepper into a paste was a great idea, and the fat from the wings combined with the sweetness of the green onions was delightful. The fluffy wings were delicious.▢ Refreshing Fruit Tomato ▢ Chicken Broth Red Miso Soup ▢ Iburi Gakko ▢ Clay Pot Rice After refreshing my palate with a compote and sorbet of fruit tomatoes soaked in "V.S.O.P.", we reached the finale... or rather, this is where the restaurant truly shines!! The freshly cooked clay pot rice mixed with carefully prepared chicken ground meat is the restaurant's signature dish. I can’t even put this into words. If I had to choose, I’d say it’s "incredibly delicious!!" Haha. They use only the umami and fat from the leftover meat and salt from the yakitori process, and I was amazed at how much flavor came out of it! It’s rich in umami without being overly seasoned, hitting me like a flavor punch. And the flavor variations are incredible. Ginger sauce / Kanzuri green onions / Firewood grilled okahijiki tsukudani / Quail eggs. First, you eat it plain, and then they provide the flavor variations one by one with each refill. This means you have to eat at least five bowls! Even though I was quite full by this point, I couldn’t stop eating. I absolutely couldn’t stop! Haha. I ended up eating seven bowls, including adding quail eggs and ginger sauce after going around once. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this moved by rice. I want to eat that clay pot all by myself before I die...▢ Fruit Candy Red Grapes Koto Ka ▢ Homemade Fresh Caramel ▢ Oriental Beauty Tea The final dessert also shows great attention to detail. The fruit candy was coated in a soft candy shell. The fresh caramel was served in a jar, making me feel like Winnie the Pooh. I scooped it out with a spoon and washed it down with a refreshing sweet-smelling Taiwanese tea, concluding the course!----------Wow, that was great. Of course, the yakitori was delicious, but I was more impressed by the special dishes like the mushrooms, toast, and rice. It was truly a satisfying and fulfilling experience! It was a great meal! ✨Thank you for reading this far! With that, I conclude my review!!------------------------------- Thank you for checking out my post! If you’re interested in the restaurant, I’d be happy if you could save it using the "Save the Restaurant" button below! I hope this helps you choose your next important meal! ✨-------------------------------