Toritama

Yakitori is often mistaken for casual food. At Toritama, it’s closer to a craft. The counter runs like a calm, smoky workshop where skewers are turned with steady attention, each cut of chicken given exactly the heat it needs and not a second more. The menu reads like a study of the bird itself. Familiar pieces appear, but the joy lies in the lesser-known cuts that yakitori devotees chase: tender, fatty morsels, crisp skin blistered over charcoal, and richer parts that take beautifully to the house tare (thickened soy sauce). Each arrives simply seasoned, the flavour coming mostly from fire, fat and careful timing. It’s the kind of place where you stop thinking about menus and start trusting the grill. One skewer leads to another, then another, until the table quietly fills with empty sticks.

Tatler Tip

Order gradually and let the skewers arrive one by one. The sake list—more than 80 labels strong—is worth exploring alongside the grill.