A note on the words: yakitori is chicken grilled on skewers, ordered by the piece and usually seasoned either with tare (a sweet soy glaze) or simply with salt; yagen nankotsu is the flat keel cartilage from the chicken breast, prized for its crunch. Kabayaki is eel split, skewered, grilled and lacquered with tare. Nanohana is rape blossom, the bitter green of early spring, and ohitashi is the dish of briefly boiling a green and dressing it lightly with dashi and soy. Izakaya is a Japanese pub. Prices are as of this writing (August 2026).
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Torisho on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
I want to eat something good today as well. This is Hangover Meshi.
Around Kami-Itabashi, running a little late on an errand. There is a shop called Torisho that has always given off the air of being too busy to get into. Passing by, I had a quick look in, and it seemed I could get a counter seat on my own — so in I went.
I am hungry, and I may as well have one drink.
The front of the shop has a thoroughly retro feel to it, but the interior is very pleasant indeed.
The counter is a comfortable place to sit as well. There were plenty of other customers alongside me, but it did not bother me much.
Grilled things, sashimi, set meals — they have everything.
The plan: yakitori as the centerpiece, and whatever else takes my fancy alongside.
Right then. First things first: beer.
I do see why they do it, mind you!
Coming on your own, the fact that yakitori goes two skewers at a time is a bit of a problem.
What I really want is one of each of a great many things, but at two apiece you fill up immediately. The thigh has a plump texture, and with the tare grilled to a fragrant finish on top of that, it is good. Far better than the yakitori at an ordinary izakaya! The shop has “tori” — chicken — in its name, after all, so perhaps chicken is what they are confident about.
These two I asked for with salt.
The liver is soft and airy. No off smell, and good enough to carry salt alone. Very good liver.
Yagen cartilage is a fine thing, and a favorite of mine!! If I am allowed to be greedy, I would have liked this one grilled a little longer. I like it firm, so that it rattles as you eat it. The taste, though, is good.
I had honestly been thinking of going for sashimi. But then it caught my eye. Eel.
Come to think of it, the sign outside does say “skewers, eel, Torisho, Japanese cooking, banquets”. Perhaps eel is a specialty here as well! So I ordered it. Mmm — the aroma is good.
One bite, and: yes, the thickness is moderate; they might have grilled the skin side a little further. The tare is seasoned slightly on the salty side. Are they making it to suit a drink, I wonder? The small bones are firm and noticeable, so it needs chewing properly. The size is a fillet and a half — about right as something to drink alongside. As eel served at an ordinary izakaya, perhaps this is good?
Comparing it with a specialist shop is hardly fair, and I had hoped it might be something — but at 4,235 yen the value may not be quite there. Perhaps I should have gone for the sashimi after all.
That said, six skewers of yakitori (!) and grilled eel, and I was already rather full.
To finish, a beer and the nanohana ohitashi — and this ohitashi is tremendously good!
The degree of boiling, or rather the firmness, is perfect. It goes extremely well with the mustard served beside it. The seasoning is kept very light, so the flavor of the nanohana comes through clearly. A complete change from the eel just now: thoroughly refreshing. A little soy sauce to taste brings the seasoning to exactly the right point and it is superb. So that is it — the home-cooked side dishes are where this shop wins!
I really was getting full, so that was the end of it.
I heard afterwards that the chicken hot pots here are meant to be very good. The skewers are good, and above all I thought the side dishes were tremendous, so next time I would like to go for the skewers and the sashimi as well. The cod in sweet-vinegar sauce and the simmered dishes looked good too. I shall drift in on my own again some time. The room is clean and thoroughly comfortable, so I thought it was exactly right for the sort of visit where you have a quiet drink by yourself. Back again before long.
Torisho (Yakitori / Kami-Itabashi Station)
Tabelog dinner rating ★★★☆☆ 3.4
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
