A note on the words: yakitori is chicken grilled on skewers over charcoal, salted or brushed with tare, the sweet-savory soy glaze. Soboro is meat crumbled fine and simmered in seasoning. A shochu soda is Japan’s distilled spirit cut with soda water. Meguro is a quiet district two stops south of Shibuya. Prices are as of this writing (August 2026).
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Toriyaki Sasaya on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Right, this is Hangover Meshi. Dinner this time was at “Toriyaki Sasaya,” the well-regarded yakitori shop in Meguro. On the day it was unfortunately raining! About ten minutes on foot from Meguro Station under an umbrella. Perhaps because it is along the river, I found myself thinking how quiet it was as I stepped inside.
I was shown to the counter, and the crackling of the charcoal reaches you, which is lovely!
Twelve-skewer yakitori course 7,700 yen
One course, twelve skewers for 7,700 yen! It seems you can order extras, so I shall think about it if it is not enough.
First, grated daikon and pickles.
The grated daikon is for picking at between skewers, as a snack with a drink. Superb!
The pickles too may lean more toward being a snack with a drink ^^ Good.
First, tsukune and sunagimo.
The tsukune has a lovely texture that falls apart nicely, and the gizzard is cooked with exquisite judgment so that it never goes tough.
The salt is spot on and it is very good. That first mouthful pulls you right in. The shochu soda I paired with it is superb.
These shishito peppers are extremely good too! The touch of tare over them lifts the flavor gently, which is lovely.
The wasabi does not hit too sharply and the flavor is strong, and it goes perfectly with the soft sasami, again cooked with exquisite judgment!
The negima — bite into it and the juices come welling out. A juicy skewer!
Atsuage! An interesting skewer. It is nicely seasoned, and the fragrance of the char comes through directly!
Soft, rich in fat and juicy!
Ginkgo nuts, sweet and delicious!
This is unusual among vegetable skewers too. The sweetness stands out here as well and it is good.
This one was extremely good.
The inside is on the rare side, but it is plump and soft and the flavor of the liver comes through clearly.
This texture is a trick only exquisite judgment of the heat can pull off. Good enough that I found myself wanting another!
They ask whether you want the egg on top. Since I was here I had it added, and the soboro is faintly sweet and gives it a lovely flavor! Not too sweet, and the taste of the chicken comes through clearly. A firm, plump yolk! Break it and it runs down into the soboro, and it is good!
The egg may well be worth adding.
So: twelve skewers plus the rice and you end up full. I imagine it is because the judgment of the heat is superb, but every skewer, vegetable or chicken, is good. They are served one at a time so you can concentrate on the conversation too, and between the grilling in front of you, the aroma and the crackling, I think the counter seats are the better ones for the sense of it happening live! I shall come again!
Toriyaki Sasaya (Yakitori / Meguro Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.7
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
