Izakaya term
Yakitori 焼き鳥
Yakitori is skewered, charcoal-grilled chicken — and a great yakitori-ya uses every part of the bird, from thigh and skin to more adventurous cuts, each grilled to its own ideal doneness over intense binchotan charcoal.
Tare or shio
Skewers are seasoned one of two ways: tare, a sweet-savory soy glaze brushed on repeatedly, or shio, just salt. Purists often order the first skewers shio to taste the meat, then move to tare.
Nose to tail
Beyond thigh (momo) and skin (kawa), a serious shop offers hearts, livers, cartilage, tail and more — nothing is wasted, and the variety is the point.
Insider tip. Order the skin (kawa) — crisped over charcoal, it's the skewer that separates a great yakitori shop from an average one.
Where to try Yakitori near you
Top-rated izakaya spots on Yes Ichiban with real, orderable online menus: