Christine L
Google
One of my best-ever dining experiences was at Yakitori Sanka in Tokyo. I found this tiny spot in the Michelin guide for yakitori. The owner uses specialty chicken and dusts each piece with sun-dried salt from the eastern Kochi Prefecture over Tosa binchotan charcoal. Not only was this the best yakitori and sake I consumed, but the service from the entire staff was bar none.
I booked online via Table Check as soon as reservations opened, a month before our visit. I pre-ordered the eight-course yakitori course (6270 Yen each), which included four appetizers and several chicken and vegetable skewers. The cost of the food and wine was more than reasonable for the quality and deliciousness we experienced.
The restaurant is hidden upstairs on the second floor. The room has a big open kitchen, showcasing a charcoal grill that smoked and flared throughout the night. All the seats surround the kitchen so that everyone can view the action.
I started with a sparkling wine. I read the owner is a sommelier. We noticed the chef would try all the wines before they were served to guests to test their quality. The wine itself was nice and mellow, with fruit-forward notes. I knew right away I had to try some of the other wines and sake because I felt I would appreciate the line-up.
Our set of appetizers included the most delicious warm custard. The nugget of braised beef and tomatoes exploded with rich flavour on our tongue. L noted the salt texture in our green salad and commented that everything was perfectly seasoned.
The first skewer was the chicken shoulder, speckled with wasabi. The meat was soft and plump, with a clean flavour. L and I tried a fruity sake, which smelled like melons and was so smooth that I couldn't even taste the alcohol. What I loved about this sake was that it was easy to drink and went well with the food.
The next chicken skewer was magnificent. The skin was thick and crunchy, and the meat was salty and juicy. I chewed as slowly as possible to enjoy the flavour. I noticed the chef intently dusting each skewer with salt and watching the smoke from the charcoal. Once every while, he would poke or add more charcoal to the grill.
One of my favourite pieces was the chicken gizzard. I loved the crunch, as the interesting texture reminded me of a cross between celery and cabbage. Each bite filled your mouth with the most delicious charcoal fragrance.
One of L's favourite bites was the grilled cabbage, which we could watch cooking for a lengthy time on the grill, more than twice that of the chicken. The cabbage was crunchy, with an explosion of refreshing, onion-like bite.
We then supped on super hot fried tofu. The room holds about 14 seats, and by 7:00 p.m., each spot was filled. Though Yakitori Sanka is tourist-friendly, it was frequented by native-speaking Japanese customers on Saturday.
The mushroom was so delicious it tasted like beef but so tender. I could feel my eyes rolling into the back of my head as I sucked the juices from the morsel. L said this place would ruin us because other yakitori places couldn't compare with it.
For our second sake, I wanted to try the drier one. I enjoyed this, but the first one was more enjoyable because it was light and easy to drink. I appreciated how the staff communicated all the details of the food and sake, using adjectives to describe each item. They wanted us to have a positive experience and not miss any particular detail.
The meatball was unique—clear white juices from chicken. There was something very Canadian about the simplicity of flavour. The chicken was fluffy and clean.
We were given a soul-satisfying chicken broth at the end of our courses. The soup was nourishing and comforted my stomach, a nice touch to end the night. Finally, we were handed a cup of tea to finish.
Yakitori Sanki is a special spot we plan to revisit in Tokyo. You can tell by watching the owner cook and how the staff interact with customers that they exemplify excellence in craft and service.
