Shirokane Toritama Honkan

A Disappointing Mismatch Between Good Food and Problematic Service The quality of the food itself was acceptable, and the chef clearly has skill. However, the service we experienced was profoundly disappointing and created a frustrating dining atmosphere that overshadowed the meal. The core issue was a lack of communication and attention to detail from the service staff, which felt dismissive. This was evident in several key areas: 1. Confusing and Inattentive Service: When ordering skewers, we specified our selections clearly. Despite this, we were served the same type of skewer twice, indicating a significant error in order management. 2. Lack of Transparency: At the end of the meal, we were presented with a total bill amount with no itemized breakdown. Several items were unfamiliar, and with no way to verify what we were being charged for, it felt opaque and unprofessional. 3. Minimal Engagement: The staff showed no interest in explaining the menu, checking if we were enjoying our meal, or clarifying the charges. We felt ignored throughout the experience. While the kitchen delivered on its promise, the front-of-house service was completely disconnected. The overall experience was so negative that I cannot recommend this restaurant, and I believe it's important for potential customers, especially those who might not be familiar with the cuisine, to be aware of these significant service shortcomings.

Our dining experience started very badly. We made a reservation 1 week in advance for a Friday evening at 8.30pm. We got to the restuarant by 8.10pm and waited outside like the other diners. I think they forgot about us. The waiter told us to wait outside, so we did, but we didn't get seated until 20 mins late at 8.50pm after I popped my head through the door to remind them as I was not happy with the delay. I think they lost our reservation, but after their manager checked our confirmation email they let us in. 20 seats around the bar counter. They have about 5 staff. It takes them to grill the food so better to order a lot at a time. We had about 10 yakitori sticks each and 2 drinks each. Price wise higher end for yakitori restuarant...Our total bill was JPY17,000. After the bad start to service, I cheered up after drinking sake and eating. We left around 11pm when they were closing

Very nice Yakitori place with great customer service. The chef knows we don’t know Japanese, so he used his phone to translate the words to us for each of the dishes. For non-Japanese speakers, they even have English menu provided, very thoughtful indeed! High price for value for the quality of food they deliveries. (Think their alcohol are fairly priced)

The best yakitori experience of my life. Asked chef for his favorite skewers and we’re treated to a spectacular array of chicken innards and cuts. It’s a must go but you must have a reservation.

Order the 12 sticks set meal is just right for 1 person. You don't need to order any rice item. Food can be a little salty. The place is small. Walking is abit far from the station but is walkable. It's not suitable for kids that can not sit still.

Overall good, but the duck sashimi was so beyond expectedly delicious! Would come again for the duck sashimi and the egg lantern (sold out at the day I visited)

The team welcomed us from the moment we walked in, seated us immediately, and made our first yakitori experience amazing. We had the 10 skewer experience plus duck and a chicken egg skewer. They explained what we were having, showed us the spices to use, and laughed and joked with us. The food is no joke, absolutely delicious 😋

Amazing chicken skewers Izakaya! The chefs were very nice and it’s gaijin friendly (easy to understand English menus)

Shi-shi Yakitori joint which is totally appropriate for low-key date night occasion. They serve each Yakitori individually like high end sushi place. We ordered "omakase" aka chef's pick. They served thigh, tender, gizzards, liver, skin and neck. Beside standard meat parts, neck was pretty delicious. Other intestinal stuffs were delicious but you might have to work to get rid of your mental barrier of you aren't adventurous enough. And tori soba- ramen with chicken broth was the bomb. I wish they open up a ramen joint just for that. I chugged good amount of alcohol and the bill came out roughly ¥8000. This is now a place to treat myself for special occasion.

Yes amazing yakitori place with the vibe of midnight diner; each skewer is perfectly cooked. Perfect match with Japanese whiskey.

Toritama Honkan is one of the OG beak-to-tail yakitori restaurants in Tokyo! My friend and I both ordered the 12 skewer set menu for ¥3580 and were absolutely blown away. It was such an awesome dining experience getting to try the different parts of the chicken. There are not a lot of legit yakitori places outside of Japan (they use a special charcoal), so it's worth trying if you're in town. Not for the faint of heart (ha, get it?), but definitely a must-visit for all adventurous eaters out there!

One of the best Yakitori in Tokyo! This place is off the beaten path, traditional and welcoming, frequented mostly by locals.. which also means that the atmosphere will become louder and smokier as the hours go by. Come fairly early if you want to enjoy some of the most sought-after cuts, some of which are quite unique and can be challenging for the non-initiated (Chochin is an acquired taste). Lastly, I recommend that with all this amazing meat you also order some of the seasonal vegetables (in September the raw Kyoto eggplant was spectacular).

Pretty non-descript storefront, hidden under a bridge overpass with the only clue to its existence being a light-up sign that reads "酉" (TORI) from the outside. The heavy sliding doors that read almost uncomfortably close to the yakitori bar counter, to the point of borderline discomfort for patrons inside, somewhat imbues an air of exclusivity, or an illusion of mystique, as if a wonderful yet mysterious world that has yet to be explored lies in wait -- and behind those doors exists a mysterious and wonderful world indeed. The Japanese like to incorporate the phrase "...wa otoko no roman" (は男のロマン) to describe something that may appear relatively simple on the outside but by comparison has a level of depth and detail that can be explored and perfected (sometimes to the point of disdain or disgust from others) and Toritama definitely appeals to those who believe yakitori fall into the aforementioned category. The trend nowadays for Yakitori restaurants seem to be overwhelmingly shifting towards harder to find consumable parts (希少部位 kishoubu-i) than the "major organs" such as the heart, liver, gizzard, etc. or the more meatier parts like tsukune/momo (thigh) and tebasaki (wings) That being said, most people that idly stumble here thinking they're going to walk out with their belly full of chicken for a reasonable street food price will most likely leave disappointed; menu items run anywhere from 200-400 for a single skewer, which makes the three set options (priced from 1800-3500/person, ranging from 7-12 skewers per set) the best bang for your buck, especially if you're not all too familiar with the "every man's dream" that is Yakitori. Myself and a fellow diner ordered the Tama (玉) Set which included the following: ガツ (gatsu -- pig intestine) みさき (misaki -- rooster tail) きんちゃく (kinchaku -- fatty offal) すなぎも (sunagimo -- gizzard) はなのつぼみ (hana no tsubomi -- liver...ish) さえずり (saezuri -- aesophagus) 正肉 (shouniku -- thigh) おび (obi -- soft part of the thigh) ちょうちん (chouchin -- underdeveloped eggs attached to fallopian tube) しし唐 (shishito peppers) Had Toritama not been the last stop of the night, I could easily see myself spending over 5000 yen trying all the different varieties here -- there's also a good variety of nihonshu/shouchu/wine available at request as well as soft drinks for those that are alcohol impaired. The main store at Shirokanedai has a tendency to close its doors either once the restaurant reaches maximum occupancy, or at 10PM, so try to get their sparingly quickly; if you find yourself "locked out" you can also go to their annex just a corner and a short trot away from the main storefront.

Love this place. This is my go to yakitori place. This has another branch too. The atmosphere, taste, service all the great. You need to make a reservation.

True beak to tail dining, Toritama is a delicious tour through all parts of the chicken. The decor is sedate and calm with counter seating only and 2 chefs manning the grill. English menus are available and detail all the different parts of the chicken. Would recommend the set menu with 12 skewers to try as much as possible. Appetizers including the side salad and chilled tomato were excellent. The grilled garlic in soy sauce was excellent as well. There was not one chicken part that not delicious and expertly done. Highlights included chicken oyster, chochin (uterus with preformed egg), heart, gizzard. Many pieces were specials by the chef that had no English name and were not on the menu. This place is top-class yakitori.