01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
At Toridan Abiko, choosing yakitori one skewer at a time also means choosing how you like it cooked. A diner who came for the liver recalled being asked how they wanted it cooked, and the menu lists both liver and chicken breast grilled rare. Another diner singled out thigh and negima—chicken and spring onion skewers—especially with salt. Start with the style that appeals: a rare-grilled skewer, or thigh and negima seasoned with salt.
Tsukune, or chicken meatballs, come with a choice of tare sauce and egg yolk, salt and ume plum, cheese, or grated daikon with ponzu. The hand-formed meatballs must be ordered from 1 portions of 2 skewers, so ordering both tare and salt makes for an easy comparison. Between skewers, try the daily-changing assortment of 3 small side dishes or a quick bite such as a whole pickled cucumber.
For a final savoury dish, there are 10 kinds of kamameshi, rice cooked in an individual iron pot. Options range from young chicken with lotus root to ume plum with whitebait, or scallop with mentaiko and butter. You can keep to the chicken flavours or choose something different, and decide on a final dish as you go. One diner who came for the liver also recalled the kamameshi as a highlight.
Beer, sake, wine and other drinks are available, as are all-you-can-drink options, making the restaurant well suited to a group sharing skewers and small plates. Reservations are accepted. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays and open from 17:00 until 1:00 the following day, Monday and Wednesday through Sunday.
