I had always wanted to visit the famous yakitori restaurant “Torishiki” in Meguro, but securing a reservation seemed impossible. Recently, I discovered another exceptional yakitori restaurant run by a chef who trained at Torishiki for six years. Naturally, I had to try it! The restaurant is called Yakitori Omino (焼鳥 おみ乃), located near Tokyo Skytree. Its exterior exudes the elegance of a high-end Japanese restaurant.
Yakitori Omino was awarded a Michelin star in the Tokyo 2020 guide. Since then, reservations have become even harder to secure. Currently, bookings are available through the omakase website, so I recommend planning well in advance.
The restaurant offers counter seating only, arranged around an open kitchen. Their chicken comes from Datedori, a high-quality breed sourced from trusted farmers. The focus is on a chef’s choice dinner course, though additional items can be ordered from the menu, which also includes a variety of sake and shochu.
To begin, I shared a medium-sized bottle of Sapporo Lager beer, also known as Akahoshi (Red Star). Its smooth, refreshing taste was the perfect start to the meal.
Next, I tried a recommended sake that wasn’t listed on the menu: Kamotsuru Hiroshima-Nishiki Jyunmai-syu (賀茂鶴 広島錦 純米酒). Its balanced flavor complemented the grilled dishes beautifully.
The dinner course primarily features yakitori, served continuously until you say “stop.” However, note that you’ll still receive any skewers that are already being grilled when you make your request, so plan accordingly!
We began with pickles and grated daikon radish. The coarsely grated radish had a delightful crunch and a sharp, fresh flavor. Refills were available, and the pickles were equally delicious—setting high expectations for the yakitori to come.
Highlights from the Skewers
1. Liver: Served rare, with a rich, creamy texture.
2. Sasami: Tender breast meat, lightly grilled on the outside and rare on the inside.
3.Gingko Nuts: Lightly salted and roasted to perfection.
4.Grilled tofu (Atsuage): Although I’m not a fan of atsuage, this version—made with silky smooth tofu and topped with spicy vegetables—was exceptional.
5.Steamed tsukune (optional): Extraordinarily soft and flavorful.
6.Gizzard: Its crunchy texture was a standout.
7.Maruhatsu (Heart): Springy and full of flavor—a unique delight.
8.Large Donko. Donko is a type of shiitake mushroom. When I bit into it, plenty of rich mushroom juice filled my mouth—so satisfying.
9.Seseri: Seseri is the neck meat of chicken. It was juicy and flavorful.
10.Ishikawa imo (yam): A simple yet earthy yam dish.
11.Kappa: Soft chicken cartilage. The crunchy texture combined with the smoky charcoal-grilled aroma was fantastic.
12.Tsukune: The chicken meatball skewer was packed with flavor.
13.Quail eggs: This was my first time trying soft-boiled quail eggs! The yolks were almost raw and burst in my mouth with a rich, creamy flavor.
At the end of the meal, we ordered rice dishes: Soborodon and Oyakodon.
Soborodon. This dish features rice infused with chicken soup, giving it a deep, savory flavor. The chicken soup was rich in chicken essence and fat but had no unpleasant smell. The soboro (minced chicken) had bits of soft bone, adding an occasional crunchy texture that was fun to eat. It was seasoned on the stronger side, but the seaweed layered between the rice and soboro was exceptional and balanced the dish beautifully.
Oyakodon. This rice bowl featured half-cooked beaten eggs. Personally, I prefer my eggs a bit rawer, but it was still enjoyable. The broth had a strong, savory flavor.
Duck was served as the last dish before we decided to stop. It was tender, chewy, and incredibly delicious—my favorite meat of the night. I wish it had been served earlier because I was already too full to fully enjoy it.
Refreshing Muscat were served as a light dessert to end the meal.
Unfortunately, the restaurant experience had some issues. Our reserved seats weren’t ready at the scheduled time, so we had only an hour to eat. The dishes were served rapidly, and we had to eat in a rush, which was exhausting. To make matters worse, the staff didn’t apologize for the delay. While the yakitori was delicious, the hurried pace and lack of consideration left me feeling more tired than satisfied. I don’t think I would make another reservation.
We heard that Omino offers a yakitori bento for take away, so we ordered one at the beginning of dinner and picked it up as we left. Priced at about 2000 yen, it included four yakitori and soboro.
The bento featured asparagus, which wasn’t part of the course meal. The thick, juicy asparagus was delightful. As always, the half-boiled quail eggs were excellent. The yakitori was as good as expected, but what stood out the most was the soboro. Seasoned with ginger, it was exceptional. I wish they sold the soboro separately so I could enjoy it without dining at the restaurant.
About
Name 焼鳥 おみ乃 (Yakitori Omino)
Open Dinner
Reservation Required (Omakase)
Credit card Available
Google Map
