In my summer 2019 trip to Osaka, I was able to score again a perfect yakitori in Osaka. This time was Ichimatsu (焼鳥 市松), one of the two yakitori restaurants in town awarded a Michelin star.
The visit
I had a reservation made through an online service (it was totally worth the 800 yen spent). They have two turns for night. I joined the second one at 8.15pm. On a Thursday night, all seats were spoken for. The counter hosted 10 people and there was a small private room for 5 additional covers. The restaurant has a very understated store-front as usual for this kind of restaurants.
The welcome dish was warm ricotta cheese.
I just drank Fuji Water. Another opening dish was a small piece of chicken breast sashimi (it is always incredible how good it is… Japan is the only place where I would eat raw chicken), with a soy sauce mousse and sesame oil powder (this dish is not pictured).
The first skewer was chicken neck. It was a bit chewy.
Next was a skewer with what was described as the external part of the gizzard. It was nice as every skewer would carry new flavors.
Meantime we were offered some thinly-cut radish with soy sauce and olive oil. This side dish was replenished on demand.
The next dish was one of the most unique of the evening: chicken’s Fallopian tubes. I can say that they were sweet.
The next skewer was a classic: chicken skin.
Next we were offered some grilled shishisto pepper.
The next two dishes marked a departure from chicken. The first was a delicious piece of pork with vinegar. I believe the pork was from Kagoshima.
Then we had a Chinese-inspired duck broth with tofu and rice sauce.
Then we were back to chicken with a substantial wing, lightly crispy and salty.
The next dish included a piece of Japanese orange, marinated tomato, and (on the bottom) a specimen of chicken ovaries. It was basically what comes before the egg. It popped in the mouth with flavorful liquids.
Another soup had char-grilled duck with green onions and Japanese peppers, to mix.
An exotic chicken part came next: marinated kidney to wrap in a leave of lettuce. It was surprisingly delicious.
The mandatory meatball was a little rare and dripping-juicy. Every yakitori chef has a personal recipe for this skewer. It also usually marks the final part of the course.
In the end we were offered rice with cabbage and corn, chicken soup, ginger pickle. At this point it was also possible to order additional skewers from a menu.
A cup of tea completed the meal.
The check
The check was 9,850 yen (88.65 USD). It was on the pricey side, but everything was executed so well that I did not mind. It is not an experience for everyone, but if you like strong flavors and skewers, this is probably one of the best in Osaka
Where in Osaka:
1-chome-5-1 Dojima Kita-ku
In Japanese: 大阪府 大阪市北区 堂島 1-5-1 エスパス北新地23・1F.