Takechan is a small yakitori joint in Ginza (not far from Mitsukoshi department store) that has been running for over 50 years. Thanks to the internet, the cat is out of the bag and nowadays locals and tourists fight for a spot at its counter.
The visit
I decided to try my luck at Takechan after being turned back from a steakhouse nearby that was full. The store can be easily missed, but it was past 8pm and there was still a queue outside that unmistakably marked my destination. Eventually, we all made it in after 10-15 minutes wait. Not so bad. I was the last person to be seated, just 5 minutes before the last order time (8.30pm). The place does not take reservations as it is normal for traditional yakitori joints.
I sat at the counter next to a Japanese salaryman and two young Chinese-speaking customers. I was handed an English menu. They were perfectly organized to handle foreign customers. I chose the set menu with 8 skewers and I ordered a drink.
A course menu with only 5 skewers was also available.
The service was very fast. I was handed two condiments, grated radish and cabbage. They even gave me the customary wet towel.
The traditional five-spices condiment was also available (I never use it with yakitori).
The skewers arrived pretty quickly, not in the order of the menu, but the staff would tell me what it was in English. The first was the tsukune (chicken meatloaf).
The second skewer was sasame, a classic chicken breast with salt and wasabi.
There was also a cup of chicken soup.
Next was a skewer with duck meat flavored with miso (miso dengaku).
The fourth skewer was chicken liver barbecued with a sesame sauce.
Then there was kawa, a skewer with bits of chicken neck with soy sauce.
Next was butsu, chicken thigh simply barbecued with salt.
Then thee was a tebasaki skewer, chicken wings barbecued just with salt.
The last dish was a skewer with ginkgo seeds.
The action was fast and all the skewers were flavorful and perfectly cooked. I have read that the chef uses a chicken breed called Nagoya Cochin and roasts it over binchōtan charcoal that’s thinner than what’s regularly used at other yakitori places. The guy knows what he is doing.
At the end there was the option to have an ochazuke (additional charge), but I was happy with what I had.
The check
I spent 4,000 yen (37 USD) for the course menu and a drink. The soft drinks were priced at 800 yen, that is over the top, but the overall check was still honest. I found takechan on par with more sophisticated (and expensive) yakitori I have tried, just missing some of the more adventurous parts.
Where in Tokyo:
B1F, 4-8-13 Ginza, Chūō-ku.
東京都 中央区 銀座 4-8-13 銀座蟹睦会館ビル1Ｆ.