26Apr 10
Yakitori, skewers of chicken, beef, etc. cocked over a charcoal flame. Simple food if you ask me. Add in some beer or sake together with that, and it’s the perfect pub food. One place to check out is Yakitori Doori in Shinjuku. It’s right next to the train tracks.
Walking along Yakitori Doori is like going back in time. The small narrow streets and red lanterns hark back to a bygone era.
Along the streets you will find Yakitori restaurants. The restaurants are small and cramp, but the cooking skewers smell sooo good. Most of the menus here are in Japanese, but you can point to the chicken or beef skewers to signal what you want. There are english menus in some places.
I was lucky as walking along the alley, someone approached us in Mandarin. The restaurant owners were Chinese immigrants! So ordering from them wasn’t a problem. There are quite a few Chinese immigrants in Shinjuku, and you’ll find them working in many restaurants.
I wouldn’t call the Yakitori really very delicious. It is bland with a bit of salt sprinkled on. But that’s how it’s done in in Japan. Like I said, it’s a great pub food, so mix it with beer or sake, and you’ll be fine. The atmosphere in this street and restaurants are second to none though, and that’s the main thing.
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