I got 4 skewers of yakitori at a yakitori restaurant in the basement of Matsuya Ginza! All of them were seasoned with salt, including sand liver, asparagus, negima, and cartilage skewers. This lineup is pretty standard at most places, but I love it. The total cost for 4 skewers was 648 yen (including 8% tax).

[Tokyo, Chuo-ku] [Number of visits: 4 times] On 7/19/2020 (Sun), at Matsuya Ginza (Ginza 3-chome), a takeout yakitori shop located in the basement of a department store. The location is... in the food section on the basement 1st floor of Matsuya Department Store, along Chuo-dori in Ginza 3-chome. Directly connected from Metro Ginza Station, A12 exit. No regular holidays. Business hours are until 8 pm (until 7:30 pm on Sundays). Most of the yakitori uses Miyazaki Prefecture's "Hyuga chicken". They offer about 10-12 types of salt and tare flavors, as well as fried chicken dishes. There are also seasonal limited edition items. Normally priced at around ¥160-230 per skewer, but near 7 pm, they offer "any skewer for ¥141", making it a good deal. When everything is the same price, people tend to go for the more expensive ones (^-^) The chicken wings are a good choice. After purchasing, reheat in the microwave then in the toaster oven at home. Let's enjoy them hot and fresh. ------------------------------------------------■ Yakitori - Salt (Night Sale, each skewer for ¥141) *Including reduced tax of 8% ◎ Tomato and chicken thigh skewer The slightly cooked cherry tomato has a concentrated acidity that pairs well with the mild chicken meat. The chicken meat has a firm texture and is delicious. ◎ Garlic sprout skewer The subtle aroma of garlic is nice! The more you chew, the more the flavor spreads, creating a good combination with the chicken thigh meat. ◎ Cartilage skewer The crunchy texture is familiar. A hint of saltiness combined with the smoky flavor of charcoal grilling. Despite being cartilage, there is more meat than expected, which adds depth to the taste. ◎ Bamboo shoot and pickled ginger tsukune (Spring limited edition) The first impression is the crunchy texture of bamboo shoots. Then the umami of the meat comes through, followed by the refreshing flavor of pickled ginger. The light aftertaste makes you want to have more. ◎ Edamame tsukune (Summer limited edition) Since it does not contain cartilage, it has a soft and light impression. ------------------------------------------------■ Yakitori - Tare (Night Sale, each skewer for ¥141) ◎ Negima The shiny appearance looks delicious! A perfect balance of firm meat, fatty meat, and crispy leeks. The tare sauce is not too sweet, leaving a lingering smoky flavor from the charcoal grilling. ◎ Tsukune A simple chicken meatball. It does not contain cartilage, providing a soft and smooth texture. ◎ Chicken skin The crispy texture offers a satisfying chew. The tare sauce is not overly sweet, preventing it from being too heavy. ◎ Liver The first bite is firm and robust. The second bite is tender, and the final bite is finished off with a crunch from the leeks. The liver is delicious without any strange aftertaste. The fact that the tare sauce is not too strong shows their confidence in the quality. ------------------------------------------------■ Chicken Bento Box (¥950) Contains 2 pieces of chicken thigh tempura, 3 skewers of yakitori (2 chicken thighs, tsukune). They use Hyuga chicken from Miyazaki for the chicken meat. The tempura, while not crispy due to the time passed, has a soft texture and a strong garlic flavor. The chicken thighs are lightly seasoned with tare sauce to bring out the natural flavor of the meat. The highlight of this meal is the sweet and savory chicken soboro. Unlike typical minced meat soboro, this one has larger chunks of ground meat. The seasoning is not too strong, allowing the smoky flavor of the charcoal grilling to come through, making it an outstanding soboro. The rice is also well-seasoned with the tare sauce. Kinpira gobou and Shibazuke are included as side dishes. For a department store bento, it is relatively reasonably priced and satisfying! ------------------------------------------------■ Chicken Wing Tips (1 box for ¥497 → Night Sale ¥442) The package says "Delicious when chilled", suggesting to chill in the freezer for about 60-80 minutes. Surprisingly, it recommends freezing rather than refrigerating. The expiration date is stated to be the same day, but if stored in the freezer, it seems like it could last a bit longer. Opening the box reveals 12 wing tip sticks, offering a satisfying portion. They are cut in a straight line rather than the typical 7-shape. The aroma of the flavorful sauce is enticing. The sweet and savory seasoning is addictive.

As I visited several yakitori restaurants, I realized that there is an impression of dishes that look delicious at first glance. In the world of deli foods, there are shops that sell beautifully arranged dishes. They look beautiful, but the difference between the delicious food and the filler food is too big. The way the tray looks, the color of the case, the overall lighting of the case, the text on the labels, and even the behavior of the seller all play a role in attracting customers. I prefer salt over sauce because I don't associate sweet flavors with meat. I bought three types of yakitori with salt this time. I prefer them crispy on the outside and hot on the inside. I like to warm them up in the microwave and then cook them on a hot plate. I also enjoy drinking alcohol with my meal. This time, I had six skewers for dinner. I ended up getting drunk and eating more than I should have. But overall, the taste was good, although the meat was a bit dry due to the cooking method. I had to add a little more salt during the cooking process. It was a satisfying meal, and I look forward to trying the sauce next time.

On the day of Shichimi Togarashi (seven-spice chili pepper), I went to the depachika (basement food floor) in Ginza to buy some Shichimi Togarashi and search for a dinner place where I could enjoy dishes made with Shichimi Togarashi. I passed by a high-end yakitori restaurant with a long line and decided to go to another depachika where they had a discount time. I found a yakitori place where all items were priced at 141 yen each. I ordered my favorite cartilage and gizzard, as well as Negima (chicken and leek skewers). I selected various types of yakitori, including shiitake mushrooms with chicken tenderloin and chicken thigh, totaling 12 skewers for 1684 yen. Although the skewers were slightly small, considering the price, I was satisfied with the quality. The Tsukune (chicken meatballs) with edamame was interesting, but the gizzard and cartilage were a bit disappointing as my expectations were high.

The restaurant Torijin Ginza is located in the GINZA Food Stage on the basement floor of Matsuya Ginza. It is situated at the back of the floor on the Kyobashi side, next to Nimono-tei. This time, we focused on the Miyazaki Prefecture's Hinata chicken and chose thigh meat skewers, gizzard skewers, and skin skewers. We also added domestic chicken wing skewers. We opted for the "salt" flavor. The Hinata chicken skewers were thick and had a good texture and umami flavor. They were delicious even when eaten cold.

I went to Ginza to eat South Indian cuisine on this day. On the way back, I decided to buy some snacks for drinks at night and went down to the basement of Matsuya. It's a department store basement with many delicious shops, so I was unsure where to buy from. That's when I found Torijin. Although my favorite seasonal octopus meatball was sold out, it's around the time when the seasonal edamame meatball skewer is being sold. If they have it, I'll give it a try. I peeked inside and found it. The edamame meatball skewer (162 yen). The chicken tomato skewer (216 yen) also looked delicious, so I bought both. When I took a bite of the edamame meatball skewer, I didn't really taste the edamame, which was disappointing. But when I tried the second one, I could feel the texture of the edamame and the aroma spreading in my mouth. Maybe the first one just had less edamame? This is also a delicious meatball. The chicken tomato skewer had a good combination of dry chicken and tomato. However, I felt that 216 yen was a bit expensive. I wonder what the next seasonal meatball will be? I'm looking forward to it. I would like to visit again. Thank you for the meal.

I stopped by on my way home from work. They had a time-limited special offer. The lady kindly recommended some dishes. I decided to go with yakitori - two skewers of liver with salt, one skewer of chicken wings, and one skewer of green onions. When I heated them up in the microwave, the liver ended up a bit tough (>_<) The taste was okay though. I also got a chicken cutlet to go with my rice. It was soft and quite delicious. The place has a cozy, neighborhood feel and it's easy to grab a bite here. Next time, I'll try the fried chicken!

On July 30, 2016, my younger brother asked me to buy some fried food for the sandwiches he would have the next day. While browsing through the depachika (food basement) of Ginza Matsuya, I suddenly felt like having some grilled chicken liver, so I decided to get some. I bought grilled chicken liver (salted) for myself, grilled chicken liver and chicken skin (both salted) for my mother, and chicken cutlet. The grilled chicken liver had a nice salty flavor which I enjoyed. It was cooked rare and had a soft, paste-like texture that I liked. It did not disappoint me this time either, it was delicious. My mother found the chicken skin to be too salty and greasy, but she thought it would go well with rice. I did not taste the chicken cutlet, but when I cut it with a knife, the coating was crispy and the chicken breast itself seemed tender. The grilled chicken itself was tasty, but the male staff member serving us was unfriendly and unresponsive, which left a negative impression.

I haven't been able to go to a yakitori restaurant recently, so I've been settling for takeout from department store basements. However, the yakitori from department stores can be hit or miss - the sauce can be off and the meat can end up dry from being grilled too early. But the meat from this place was different, I could really taste the quality. And during the closing time service, everything is the same price which was nice. I can't remember the specific names, but the chicken thigh and breast were really good. I'll definitely buy them again when I'm in Ginza! For now, this might be my favorite department store takeout yakitori! July 2, 2015

I purchased the "Chicken Bento for 840 yen" from Matsuya Ginza's underground food section as a bento to enjoy during the intermission while watching the "April Kabuki Night Performance" at the Shimbashi Enbujō. This shop is one of the chain stores managed by Miki Foods Co., Ltd., just like Yakitori Torajin in Seiseki-Sakuragaoka. The Chicken Bento consists of delicious rice topped with lightly seasoned fried chicken, grilled chicken and tsukune with sauce, and minced chicken. The charcoal-grilled chicken has a rich flavor. I enjoyed these grilled chicken dishes as a snack with "Koshino Kage-Tora" sake brewed by Morohashi Sake Brewery in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture, which I have a connection with. It was delicious. The April Kabuki performance and the elegant dance of the 5th generation Onoe Kikunosuke from "Otowa-ya" were a delight, making me feel the arrival of spring.

I love yakitori, but it can be difficult to enter yakitori restaurants, and waiting for the skewers to cook outside the shop can be a hassle. That's why I often use the yakitori from the department store basement. The taste of yakitori from a smoky restaurant is the best, but you can't get that in the department store basement. So, I thought it wouldn't make much of a difference where I bought it, and I had never really felt a difference until I met Torijin. The first time I bought it, I wanted to post about it right away, but maybe because I was hungry or because it had been a while, I questioned myself while buying from other stores and observing the situation. However, every time I bought from Torijin, I felt, "Oh, it's different after all!" The biggest difference is the charcoal aroma. When you put it in your mouth, the charcoal aroma comes out through your nose. Most department store basement yakitori doesn't have this. It's a matter of personal preference, but for a simple food like yakitori, I think the charcoal aroma is an important element that determines its deliciousness. The chicken itself is plump and just the right size. Sometimes I come across larger skewers at other stores, but they are difficult to eat and lose their appeal. Also, the customer service is very kind. In the world of yakitori, where tough older female staff are common, I was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected kindness here. In short, if you want to eat delicious department store basement yakitori in the Tokyo area, this is the place!

Located in the basement floor of Matsuya Ginza, next to the prepared food section. I had finished shopping at Nimono Tei and was thinking I was done for today when I noticed some delicious-looking chicken Karaage next to it. I'm not a big fan of Karaage, but I do like Tatsutaage. However, my hands were already full and I was on my bike. But the Tatsutaage looked so good. In the end, I decided to go for it. When I warmed up the chicken Tatsutaage in the oven, it was crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and had a nice soy sauce aroma. The staff at the shop were also very kind. Thank you for the delicious meal.