banette
What I learned from job hunting is the declining trend of izakaya chain stores. The main reason is the decrease in alcohol consumption among young people. However, there is one exception to this trend - Torikizoku. The key factor behind its success is undoubtedly the incredibly low price of all items at 300 yen each! From Premium Malt beer to highball, cocktails, and even Zima, everything is priced at 300 yen. The first store opened in Nakano in 2004, which is surprisingly recent. They now serve Suntory drinks, but they used to serve Kirin in the past. I first visited Torikizoku when I was a freshman in college, at a drinking party organized by a club. It was all-you-can-eat, and the guys kept ordering skewers until the table was overflowing with food, which they managed to finish somehow...(this is not a good thing to do). The Akabane store uses a touch panel system. Water and appetizers are free, and you can have unlimited refills of cabbage once you order it. I visited on a Saturday at 6:30 pm, and the place was crowded, with 2-3 people waiting outside. Most customers were in groups of 2-3. The refill of cabbage arrived promptly. The cabbage with soy sauce is so delicious and you can eat as much as you want. It takes 30 minutes for the Torikama rice to be ready after lighting the fire. The rice is cooked with soy sauce, giving it a crispy texture. It includes a light chicken breast, burdock, kamaboko, and carrots (lots of vegetables). It's enough for two people, and the amount of food for 300 yen is unbelievably cheap. The chicken cartilage is the usual crispy and chewy texture. The skin is crispy and fragrant, and it's really tasty! However, the skin is actually the cheapest ingredient in this dish! Maybe around 30 yen? So, 300 yen - 30 yen h...(It's delicious, so that's what matters, let's stop here). The cheese tsukune is small but has a crispy texture of tsukune, with a rich combination of sauce and melted cheese. The Kizoku-yaki has large pieces of chicken and green onions. It has a satisfying texture. The cheese mochi skewer is crispy on the outside, and the cheese, or rather mayonnaise, was delicious. The chicken croquette has a small amount of chicken, but the crispy texture, hot temperature, and sweet potatoes were the most delicious part. The churros with chocolate sauce were crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and they were also hot. The whipped cream served with it was just the right amount. It was probably a frozen dessert (oops), but it was really delicious. For drinks, I had a highball with Suntory whisky, wine (I didn't know whisky could taste this good, and that you could drink it for 300 yen. I was impressed), Zima, and Grape Niagara (white wine cocktail). All of this cost less than 2500 yen per person after eating so much. It's cheap! I felt a bit disappointed when it took 20 minutes for the grilled chicken to arrive, but it was understandable since the place was busy. The drinks were served quickly. Thank you for the delicious and affordable food.