The single item on the menu is the chef’s omakase meal that flows through a parade of seasonal grills, side dishes and a warm bowl of soup at the end. The menu changes constantly depending on what seasonal ingredients the chef can get his hands on.

“I want to entertain the guests with a highly sophisticated cuisine,” he says. “I want to keep the menu fresh all the time so that the regulars can enjoy it each time.”

Using the high-grade Kumano jidori chicken from Mie Prefecture, Ishii’s team starts preparing the ingredients from as early as 8 a.m. every morning. On some days, they procure different varieties of chicken such as Nagoya Cochin and Tokyo Shamo to offer a tasting sampler menu.

For the grill, Ishii uses the highest grade of Kishu binchotan charcoal from Wakayama Prefecture, known for its rich fragrance and solid endurance. The black charcoal is spread across the 120cm grill, designed to give high heat up close. This allows the outside of the meat to come out nice and crisp, while the meat underneath stays juicy.

Each yakitori stick is packed with large chunks of meat, allowing you to truly savor and enjoy the different flavors. The ingredients of the tasty sauce remains a secret, while the salt is imported from Portugal. You can always order more of the stick you love.

“In essence, yakitori is a simple cuisine where you grill the meat on charcoal. But it’s the simplicity that allows each restaurant to define its own style,” Ishii says. “It’s important to cook each part in the best way possible, and you can’t hesitate.”

A signature yakitori is the negima, a stick of grilled chicken and scallions. The chunks of tender meat is wrapped around in crispy skin, adding the sweetness of the fat and great texture to the outside.

Harami is a rare part of the chicken that that's connected to the diaphragm. Draped in the secret sauce a few times as it cooks over charcoal, the meat has a wonderful texture and lasting flavor. Furisode, or shoulder, tastes like half breast and half wings, and is best cooked slightly rare, and spiced up with sansho peppercorns.

A stick of skin is crispy, light and crunchy. So sweet and fatty, one stick might not be enough. The liver is soft and creamy, thanks to its freshness. Seseri, or neck, has a nice firmness that allows the flavor to spread in your mouth.

Trained at a kaiseki establishment, Kimoto in Kobe, Ishii’s small dishes are as exquisite as the grills. Many of them have come the restaurant’s signature recipes.

One of the most surprising dishes is chicken croquette burger. Served on a plate that is in a shape of a chicken’s head, the ground meat is made of chicken shirako, or testicals, mashed through a fine sieve and mixed in with Béchamel sauce for a creamy texture. The crispy bread crumbs come from a bakery in Hiroshima. The sauce changes regularly as he’s come up with nine different flavors such as teriyaki and tomato sauce.

The steamed tsukune chicken ball is a beautiful recipe that warms your stomach. Served in flavor-packed chicken broth, the fluffy chicken balls are made using roughly minced neck meat, thighs and skin. Covered in shaved summer truffles, the aroma is unforgettable.

The finishing bowl of soup is condensed with all the umami from the entire chicken. Clear and light, all the side menus made using it like ramen and curry rice are superb.

INGREDIENTS
When preparing to open the restaurant, Ishii went on tasting all varieties of chicken from across the country. He also assessed the shipment time and routes from various farms. Kumano jidori from Mie Prefecture was the final pick from all the top-notch ranges. He only uses female chickens that are between 110 and 130 days old. The meat is juicy with just the right amount of fat, and the liver is particularly delicious.

The salt is brought from Portugal, and he adds heat to it to get rid of excess moisture. The buns used in their signature burger is made by Pin de Pain, a bakery in Hiroshima that is run by Ishii’s wife’s friend.