{"id":472,"date":"2022-10-07T12:30:20","date_gmt":"2022-10-07T03:30:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/?p=472"},"modified":"2025-07-21T18:01:39","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T09:01:39","slug":"22048","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/22048\/","title":{"rendered":"How to eat yakiton<\/em> | a true Japanese favorite of skewered pork!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Check the menu!<\/h2>\r\n
\"Check<\/div>\r\n

*Menu was revised in October 2022<\/span><\/p>\r\n

This time, the venue for our visit was Chikuzenya Ningyocho Souhonten, located in Tokyo\u2019s Chuo Ward. When you enter the restaurant, staff will show you to your seat. As with most yakiton<\/em> specialty restaurants, in addition to skewered pork, they offer a variety of food options to accompany liquor, from salads to stewed dishes and deep-fried delicacies. English menus are regrettably somewhat of a rarity in this restaurant genre.<\/p>\r\n

* Chikuzenya\u2019s directly-operated restaurants offer English menus via their mobile phone ordering system.<\/p>\r\n

\"Check<\/div>\r\n

This section shows the yakiton<\/em> menu items in Japanese. If you are uncertain what to order, we recommend starting with kushimori<\/em> (assorted skewers). There are likely to be a few English speakers among the restaurant staff \u2013 try asking what they would recommend!<\/p>\r\n

\"Check<\/div>\r\n

While you wait for your order to arrive, pass out the plates and chopsticks to each member of your group, so that not a moment will be lost when the food comes!<\/p>\r\n

Learn the yakiton<\/em> basics<\/h2>\r\n
\"Learn<\/div>\r\n

Yakiton<\/em> originally referred specifically to skewered and grilled pork organ meats. It is thought that the origin of yakiton<\/em> traces back to the period of food shortage following the Second World War, when pork organs, which had until then been discarded, began to be skewered, grilled, and served at black markets. Nowadays, parts other than organs, such as pork belly, are commonly served as yakiton<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n

Before enjoying, yakiton<\/em> is dipped in one of the restaurant’s own unique tare (sauces). Chikuzenya offers three flavors: shoyu-dare<\/em> (soy-based sauce), miso-dare<\/em> (miso-based sauce), and shio<\/em> (salt). Shoyu-dare <\/em>and miso-dare<\/em> are recommended for organ meats and fattier cuts, and shio<\/em> is recommended for everything else.<\/p>\r\n

\"Learn<\/div>\r\n

\u00a9\u304f\u307e\u793e\u9577 \/ PIXTA<\/p>\r\n

By the way, here are the cuts commonly used for yakiton<\/em>. Even most Japanese people wouldn\u2019t be familiar with all the ins and outs of yakiton<\/em>!<\/p>\r\n

Learn about yakiton<\/em> cuts<\/h2>\r\n

Pork Liver\u3000\u30ec\u30d0\u30fc\u3000leba<\/em><\/h3>\r\n
\"Pork<\/div>\r\n

Soy-based shoyu-dare is a perfect match for pork liver. Dab a little wagarashi<\/em> (Japanese mustard) before enjoying.<\/p>\r\n

Pork diaphragm\u3000\u30cf\u30e9\u30df\u3000harami<\/em><\/h3>\r\n
\"Pork<\/div>\r\n

This juicy, clean-flavored cut comes from the diaphragm of the pig. Keep it simple with a sprinkle of salt to season.<\/p>\r\n

Pork temple\u3000\u304b\u3057\u3089\u3000kashira<\/em><\/h3>\r\n
\"Pork<\/div>\r\n

This cut comes from the head of the pig, between the temple and jowl. The texture is quite firm, and each bite is packed with meaty, savory flavor. Season with salt.<\/p>\r\n

Pork tongue\u3000\u305f\u3093\u3000tan<\/em><\/h3>\r\n
\"Pork<\/div>\r\n

Pork tongue contains many nutrients, such as vitamins. The slightly crunchy texture is positively addicting. Season simply with salt.<\/p>\r\n

Pork heart\u3000\u30cf\u30c4\u3000hatsu<\/em><\/h3>\r\n
\"Pork<\/div>\r\n

Pork heart is packed with nutrition, and often chosen as a dish to help recover from fatigue. It has a distinctive, crunchy texture. Use salt for this skewer, too.<\/p>\r\n

Pork fat\u3000\u3042\u3076\u3089\u3000abura<\/em><\/h3>\r\n
\"Pork<\/div>\r\n

This melt-in-the-mouth pork fat skewer has a moreish natural sweetness. At Chikuzenya, it is served with miso-dare<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n

Pork large intestine\u3000\u3057\u308d\u3000shiro<\/em><\/h3>\r\n
\"Pork<\/div>\r\n

Pork large intestine has a pleasantly chewy texture, with each bite releasing more savory flavor from the fat. Recommended with miso-dare<\/em>. Some yakiton<\/em> specialty restaurants call this cut horumon<\/em> (hormone).<\/p>\r\n

Sliced pork large intestine\u3000\u30b7\u30ed\u30b3\u30ed\u30db\u30eb\u30e2\u30f3\u3000shirokoro-horumon<\/em><\/h3>\r\n
\"Sliced<\/div>\r\n

This cut also comes from the large intestine. Featuring rounds sliced directly from the intestine, it has more fat than shiro<\/em>, and is known for its melt-in-the-mouth sweetness. In this picture, it is seasoned with shio-wasabi<\/em> (salted wasabi).<\/p>\r\n

Pork rectum\u3000\u30c6\u30c3\u30dd\u30fc\u3000teppo<\/em><\/h3>\r\n
\"Pork<\/div>\r\n

This cut comes from the rectum of a pig. As only a small amount can be taken from each pig, it is quite rare. Prized for its fatty richness and exceptionally tender texture, teppo<\/em> is best enjoyed with sauce (shoyu-dare or miso-dare<\/em>).<\/p>\r\n

Pork neck cartilage\u3000\u8c5a\u306a\u3093\u3053\u3064\u3000buta nankotsu<\/em><\/h3>\r\n
\"Pork<\/div>\r\n

This cut comes from the cartilage in a pig\u2019s neck. The crunchy texture and savoriness of the enrobing meat create an appealing combination. Recommended to grill with salt.<\/p>\r\n

Yakiton<\/em> table etiquette<\/h2>\r\n
\"Yakiton<\/div>\r\n

According to the manager of Chikuzenya Ningyocho Souhonten, yakiton<\/em> is best enjoyed right off the skewer! It seems that removing the meat from the skewer causes juices to run out, losing flavor and moisture.<\/p>\r\n

\"Yakiton<\/div>\r\n

Feel free to dab on some of the karashi<\/em> (mustard) or kara-miso<\/em> (spicy miso) that comes on the serving plate. Or use powdered condiments, such as shichimi<\/em> (seven-spice powder) and salt, to your liking. In this case, shake a bit onto the plate, and dab the skewer into the powder a little at a time between bites.<\/p>\r\n

\"Yakiton<\/div>\r\n

When sharing with friends, it\u2019s acceptable to strip the meat from the skewers. If you are right handed, hold the skewer in your left hand, and use the chopsticks in your right hand to grasp the piece of meat at the end. Spin the skewer with your left hand to twist the meat free.<\/p>\r\n

\"Yakiton<\/div>\r\n

When you are finished with a skewer, place it into the receptacle, which is often located near the menu or condiments.<\/p>\r\n

Enjoy side menu options<\/h2>\r\n

Yakiton<\/em> specialty restaurants are renowned for the variety of their side menus! Here are some side menu items that you really should try, including a few of Chikuzenya\u2019s renowned dishes.<\/p>\r\n

Stewed organ meats\u3000\u3082\u3064\u716e\u3000motsu-ni<\/em><\/h3>\r\n
\"Stewed<\/div>\r\n

When visiting a yakiton<\/em> specialty restaurant, this is one side menu item not to miss! Pork horumon<\/em> (organ meats) are stewed together with vegetables such as daikon radish and carrot. At Chikuzenya, the broth is miso-based, but some restaurants use soy-based broth.<\/p>\r\n

\"Stewed\"Stewed<\/div>\r\n

To enjoy, serve into your individual bowl, and top with shichimi. This dish is particularly delicious in colder seasons.<\/p>\r\n

Potato Salad\u3000\u30dd\u30c6\u30c8\u30b5\u30e9\u30c0\u3000poteto salada<\/em><\/h3>\r\n
\"Potato<\/div>\r\n

Potato salad is a classic childhood dish in Japan, and is equally beloved by grown-ups! Each restaurant has its own style and signature flavor.<\/p>\r\n

Cabbage\u3000\u30ad\u30e3\u30d9\u30c4\u76db\u3000Kyabetsu-mori<\/em><\/h3>\r\n
\"Cabbage\u3000\u30ad\u30e3\u30d9\u30c4\u76db\u3000Kyabetsu-mori\"<\/div>\r\n

Kyabetsu-mori<\/em> is another classic yakiton<\/em> side dish. At Chikuzenya, you can select from two flavors: shio-kombu<\/em> (salted kelp) and kara-miso<\/em> (spicy miso). This picture is kara-miso<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n

Liquor<\/h3>\r\n
\"Liquor\"<\/div>\r\n

Nothing goes better with yakiton<\/em> than a fresh draft beer! Other classic beverages, such as lemon sour (pictured left: shochu<\/em> and lemon juice) and highball (pictured center: whisky and soda) can be found at most every yakiton<\/em> specialty restaurant. A skewer of yakiton<\/em> in one hand and an ice-cold beverage in the other\u2026 What could be better?<\/p>\r\n

\"Enjoy<\/div>\r\n

After reading this article, you should be fully prepared to visit a yakiton<\/em> specialty restaurant. With knowledge of yakiton<\/em> and an empty stomach, boldly stride beyond the noren<\/em> (entry curtain), and open a new door to Japanese cuisine!<\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yakiton means \u201cskewered and grilled pork\u201d. An excellent accompaniment to liquor, this is a favorite bar food throughout Japan. Within the izakaya style of traditional Japanese pubs, there exists a genre known as yakiton senmonten (yakiton specialty restaurant), which can be found all over Japan. This time, we visited Chikuzenya, a yakiton specialty chain with pubs around the greater Tokyo region, to pick up some tips about the smart way to enjoy this scrumptious pub grub!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":476,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[56,58,60,64,71,85],"class_list":["post-472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-slug_articles","tag-what","tag-b-gourmet","tag-bbq","tag-classic","tag-izakaya","tag-pork"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=472"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2292,"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472\/revisions\/2292"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodie-foodie.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}