Go to Imabari and find your go-to yakitori restaurant.

Have you ever tried yakitori in Imabari? In fact, Imabari was once the city with the most yakitori restaurants per capita in Japan. The people of Imabari are yakitori lovers in both name and reality. So this time, we would like to cover the charms of Imabari's yakitori.

Can't decide on "the best"?
A rich variety of Imabari yakitori.

Where is the best place to eat yakitori in Imabari? When we asked the locals,

"I think that restaurant is the best after all"
"That's not true, the sauce is deeper over there"
"No, no, in terms of the crispness of the skin..."

It’s kind of hard to come to a consensus...
Right. Imabari yakitori can be summed up in one word, but there are many variations in the taste of the sauce, the choice of chicken, and the grilling method, and opinions are quite divided among Imabari residents depending on their preferences. Rather than a single place being the best, the reality is that each person has their own go-to yakitori restaurant. I see.
That makes me even more intrigued.

The crispy skin and spicy sauce
are a great match with beer.

"HACHIHACHI"

The first restaurant we visited was "Hachihachi," a popular yakitori restaurant among locals.
It's located a little away from the city center, and the interior has a homey atmosphere.

When we sat at the counter, the young chef seemed a little gruff, and we were a little scared.
We were worried that he would get angry and say that we don’t know how to order, so we asked, "Um, would it better to order the chef's choice?" The young chef replied,

"No, you can just order whatever you like. Even if you say chef's choice, I don't know your preference."

He smiled. When we started talking, this young chef turned out to be a very friendly person.

"But you can ask me anything. Tourists hear that Imabari is famous for yakitori, and they often order regular skewers, but the basis of Imabari yakitori is teppanyaki, not skewers. I wish customers would be more casual in asking." (Young chef)

If the customers don't ask, maybe the locals do it because they like it, and it would be a bit nosy. The young chef thought that and said he doesn’t say anything. He was quite a considerate person!
Yes, Imabari yakitori is not skewered, but is grilled on a hot plate and then pressed firmly against the hot plate.

The normal way to order it is to have one plate of the grilled skin for each person.
Eh, one plate per person? Is that a small plate?

No, it's a normal plate... Is this a single portion? It's so big that you might be full after just this. (Of course, you can share it, so don't worry.)
By the way, this is Hachihachi's popular grilled skin with green onions.
They also have one without green onions, but the green onions add a sweetness that makes it taste exquisite. This crispy skin is a special feature here.
The sauce is not very sweet, and is spicier than other restaurants. It's easy to eat and makes you want to drink more.

"The spring onions add a nice flavor. I love this combination!" (Sakudo)

Fueled by this, Sakudo ordered grilled thighs.

"Amazing! They're so plump!!" (Sakudo)


The grilled thighs are crispy on the outside and plump on the inside. It’s very tasty. What kind of chicken do you use?

"It's just broiler chicken that you can buy anywhere." (Young chef)

Wow! Regular broiler chicken can be made so tasty on a hot plate.

"Yes, and my skill (laughs)"

The Young chef was friendly until the end, telling us to give him more praise. Thank you for the delicious meal.

The plump skin and the punchy Senzanki.

"SANCHO"

Then, second restaurant we visited was SANCHO. This was also a popular local restaurant.

The restaurant was spacious and seemed to have second floor. We were taken to a tatami room in the back.
First, we ordered the skin. Of course, this was also grilled on a hot plate.

Oh, it’s delicious in a different way to the HACHIHACHI we had earlier. As soon as we put it in our mouths, it had such a plump texture that Sakudo exclaimed,
"It's so plump!"

"It has a little meat on it, and that meat is delicious. And yet it's still crispy. The sauce is light." (Sakudo)

When I looked into the kitchen to ask a question, I saw that the chef is handsome man.

This chef is the second-generation owner of SANCHO, and also a famous professional rider.
He even guides local riders. He is so busy that it is a rare case to see him here. Usually, his wife does the grilling.

On this day, a customer at the counter said, "I like the skin the best!", and it turns out he's actually an employee of a certain bicycle manufacturer, so it seems like there are a lot of riders here.

The manager is also a cycling buddy of Sakudo, and they worked on the show together. On this day, they had a lively conversation about all sorts of things, including cycling routes and memories of filming the show.

The next dish we ordered was Senzanki. Um, what is Senzanki? What we got looked like fried chicken no matter how you look at it...

I see. The dishes of HACHIHACHI we had before were also very tasty, but the dishes at this place have a different kind of flavor. I can see why people's tastes differ.

Let's go to the third restaurant to find out more.
This is "SETO" located near SANCHO.

The beloved chef's secret sauce and hospitality spirit.

"SETO"

SETO was established 42 years ago. It is a long-established restaurant, and it is also famous for its unique chef. "Um, I came here for an interview..." I said, timidly entering the restaurant.

"Yes, yes. I've heard about it. How many people? Come on, sit down. Just eat."

As soon as I entered the restaurant, the chef suddenly gave me instructions.

"Oh, no, I'll just order something for Sakudo for the photo shoot. The rest will be left over by the staff."

I was about to say, "Never mind, how many people? I think we can make about three dishes for now."

The chef has an atmosphere that does not allow for shyness. ...Let's eat since we've come all the way here. The staff are secretly delighted.
First, we tried the grilled skin for all the staff. Of course, this is also teppanyaki.

The restaurant has a large counter and tables that can seat several people, making it a comfortable space.
Now, the grilled skin has come out. Oh, what is this sauce? It's sweet and very tasty...

"It's only thanks to this sauce that our restaurant has come this far," says the owner-chef.

He started working at yakitori restaurant in Imabari at the age of 14, and was taught about this sauce by the owner who founded the restaurant. That restaurant has already gone out of business, but the sauce inherited at SETO, like the menu, has remained unchanged for 42 years since the restaurant was founded.

By the way, the most popular menu item at SETO is, of course, this skin.
The second item is the chicken wings, and the third is the lotus root (seasonal only). So let's try those two as well.



The chicken wings have a knife inserted into the joints so that they can be split open by hand and eaten.
Lotus root is characterized by being sandwiched between two pieces of lotus root, which was also designed to make it easier to eat. Most Imabari yakitori restaurants use only one lotus root slice, but this style of sandwiching between two slices has recently spread from SETO to other restaurants.
The chef's philosophy is that "ease of eating is also a matter of managing the deliciousness.” Of course, the taste is excellent.

"The chicken wings are delicious around the borne, and you'll want to eat them right down to the bone.
"The lotus root is crunchy, and the meatballs inside are well seasoned." (Sakudo)

Then we had stuffed peppers and chicken steak (thigh steak). ...Huh? The number of dishes is increasing? It seems that the chef is in a good mood (?) and is making more and more dishes. The chef is kind.

"Not really, it depends on the person. He's often telling people to "go home," so people on the Internet call him a "unique chef", says his wife,

"It's better if people write bad things about me. They should just eat and go home quickly," the chef replied.
But somehow, he’s such a lovable character that even his harsh words could become addictive.
It was actually a wonderful restaurant, full of love for food and hospitality. Thank you for the meal.

What I learned from visiting the three popular restaurants is that it is true that preferences are divided. In fact, even among the staff who accompanied to the interview, opinions were divided. The crispness of the skin, the thickness of the meat, the taste of the sauce, and the personality of the chef. Each one had its own unique flavor and characteristic that made me a fan. So I’m even more curious to know what the other restaurants are like.
Another great thing about Imabari yakitori is reasonably priced. Even if you fill your stomach, it's only about 2,000 yen per person. It's easy to see why people in Imabari go there often.

Why not find your own favorite yakitori restaurant in imabari?