This yakitori joint in understatedly hip Gakugeidaigaku brings a more upmarket vibe to this endearingly bare-bones aspect of Japanese cuisine. At the latest link in a chain of popular eateries that includes Yakitori Yaoya and Riverside Yaoya in Ikejiri-Ohashi, the traditional shopfront is replaced by a sleek, minimal façade comprising squares of sheet glass, and lent a touch of Zen by a surrounding stone garden.
Inside, however, the heady atmosphere of a traditional yakitori spot is very much present, as smoke from assorted cuts of skewered chicken rises into the air and staff call out to each other over the noise of diners perched at a sushi bar-style counter. Yaoya Hanare achieves a mix of the elevated and the modest that could be said to mirror Tokyo itself.
On small dishes, that are a cut above standard yakitori shop ceramics, comes a selection of à la carte delights that make use of superior-quality chicken sourced from regions that include Kagoshima in faraway Kyushu. Popular choices include seseri (chicken neck meat) served with chopped shiso leaf, and a succulent bonjiri (fatty meat from the chicken’s tail).
Also offered are some more unusual options, such as an original Peking Chicken consisting of chicken thigh meat covered with finely sliced cucumber, onion and tare sauce. Wash these down with natural wines, shochu and other tipples.