The whole shop only serves chicken dishes!! A Japanese-style yakitori spot in Taipei where you can even enjoy Japan’s finest sake

Text and photos byLittle Dot Paine

If you’re a fan of Japanese sake and love authentic Japanese grilled chicken (yakitori), you absolutely must know about “Tori Tetsu,” located near Shihshan Station. The owner of Tori Tetsu not only trained at a Japanese yakitori restaurant, mastering authentic grilling techniques, but also holds a sake sommelier license. The owner’s wife, in addition to studying in Japan, is also well-versed in sake and is even a sake sommelier instructor.

With these two major strengths already, this shop goes even further by using Taiwan’s Gui Ding chicken as its main ingredient. The entire shop specializes exclusively in chicken dishes, showcasing them at their very best. For foodies and sake lovers, this is definitely a must-visit spot.

● ETtoday News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive. Don’t drive after drinking.

The shop entrance is extremely low-key—you might just walk right past it (haha), as I did.

Once inside, the place is bustling with energy—business is booming. This is just the area by the counter.

There are larger tables suitable for group meals, but this was the only empty one I managed to snap just before midnight. Normally, if you come around 7 or 8 PM, it’ll definitely be full. Be sure to make a reservation for weekends.

They have a huge selection of sake here.

The best part? The owner says they even have the “King of Sake”—“Juyondai.”

The licenses held by the owner and his wife are proudly displayed.

These certifications are a guarantee of quality.

The menu is placed right on the table. Truly, this place only serves chicken dishes. From time to time, the owner develops new dishes (still chicken, just prepared differently or using new cuts).

As for different parts of the chicken, the shop provides some brief descriptions. You can also ask the staff if you’re unsure.

Time to dig in—

Since today was a big group gathering, we stuck with beer. If it were just two or three friends, we’d have gone for sake. With such a lively group, sake can be too easy to overdo it with.

Here, the chef arranges the order of dishes based on flavor intensity.

Wasabi Chicken: NT$80

The wasabi here is fresh—you can really tell how much care goes into the ingredients.

This was the first skewer served, with the most original and simple flavor—no seasoning at all. The semi-rare Gui Ding chicken had an unexpectedly tender texture, not at all like raw meat, and without that typical raw chicken taste.

Water bamboo
For vegetables, eating them in their natural state is best—just a sprinkle of salt does the trick. I paired it with pickles.

Baby corn
So sweet and delicious. Just like this, simple preparation brings out the best natural flavors. That’s when you truly appreciate the beauty of fresh ingredients.

Mentaiko Taro
The slightly sticky taro is said to be great for your stomach and is also a common ingredient in Japanese cuisine.

Chicken Oyster: NT$135

It’s literally called “chicken oyster.” It’s quite unique—the owner explained which part of the chicken it comes from. Each chicken only has two of these. The texture is similar to the tenderness of chicken thigh, and the slightly crispy skin is wonderfully fragrant when grilled. This one is super special!!

Chicken Thigh Gem: NT$75

This one is pretty interesting too — it’s taken from the joint part of the chicken thigh, offering both meat and a slightly cartilaginous texture.

Scallion Chicken: NT$85
This one is served with scallions and small chili peppers.

The chicken meatball skewer comes with two balls, served with a raw egg on the side. The egg must be specially selected because the meatballs are coated in thick, rich yolk — it really elevates the flavor.

Scallion Stalks: Price upon request
Honestly, this was probably my least favorite that day. The owner said these were special-order scallions sourced from local farmers in Tainan, but I found them a bit too coarse and stringy. They smelled great, but the scallions were a bit tough for my taste. I’d rather spend the budget on something else, XD.

Chicken Gizzard

Phoenix Meat: NT$110
This is a chicken skewer served with yellow mustard. It’s one of the more strongly flavored ones, but I thought it was really tasty — the grilling was excellent.

Overnight-Dried Chicken Breast: NT$280
A must-order!! You absolutely have to try this — you won’t find this at just any barbecue place.

Doesn’t this look amazing? It almost looks undercooked, right? But somehow it doesn’t have that tough, chewy texture you get with raw chicken. Normally if chicken isn’t cooked enough, besides being pink, it also has that rubbery, unchewable feel when you bite into it. But this overnight-dried version, after special preparation, stays tender at that doneness level. And despite being chicken breast, it has the juicy, tender texture of chicken thigh — it’s incredible.

I personally hate eating chicken breast, but if you can make it taste like this? Oh my God — I’d love it.

Chicken Wings: NT$85
Chicken wings are also a must-order drinking snack. The grilled flavor is quite strong, making it a great pairing with drinks. These were really good too, especially the skin — super crispy and fragrant.

Mentaiko Stir-Fried Udon: NT$240
If you’re still hungry, this is another highly recommended dish. It’s super delicious!!!

This is a flavor that’s truly nostalgic. I could easily eat three servings of this. The chewy texture of the udon paired with the rich mentaiko flavor — it’s perfect.

Impressions: Toritsuchi is generally a higher-end spot, and the clientele is clearly distinct. That day, we even met the general manager of JAL (a real Japanese guy!) who told us he loves this place, saying he finally found a Japanese-style yakitori restaurant in Taiwan. The owner mentioned that the GM is a regular customer (you can tell). That day, we only tried a variety of dishes since we were drinking beer the whole time and didn’t get to open any sake.

Toritsuchi
Official Fan Page
Address: No. 12, Lane 128, Fuhua Road, Shilin District, Taipei City (Zhishan MRT Station)
Phone: 02-28310166
Business Hours: 18:00–00:00
Note: Minimum charge of NT$700 per person.
Coordinates:25.102954, 121.523203

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