Tokyo’s century-old chicken specialty shop!! Ultra-rich oyakodon & curry rice

Text and photos byRight Upper 45-Degree Angle Girl

Coming to Tsukiji, aside from delicious sashimi and market seafood dishes, this time I’m taking you all to try some highly-rated (on TABELOG) and unique yakitori, plus visit the uniquely styled temple “Tsukiji Honganji.” After enjoying a great meal, stroll around the temple grounds to atone for the meat sins a little (lol).

Walking into the second alley of Tsukiji Market, I was surprised to find that “Tori Fuji,” a branch I’ve passed many times while in Tsukiji and always wanted to try, had very few people today—so I could get a seat right away!! This is actually a century-old shop, and because the main store is so busy, they opened this branch.

TABELOG rating: 3.59 (anything over 3.5 is considered high)

Like most traditional Japanese eateries, the space is small, with counter seating lined up in front of the cooking area. Being shoulder-to-shoulder while eating is pretty much a given. But on the flip side, getting to watch the chefs prepare delicious yakitori dishes right before your eyes is quite an enjoyable experience.

Taiwanese visitors don’t need to worry about not understanding Japanese—the shop automatically hands out a Chinese menu, making ordering super easy.

Actually, the Japanese menu is also fairly easy to understand if you can read hiragana.

They even have their own special sauces—this place must be doing really well.

My mom ordered the oyakodon<瞬间热腾上桌。

The perfect flame brought out the tender texture of the soft-boiled egg—it was just a bit too rich for my taste.

My dad went for the chicken and egg curry rice, wanting to enjoy double the richness—this dish definitely delivered.

The flavor of this curry is insanely strong, salty, sweet, and thick. I especially loved mixing it with the soft-boiled egg, spoonful after spoonful that you just can’t stop eating (though Dad also drank water glass after glass along with it).

This is my yakitori oyakodon<，三种不同调味方式的鸡肉上桌供应，同时可享受鸟藤最强大的烧烤鸡肉名料理来着。

The marinated chicken mince has a lighter flavor with a slight sweetness, reminding me of my mom’s braised pork rice, almost giving off the illusion of pork with melon rind.

The chicken breast, lightly seared on the outside, wasn’t tough at all. Though not melt-in-your-mouth tender, it was still quite soft and easy to eat.

This must be the grilled chicken thigh—super smoky, rich in flavor, and heavy enough that you could finish the whole bowl of rice with it.

Each rice dish comes with a clear chicken soup, warm and comforting in the cold winter—but also pretty salty.

This shop also offers takeout and delivery, and there are several baskets of freshly made yakitori oyakodon here.<，等著送到每个饿慌的胃里呢。

Torimeshi Torifuji Branch
03-3543-6525
4-8-6 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Directions: 4 mins on foot from Tsukiji or Higashi-Ginza Station; 3 mins from Tsukiji Market
Business hours: 7:30–14:00 (Closed on Sundays, holidays, and Tsukiji Market closure days)

After finishing at the Torifuji branch, we turned the corner to reach Torifuji’s retail store. In fact, Torifuji is a chicken specialty shop that started selling ready-made dishes due to overwhelming popularity.

Seeing ready-made chicken dishes for takeout, my mom scolded me for making them eat a huge bowl of rice earlier—they couldn’t buy any of these now (lol).

With our stomachs full, we headed toward Tsukiji Station and walked past “Tsukiji Honganji.” I’ve been to Tsukiji so many times but had never gone inside—I’ve always been interested in its architectural style, so this time I used the excuse of letting my parents rest after the meal to happily go in for a visit.

The stone gate at Tsukiji Honganji is of historical significance and has been designated as an Important Cultural Property.

Tsukiji Honganji has an Indian- and Asian-inspired exterior that is quite rare in Japan. Established in 1617, the main hall of Tsukiji Honganji burned down twice—in 1657 and 1923. When it was rebuilt in 1934, considering the two fires, Dr. Chuta Ito from the University of Tokyo was commissioned to design a new main hall that would be earthquake-resistant and fireproof. This is the origin of the stone Indian-style temple we see today.

Not only is the exterior architecture unique, but the design of the pillars and ceilings inside also has a distinctive charm—I felt there was a special atmosphere that blended elements of a church.

HIDE, a core member of X JAPAN, was the first to coin the term "visual kei" and a pioneer in creating visual kei artists. Although he passed away nearly 20 years ago (in 1998), he still holds an unshakable place in the hearts of fans.

Tsukiji Honganji Temple
3-15-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
03-3541-1131
Access: 1-minute walk from Exit 1 of Tsukiji Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line / 8-minute walk from Exit 5 of Tsukiji Station on the Toei Asakusa Line / 8-minute walk from Exit A1 of Tsukiji Market Station on the Toei Oedo Line
Hours & Admission: April–September: 6:00–17:30 / October–March: 6:00–17:00
Closed: Open year-round
Admission: Free

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