Ishii Jr.

You’ll find the chef of Ishii Jr. constantly turning the skewers over the grill and the buzz of activity part of its laidback charm. Located in Osaka’s Kita district, the yakitori joint is the casual sister to the Michelin-starred Torisho Ishii, which gained acclaim soon after opening. Offered omakase-style, the menu makes thorough use of chicken of mainly three local breeds: Amakusa Daio from Kumamoto Prefecture, Kumamo jidori and the Hinai jidori from Akita Prefecture. If cuts of the bird are the key to the perfect skewer, the chef is the maestro. Precision and timing are key, especially for the chochin — meaning 'lantern' in Japanese. This signature yakitori is made up chicken uterus with its two connected, undeveloped yolks still warm and runny, dangling from the stick. Other stick items come in intervals: liver with black pepper, esophagus, chicken breast with wasabi, tail or tsukune (minced chicken meatball). Even the rice dishes are always about chicken, with choices like oyakodon (chicken and egg rice) or soborodon (ground chicken and rice).