Chicken is the be-all and end-all at Imaiya -- not any old poultry, of course, but top quality Hinai jidori. Small fowl with handsome orange plumage, these birds are raised in happy, healthy, free-range conditions in Akita Prefecture, and you can certainly taste the difference.
Ebisu Imaiya So-Honten: Skewered or simmered, rare birds
今井屋本店 えびす総本店
¥5,000 or more
Excellent yakitori, from top quality fowl.
Japanese
yakitori
Beer from 680 yen; sake from 1,000 yen; shochu from 600 yen; sours from 500 yen; wine from 600 yen/glass, 3,800 yen/ bottle.
58 (plus rooms for 30 on the second floor)
Relentlessly upbeat jazz.
No smoking
Not accepted
Ebisu
1-7-11 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
東京都渋谷区恵比寿西1-7-11
Ebisu Station
(03) 5456-0255
(03) 5456-0255
5 p.m.-1 a.m. (Friday and the day before a national holiday 5 p.m.-3 a.m.)
Cash, Credit Card
From the rotary outside Ebisu Station's north exit, cross Komazawa-dori and take the side street next to the UFJ Tokyo-Mitsubishi Bank. You will see Imaiya on the right after about 50 meters.
Click to enlarge