Birdland

Last year when I was researching places to take my brother and father on their visit to Japan I came across an article that revealed that Birdland in Ginza had received the coveted Michelin one star rating. I knew that I would have to go someday. So recently I came across this post from Japan Times food critic Robbie Swinnerton's Food File blog and knew it was time to visit.



This is the wasabi sasami which was more cooked than usual, which is fine by me, but unusual.

This was one of my favorite dishes, basil chicken.

The old reliable tsukune with a nice tare sauce.

Renkon (lotus root) with minced chicken cooked in the holes-very nice and inventive.

This isn't your mother's grilled cheese.

So many dishes, I believe this was the chicken thigh with skin-very crispy and flavorful.

Negima (chicken thigh and leeks), another classic yakitori standby.

Oyakudon (chicken and egg rice bowl) is a favorite, so I had to try theirs and it was runny and chock full of tasty chicken. I'm sure I missed a few dishes and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but I think we all decided that despite the fact that they use high quality ingredients, cook the chicken to perfection, and provide excellent service in pleasing atmosphere we all have strong opinions about our favorite yakitori places and feel that the price and status doesn't seem appropriate. No regrets, I really needed to experience what a Michelin one star yakitori joint tastes like.

Incidently, we began to wonder what the criteria for the Michelin star system was and I found their website, which had this to say about one star establishments:

One star indicates a very good restaurant in its category, offering cuisine prepared to a consistently high standard. A good place to stop on your journey.

Halfway through the meal I realized that Birdland is located across the hall from Jiro Ono's sushi shop. Not sure if I'll make it there anytime soon though.

Comments

[Edward]

Yum! Gotta love Yakitori. The kids always used to laugh when i said yakitori was my favourite Japanese food - apparently its not thought of as real food, rather something to go with alcohol (...and for oyaji perhaps).

[MC]

Yeah, I got the same. I think it's more like poor man's food(I guess horomon(sweet meats) is in this category as well). I've heard in the postwar years this was what people ate because there wasn't any beef or pork. And this is why they eat something like 30 something parts of the chicken...in American we eat 4: breast, thigh, legs, wings.