Always on the pulse of new restaurant openings, Mr. Sato hit the streets of Kabukicho to try out a new grilled chicken (yakitori) establishment. It was opened in conjunction with Jiromaru, a barbecued beef place much loved by our reporter for its small portions but interesting variety of cuts.

Because of the association with Jiromaru, Mr. Sato’s expectations were high for Sumibi Yakitori Suda Shoten. However, as he approached the menu posted in front, one item in particular shocked the man whom we thought unflappable after attempting to eat a cheeseburger with over 1,000 strips of bacon.

It was a breaded chicken cutlet but written in parentheses was “half-raw.” Sure, steaks are often ordered in such a way, but chicken?! And so Mr. Sato, who doesn’t know the meaning of “salmonella,” went in to try some out.

Entering the restaurant, Mr. Sato was first gently struck by the sounds of sumo jinku, traditional Japanese music used by sumo wrestlers, playing in the background. Because of it, a calm sensation washed over Mr. Sato’s body and he felt really comfortable here. He felt really… Japanese.

Adding to the tranquility of the place was the suspicious lack of people around. Mr. Sato arrived well into the afternoon but there weren’t many diners to be seen. He figured because of the location, Suda Shoten probably did more business at night. Reaching his table, he wasted no time ordering the unique chicken dish advertised in front of the building and waited about 10 minutes for it to come.

As the half-raw chicken cutlet was plunked onto the table, he was immediately taken by how large it was. Although nothing he couldn’t handle himself, Mr. Sato suspected this would be an awful lot for regular human consumption, especially with the side of rice and miso soup that came with it.

Another surprise came when he picked up the first piece of chicken. Even through his chopsticks he could feel the crispiness of the breading around it, but looking into the center it was more than half raw! This chicken easily looked to be somewhere between rare and very rare.

Biting into it, his teeth first met with the crispy breading, but soon after they sank into the highly yielding texture of the raw chicken inside. It was very unique, like eating chicken sashimi coated in a cooked breaded chicken – two dishes at the same time. But that wasn’t all.

Next a cup of sauce came out. It was so potent that simply having it on the table was affecting the taste of his rice. Although it was strong, this sauce didn’t mask the flavor of the meat but heightened it several times over.

Overall it was well worth sampling and even going back for again, so for anyone looking for an entirely new chicken experience, Suda Shoten has it on the menu. We just hope you like sumo jinku music.

Original article by Mr. Sato
Photos: RocketNews24
Video: YouTube – misterpeaceorange

Shop Information

Sumbi Yakitori Shuda Shoten
Address: 2F 1-26-3 Kabukicho, Shinjuku, Tokyo
Holidays: None