Torifuji

As the storefront sign declaring "Sushi" and "Chicken Cuisine" suggests, Torifuji in Nerima offers the rare pleasure of enjoying fragrant skewered chicken alongside pristine seafood nigiri at the same table. While the venue carries the calm, dignified air of a traditional kappo counter, it functions with the welcoming ease of an izakaya, drawing regulars for an unpretentious spread of Japanese classics.

Hearty Skewers and a Secret Recipe Tare

The yakitori is an ideal starting point. Seasoned either with simple salt or a house tare sauce continuously replenished since the restaurant's early days, the skewers are celebrated for their generous, satisfying cuts. Alongside the five-skewer assortment—the kitchen's most popular selection—dinners feature everything from minced chicken meatballs (tsukune) and wings to crunchy cartilage and limited-availability chicken hearts (hatsumoto), each texture pairing naturally with a drink. For a fuller meal, the yakitori-ju rice box comes lacquered in the same sweet-savoury tare glaze.

Toyosu Catches, Hand-Pressed Sushi, and Steamed Eel

Seafood stands on equal footing with the poultry. Sourced through Toyosu Market, seasonal selections highlight raw delicacies such as wild flounder, splendid alfonsino (kinmedai), and tiger pufferfish (torafugu). To close the evening, the menu ranges from the chef's choice omakase nigiri and top-grade sushi platters to maki rolls like three-colour rolls and conger eel with cucumber (anakyu), offering the sophistication of a dedicated sushi bar in an informal setting. Diners will also find unaju—freshwater eel steamed to order before grilling—as well as simmered broadbanded thornyhead (kinki) and crisp fried oysters.

Counter Seats to Relaxed Tatami Rooms

The ground floor combines counter seating with Western-style tables, making it an easy drop-in spot for a solo drink on the way home or dinner in pairs. Upstairs on the second floor, a spacious tatami room invites guests to take off their shoes and settle in, catering smoothly to group gatherings and banquets. With cold draught beer and regional sake flowing freely alongside catches from land and sea, Torifuji remains one of Nerima's most dependable evening perches.