Yakitori for the adventurous

I don't recall which travel-food show I was watching with Sparky, but it involved a Yakitori bar where they served skewers of crispy chicken skin. Sparky is bound and determined to find this, his favorite part of the animal, somewhere. I'm also a fan of the odd bits of chicken and would love to eat some of the more esoteric yakitori skewers (cartilage and hearts being up there on my list) Anybody have any suggestions to find this in the area?

Mhays wrote:but it involved a Yakitori bar where they served skewers of crispy chicken skin.

Mhays,

Not yakitori, but crispy chicken skin is available at Sun Wah BBQ.



Enjoy,
Gary

Sun Wah
1134 W Argyle St
Chicago, IL 60640
773-769-1254

The Yakitori bar we went to in Tokyo about 5 years ago had all kinds of interesting skewered stuff. We had a multicourse meal that included cold grilled octopus and skewered flamed Baked Alaska. There were lots of protein options from tofu to pork.

Funny I was just wondering about this the other day. Grilled skin and innards and cold sake. Yum!

G Wiv wrote:Not yakitori, but crispy chicken skin is available at Sun Wah BBQ.

I am sure this will satisfy Sparky; we've been planning to go for some time now - it's now next on our list.

At any rate, if anybody has a source nearer than Japan (well, really, nearer than Milwaukee) for the other types of skewers, I'm all ears!

Plenty of skewers, I wasn't wowed ... but I haven't been there in several years. I'll resist saying that it's yakitori for the Chad and Trixie crowd.

Mizu Yakitori & Sushi Lounge
315 W. North,
(312) 951-8880.

Every once in a while, the always-interesting specials menu at Daruma in Schaumburg has some sort of skewered meat cooked over Japanese charcoal. They have done chicken skin before, and the last time I was there I enjoyed their "Delta" yakitori (3 chicken butts per skewer). Each skewer was perfectly charred, salty, and fatty, served with a wedge of lemon. You have to ask for what's on today's specials, and then wait patiently for the waitstaff to try to translate them into English, but it's always worth it. If it's a long drive for you, it might be best to call ahead.

Daruma Japanese Restaurant
1823 West Golf Road
Poplar Creek Plaza
Schaumburg, IL 60194

G Wiv wrote:

Mhays wrote:but it involved a Yakitori bar where they served skewers of crispy chicken skin.

Mhays,

Not yakitori, but crispy chicken skin is available at Sun Wah BBQ.

Also at China Chef, by request.

I wouldn't be surprised if this was a "by request" menu item at many more Chinese restaurants. I'd bet that most places just throw the un-used chicken skin in oil rather than throw it away.

Best,
Michael

Not sure if chicken skin yakatori counts as adventurous: I was in a yakatori bar in Kyoto that offered ovaries - not sure of what

Anyway you can find them at Sushi Kushi Toyo in Lake Forest. They call them Kushi http://www.sushikushitoyo.com/noodles.html and for $1.50 you get a skewer with 8 rolled up and grilled(fried?) pieces of chicken skin - delicious.

Mhays wrote:I don't recall which travel-food show I was watching with Sparky, but it involved a Yakitori bar where they served skewers of crispy chicken skin. Sparky is bound and determined to find this, his favorite part of the animal, somewhere. I'm also a fan of the odd bits of chicken and would love to eat some of the more esoteric yakitori skewers (cartilage and hearts being up there on my list) Anybody have any suggestions to find this in the area?

I missed this post...the show you're thinking of is Bizarre Foods w/ Andrew Zimmern...