We did some research ahead of time and found that Charcoal Grilled Chicken was a local specialty in Miyazaki Prefecture. It was getting late so we searched google maps and found Torinoya. It had phenomenal reviews on Google and it was along our route. After eating some of their chicken, we can say with confidence that the best charcoal grilled chicken we’ve had in Japan is from Torinoya.

The restaurant was located across the street from the Ose River and was nestled amongst a number of izakaya type restaurants. When we arrived, there was no parking near the restaurant, so we parked at a paid parking lot down the street. In front of the restaurant, there was a vent that was blasting some smoke. The scent of the charcoal chicken was amazing and our mouths started to water with anticipation.

Overcoming Adversity

This was a prime example where knowing more Japanese would have been helpful. We went in the first time and the restaurant owner told us she wasn’t open yet. We were 10 minutes early, so we headed back to the car and decided to check out the river. After about 15 minutes, we returned to the restaurant, this time she asked us if we had a reservation which we said we didn’t have. She said that they were completely booked for the night.

Our thought process was, why didn’t she ask us about a reservation the first time we showed up. Either way, we were pretty bummed and started to think of alternatives. As we were walking back to the car, the thought of doing takeout crossed our minds. We decided to go back and ask. We were surprised to find that we could do a take out order. The take out menu was limited to their grilled thigh meat and the grilled thigh meat with cabbage. We decided to go with one order of the grilled thigh meat.

Torinoya Menu

Their menu was incredibly simple. They had a total of 8 items on their menu. Four of which were drinks. The main food items were their signature grilled thigh meat, a version that included grilled cabbage, a chicken tataki (seared outside, still raw inside), and a mountain yam steak that resembled a large McDonald’s hash brown.

Torinoya Interior

The restaurant itself was really small. There were about a dozen counter seats wrapped around a small open kitchen. There was only one table in the corner which could have sat about seven plus people comfortably. This restaurant proves that you don’t need a fancy interior to make great food.

In the back of the kitchen they had two large shelves of private sake bottles on hand. These shelves were stocked with the sake bottles that patrons had paid for and opted to store at the restaurant. The large number of bottles meant that the restaurant had a loyal base of clients. Purchasing a bottle from a restaurant is a pretty big commitment and not something people do unless they really like the restaurant. They also had the signatures of patrons written on the bricks that lined the perimeter of the kitchen.

The chef took two semi cooked chicken thighs and began cutting them into smaller pieces. The pieces were then added to a wire basket and cooked over a blazing charcoal flame. The chef was constantly flipping the chicken which probably kept it from sticking. The smell was amazing and we couldn’t wait to dig in. The chef packaged up our food and we headed back to the car. We opened it up and were hit with a plume of delicious chicken scent. The chicken had an incredible smokey char flavor. It was incredibly moist and the meat was tender. We finished up ever last piece.

In defense of the restaurant our Japanese speaking and listening abilities were sub par at best. She could have told us everything the first time and we just misunderstood her. Either way, we’re glad it worked out.

Final Thoughts

The chicken here was amazing. The best charcoal grilled chicken we’ve had in Japan is from Torinoya. It was packed with a salty char flavor and was ridiculously juicy. Except for a couple tendons that were difficult to chew, the meat was so tender and juicy. Our persistence paid off and we were grateful to have had the chance to try the amazing chicken at Torinoya. We can’t wait to go back and try some of the other food on their menu. These are the kind of off the beaten path, hole in the wall type restaurants that we love to find. If your in the area, we highly recommend going to Torinoya.

More to Come…