Asakusa is often associated with food hopping and lively tourist areas. However, if you step a little off the main streets, you’ll find many delicious chicken restaurants where you can enjoy a calm and relaxing dining experience.
This makes you wonder:
“What kinds of Japanese chicken dishes are there besides fried chicken?”
“Is it okay to enter local restaurants?”
“Which restaurants should I choose in Asakusa?”
In this post, I’m introducing three chicken specialty restaurants I’ve personally visited and would love to revisit. Two of them are casual lunch spots, and one is a slightly more special place I visited for dinner.
What stood out to me is that there were not many foreign tourists at these restaurants, allowing me to experience a more local and authentic Japanese dining atmosphere, away from the usual crowds.
If you’re looking to enjoy healthy and satisfying Japanese chicken dishes at a relaxed pace, these places are especially recommended.
1. What kinds of Japanese chicken dishes are there besides fried chicken?
In Japan, chicken dishes are not limited to fried chicken. There is a wide variety, including yakitori, oyakodon, and teriyaki chicken.
For example, yakitori consists of chicken skewers grilled one by one over charcoal, bringing out the natural umami flavor of the chicken with simple seasonings like salt or tare sauce.
Oyakodon is a classic Japanese dish made with chicken and eggs simmered in a sweet and savory broth, served over a bowl of rice. It is known for its gentle flavor and satisfying balance.
Teriyaki chicken is a popular dish where chicken is grilled and coated with a sweet and savory glaze, and it is also widely recognized as a representative Japanese flavor overseas.
Simmered chicken dishes are home-style meals slowly simmered with vegetables in a dashi-based broth, known for their comforting and gentle flavor.
Each dish offers a completely different way to enjoy chicken, depending on how it is cooked and seasoned.
These dishes show how diverse Japanese chicken cuisine is, and you can actually enjoy many of them even in Asakusa.
If you’re visiting, it is also a great idea to step away from the busy tourist streets and look for local restaurants where you can experience authentic Japanese chicken dishes.
2. Is it okay to enter local Japanese restaurants?
Restaurants tucked away in the side streets of Asakusa, especially chicken specialty shops, are usually not like tourist-oriented places with full English menus. Most of the time, everything is written in Japanese, so it can feel a bit intimidating at first.
However, once you actually step inside, the atmosphere is often much simpler and more welcoming than you might expect. There are usually no complicated rules, and in many cases, menus include photos or ordering can be done by simply pointing. With translation apps, ordering is rarely a problem.
Even if you don’t share a common language, small interactions with staff—like gestures when ordering or receiving dishes—can become part of the travel experience itself.
Unlike more polished tourist restaurants, these places often have a more local, everyday atmosphere, which is part of their charm.
And once you take that small step and walk through the door, you may find yourself enjoying a truly authentic chicken dish, away from the busy tourist streets of Asakusa.
3. Which restaurants should I choose in Asakusa?
Asakusa has many chicken specialty restaurants, so it can actually be hard to decide where to go.
In such cases, it helps to think in terms of lunch and dinner.
Lunch spots are usually set meal-style restaurants, where you can casually enjoy dishes like oyakodon or charcoal-grilled chicken. They are perfect for having a satisfying meal in a relaxed and easygoing setting.
Dinner, on the other hand, is often centered around yakitori and drinks. These restaurants tend to have a more relaxed and atmospheric vibe, making them ideal for a slower, more enjoyable evening.
It is interesting how the same chicken cuisine can feel completely different depending on the time of day.
My Experience
1. Toriyoshi — Japanese Charcoal-Grilled Chicken Lunch
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| Torizukushi-don (Assorted Chicken Rice Bowl) |
Charcoal-grilled yakitori with a rich smoky aroma, tender chicken soboro seasoned with a slightly sweet flavor, and a thick, fluffy Japanese omelet. As the menu name suggests, this is truly a special Torizukushi-don (Assorted Chicken Rice Bowl) that lets you enjoy a full variety of chicken dishes in one bowl.
Each element in the bowl offers a different taste and texture, making it enjoyable to eat as the flavors change with every bite.
The yakitori is tender and juicy, with a rich charcoal-grilled aroma and a sweet-savory glaze that stimulates the appetite. The chicken soboro has a well-seasoned yet gentle flavor, allowing the natural umami of the chicken to slowly spread.
The fluffy omelet adds a soft sweetness that gently ties the whole bowl together. The tsukune (chicken meatball) also adds a nice contrast, with a smoky charcoal flavor and a crunchy cartilage texture that makes it especially enjoyable to eat.
The lunch set also comes with a salad, soup, pickles, and tea. In particular, the soup has a rich chicken broth flavor that feels comforting and warm with every sip.
Basic information
🏠 Toriyoshi（鶏よし）
📍 1-8-2 Asakusa Taito-ku, Tokyo
🕘Weekdays (Mon–Fri)☀️ 11:30–14:30 (Last order 14:00)／🌙 17:00–22:00 (Last order 21:20)
🕘Weekends & Holidays (Sat, Sun, Public Holidays)
☀️ 11:30–15:00 (Last order 14:20)／🌙 17:00–21:30 (Last order 20:50)
🕘Sunday (special closing time): Closes at 21:00 (Last order 20:20)
💤Closed on Mondays.
🚶 4 min walk from Kaminarimon
💴 Cash, credit card, and QR code payments accepted.
2. Toriryori Nakayama— Fluffy Oyako-don Lunch with Fragrant Dashi
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| Oyako-don |
is a calm and traditional Japanese restaurant located just one street away from Nakamise Shopping Street. It is very conveniently situated, making it easy to stop by during a visit to Senso-ji Temple. Despite being just steps away from the busy tourist area, the interior has a quiet and relaxing atmosphere.
The oyako-don set I had here features softly cooked egg that gently coats the chicken, along with the delicate umami of dashi broth. The flavor is mild yet satisfying, offering a comforting taste that makes you want to keep eating.
Topping the bowl is a raw egg yolk, which you can break and mix in to add richness and a smoother, creamier flavor.
The oyako-don lunch set also comes with miso soup, salad, and pickles, making it a well-balanced meal. Another nice touch is the complimentary barley tea, which makes the dining experience even more relaxing—perfect for a short break during sightseeing in Asakusa.
Basic information
🏠 Toriryori Nakayama（とり料理なか山）
📍 1-36-4 Asakusa Taito-ku, Tokyo
🕘10:00 - 17:00
💤Open daily
🚶 2 min walk from Kaminarimon
💴 Cash and credit cards accepted.
3. Asakusa Tagoto — A Hidden Gem for Yakitori and Kamameshi
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| Yakitori |
Tagoto is a restaurant I have been visiting since I was a child. The menu mainly consists of yakitori and kamameshi, but both are carefully prepared and offer a truly authentic taste despite their simplicity.
For the yakitori, you can choose between salt or tare (sauce). I usually order skewers such as yakitori, negima, chicken skin, chicken wings, tsukune, and also toriwasa (chicken sashimi-style dish).
All skewers are grilled after the order is placed, so it may take a little time before they are served. However, this waiting time is part of the experience, allowing you to slowly enjoy the atmosphere and your meal.
The chicken grilled over charcoal has a rich, smoky aroma, with tender meat and simple seasoning that highlights the natural flavor of the ingredients.
After enjoying the yakitori, finishing the meal with kamameshi is the best way to complete the experience at this restaurant.
Check out my previous post about this restaurant here.
Basic information
🏠 Tagoto （田毎）
📍 3-27-3 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo
🕘17:00 - 22:00
💤 Closed on Thursdays
🚶 4 min walk from Senso-ji Temple
💴 Cash only
If you want to see more delicious food in Asakusa, be sure to check out my Instagram too📸✨Just click the icon below!
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