Hikizan Tashizan: Kaiseki-Style Yakitori Omakase

Hikizan Tashizan (ひきざんたしざん) is not a typical yakitori joint, but a refined dining experience where grilled chicken is the star of a composed omakase menu. Seated at an intimate, L-shaped counter for just ten, guests watch two chefs execute a meal with precision. The restaurant is celebrated for its exacting fire control, using high-grade charcoal to cook skewers to a perfect state of juiciness.

The menu is a single tasting course that interweaves grilled items with creative small plates. Reviewers consistently praise the skewers, particularly the firm, flavorful shamo chicken, tender liver (hatsu), neck meat (seseri), and chicken meatballs (tsukune). Beyond the skewers, standout dishes include crispy-skinned, fluffy unagi (eel), a much-loved chicken-katsu sandwich that serves as an interlude, and various seasonal plates like young ayu fish or a savory chawanmushi egg custard with clams. The sake and wine pairings are also frequently highlighted as a strong point.

The main criticism is not of the food, but of accessibility. The restaurant is notoriously difficult to book, with many reviewers noting that new reservations are effectively closed, and seats are often secured through regulars. Some guests also felt that with rising prices, the value was questionable, especially when ordering drinks. This is a place for a focused tasting menu with a limited number of high-quality skewers, not for a large, casual yakitori meal.

Dinner is a set omakase course. Reviewers in 2024–2026 reported course prices from around ¥9,500 to ¥15,000. For example, one guest paid ¥13,200 for the course, with a total bill of ¥17,600 including drinks, while others on nights with more drinks reported totals around ¥24,000 per person. Note that one reviewer mentioned a 10% service charge.

• Reservations: Bookings are essential and extremely difficult to secure, often requiring long lead times or connections. It is not a walk-in establishment.
• Getting There: Located a 4-minute walk from Ikeshita Station on the Higashiyama Subway Line.
• Seating: 10 counter seats only. No private rooms are available.
• Payment: Credit cards are accepted. Electronic money and QR code payments are not.
• Children: The restaurant accepts guests who are able to sit and eat the full course meal.
• Smoking: The entire restaurant is non-smoking.
• Parking: No dedicated parking, but coin-operated parking is available nearby.