Yamasa Wa: Jidori Chicken Yakitori Tasting Courses

The chef trained at Torichō, the hard-to-book Tokyo yakitori shop. He buys rare jidori (heritage free-range chicken) whole from Shiga, Akita and Miyazaki and grills it over binchōtan charcoal. The food comes with a cellar of more than 200 natural wines, a pairing that is rare in Sapporo. Dinner is served as set courses only, and extra skewers can be added.

Nearly every review praises the grilling. Guests single out juicy momo (thigh) skewers with crisp skin, moist sasami (breast tenderloin) and lightly seared breast and thigh tataki. The jidori menchi-katsu sando, a fried minced-chicken sandwich, is the dish mentioned most often. The rich paitan broth in the mizutaki hotpot and the closing ramen also draw praise, and several reviewers call this top-tier yakitori for Hokkaido.

The main complaint is service. Reviewers describe the owner sighing on the phone, rushing guests and favouring regulars, and some say loud friends of the house disturbed the room. Other reviewers found the side dishes bland and the portions small. There are also reports of an uneven wine pour, slow pacing (one meal ran three hours) and a single grape served as dessert.

In 2025–2026, reviewers paid around ¥9,900 for the yakitori course or the yakitori-plus-mizutaki course. The sukiyaki course with foie gras cost ¥12,100–13,200. Draft beer was about ¥800. Wine by the glass is listed from ¥1,400, though one reviewer worked out roughly ¥2,000 a glass. Two people with a bottle and drinks paid just over ¥30,000. There is no lunch service, and a typical dinner costs ¥10,000–15,000 per person.

Most reviewers consider the food fairly priced for jidori of this quality and find the courses filling. Drinks push the bill up, and a minority felt it was overpriced for Sapporo yakitori.

• Access: 3 minutes' walk from Nishi 11-chome Station (Tozai Line, Exit 2), or 3 minutes from the Chuo-kuyakusho-mae tram stop. It is about 5 minutes by taxi from Odori.
• Booking: reservation required, and walk-ins are not an option. Seats open on Tabelog about a month ahead. Guests from outside Japan are asked to book through the restaurant's website. The restaurant does not take bookings from guests who do not drink alcohol.
• Children: allowed on weekends only.
• Dress code: guests wearing strong perfume or fragrance may be refused entry.
• Payment: Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex and Diners are accepted. Electronic money (Suica and other IC cards, iD, QUICPay) and QR payments (PayPay, d Barai, Rakuten Pay, au PAY, Alipay) are also accepted. Confirm the price before ordering a bottle of wine, because one visitor was charged more than the listed price.
• Seats: 18 in total: 7 at the counter, one table for four and two tables for two. Seating preferences cannot be guaranteed. There are no private rooms, but the restaurant can be booked out for up to 20 people. It is wheelchair accessible.
• Smoking: fully non-smoking.
• Parking: none on site, with paid parking nearby.
• Other: photos of the interior are not allowed, but food and drink photos are fine. Restate any allergies on arrival. The team is small, so allow plenty of time for the meal.