Imabari Yakitori (Griddle-Pressed Chicken)
Imabari Yakitori (Iron-Griddle Pressed Chicken of Imabari)
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Imabari Yakitori is a style of yakitori known as a specialty of Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture. Unlike ordinary yakitori, the chicken is not put on skewers; instead it is cooked on a thick iron griddle and finished by pressing it down with a small, plate-shaped iron weight. The chicken is cooked as if fried in the fat rendered from the skin, and pressing it creates conditions close to steam-grilling, so it cooks quickly and can be served right away. The signature item is 'kawa' (chicken skin), cooked until the outside is fragrant and crisp. The griddle is set at an angle so that excess fat drains off, which is said to give a light flavor. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' 'Our Regional Cuisines' states that it was devised about 50 years ago and that there were once more than 100 griddle yakitori restaurants. The standard is to pour a sweet and savory sauce over it, though some restaurants serve it with salt or ponzu. It is said that connoisseurs start with 'kawa' and finish with senzanki, the local fried chicken.
Origin
Imabari's griddle yakitori is said to have been started by the yakitori restaurant '五味鳥' (Gomidori) in the city. A 2016 article reported that the owner came up with the idea after seeing lotus root being cooked on an iron griddle in Osaka. Another part of the background is said to be that iron plates were easy to obtain in Imabari, where shipbuilding thrives. According to materials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, it was devised about 50 years ago.
History
Because pressing the chicken on a griddle cooks it faster than grilling it on skewers, the food comes out quickly, and this is said to have suited the temperament of Imabari people and made it popular. The area has also been described as one where many people work in shipbuilding and towel making, and where many people are impatient. There are said to have once been more than 100 griddle yakitori restaurants, and travel guides report that there are still about 60 yakitori restaurants today, a high number per capita by national standards.
Features
The chicken is not skewered; it is laid out on a thick griddle set at a tilt and cooked while being pressed down with an iron weight with a handle or with a spatula. Pressing lets excess fat drain away, and the skin turns crisp and fragrant on the outside. Many restaurants are said to pour the sauce over the chicken after it is plated rather than during cooking. Besides skin, seseri (neck meat), tebasaki (chicken wings) and chicken skin with green onion are also standards.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
Imabari Yakitori is mainly enjoyed at yakitori restaurants and izakaya, and many of them are open only in the evening. The connoisseur's way is said to be to order the skin first and finish with senzanki, the local fried chicken. Some long-established restaurants are reported to start cooking even before customers take their seats.
How It Differs from Home Cooking
For home cooking, 'Imabari Yakitori sets' combining chicken and yakitori sauce are sold in supermarkets. On the other hand, the original method of pressing the chicken on a tilted thick iron griddle with a weight requires special equipment, so it is mainly enjoyed as a dish eaten at restaurants.
Famous Shops
五味鳥（ごみどり）
愛媛県今治市南大門町1-1-13
A long-established restaurant said to be the birthplace of Imabari's griddle yakitori. It is reported that because the chicken is pressed on a griddle, cooking time is short, and the skin turns out more fragrant and crisp than charcoal-grilled yakitori. Its closing days are not fixed, so checking in advance is recommended.
世渡（せと）
愛媛県今治市黄金町1丁目5-20
A popular restaurant sometimes called one of the 'Four Heavenly Kings of Imabari Yakitori.' Its grilled skin is 500 yen and is reported to have just the right amount of meat attached. It has also been selected for Tabelog's 'Yakitori WEST Hyakumeiten' (Top 100 Yakitori Restaurants, West). It is about a 15-minute walk from JR Imabari Station.
はち八
愛媛県今治市郷本町2丁目3-8
A restaurant that uses only chickens slaughtered that morning, where you can also try dishes such as chicken sashimi. The most popular item is chicken skin with green onion, which can be ordered with sauce or with salt and pepper or ponzu. An article introducing it listed the chicken skin with green onion at 462 yen.
やきとり山鳥
愛媛県今治市末広町1丁目4-7
A family-run yakitori restaurant that uses '伊予水軍鶏,' a local chicken breed it developed itself. An article introducing it listed chicken skin at 473 yen and senzanki at 495 yen. It is about a 10-minute walk from JR Imabari Station.
鳥林
愛媛県今治市南大門町1丁目
Described as a long-established restaurant that has been in business for more than 40 years, about a 5-minute walk from JR Imabari Station. It is sometimes counted among the 'Four Heavenly Kings of Imabari Yakitori,' and besides skin cooked on the griddle, its bone-in senzanki is also well regarded. As it is popular, it can get crowded.
FAQ
Q. Why is it cooked on a griddle instead of on skewers?
A. Pressing the chicken with a weight on a griddle is said to cook it faster than grilling it on skewers, so it can be served right after ordering. Imabari people are said to be impatient and dislike waiting, and the method suiting their temperament is described as the reason it spread. Another part of the background is said to be that iron plates were easy to obtain in this shipbuilding town.