Akiyoshi is a yakitori or “grilled chicken skewer” franchise that grew popular on social media and now attracts customers on a global scale.
Akiyoshi is a popular yakitori restaurant chain that specializes in grilled meats of all shapes and sizes! With stores all over the Kansai and Kanto regions, you’ll find them in all your favorite cities including Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka!
Huge Menu!
I’ve talked about Torikizoku being Japan’s best yakitori chain, but even they don’t have some of the menu options Akiyoshi offers. There is also a significant increase in quality, at least from my experience, though this comes at a higher price and a smaller portion size per skewer.
Classic Chicken & Spring Onion Yakitori
It’s not a yakitori restaurant without the classic chicken and spring onion skewer!
What I felt separated Akiyoshi from other yakitori restaurants was the ratios of crispy exterior to soft juicy interior.
Indeed, the smaller pieces of chicken compared to Torikizoku actually works brilliantly in their favor to enhance the texture and flavor dynamics at play.
Delicious Kushiyaki Beef Skewers
While the menu mostly comprises chicken-related options, Akiyoshi also offers kushiyaki, otherwise known as beef skewers.
These lean pieces of meat and vegetables are grilled to perfection, and once again the smaller pieces make for a better taste experience.
Another advantage of choosing Akiyoshi is its array of condiments. From tangy mustard to sweet and sour, they have plenty of dipping sauces to make things even more interesting!
Fried Kushikatsu Options Too!
It truly is a restaurant that has it all. Typically, you’d have to go to an actual kushikatsu restaurant for these specialized fried skewers, but at Akiyoshi, it’s on the menu!
I highly recommend the fried quail egg skewers and I urge you to dip it in some teriyaki sauce for an amazing taste.
Overall, Akiyoshi proved to be worthy of all the global attention it’s now getting, and I wouldn’t be surprised if more stores started popping up in the northern and southern regions of Japan too!
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