With wisps of smoke gently wafting from the charcoal grill of its open kitchen, Nonotory presents itself as an upscale yet traditional yakitori restaurant. Once you’re seated at the counter, however, you’ll notice that the menu of chicken gizzard skewers and tsukune meatballs also includes words like ‘financier’, while the chefs cooking by the grill sprinkle their produce with Guérande salt. This creative blending of Japanese street food with French flavours is courtesy of Chef Atsushi Noami, who opened his first yakitori restaurant in Osaka in 1988.
Noami's 'no waste' philosophy shines through in his yakitori preparation, where every part of the chicken is used, transforming even the humblest cuts like seseri (neck) into morsels elevated with premium condiments like Tasmanian mustard. Even the skin of the chicken, which is sometimes discarded for being too fatty, is baked in the oven for an hour and a half until it becomes an utterly addictive, crispy golden brown cracker.
Everything is worth tasting, and thankfully, Nonotory has two omakase courses that showcase Noami’s talents. The standard course, priced at ¥5,940, includes two types of tataki (thinly sliced, rare chicken), eight skewers of chicken and vegetables, clay-pot rice with chicken soup, and dessert. For ¥7,480, the premium omakase adds an extra appetiser and chicken sukiyaki. Additionally, for ¥3,850, guests can indulge in a drink pairing with five glasses of assorted red, white, orange, and sparkling wines.