This Bib Gourmand-tipped chicken specialist in Suehirocho does a stellar job at presenting the best of the bird in a myriad of ways. The small restaurant, with its wooden interior and simple seating, looks like it could have been a simple ramen joint in another life. That belies the quality and price level of dishes served here: a dinner easily sets you back upwards of ¥10,000 a head. For that, you'll be getting a whole lot of good chicken.
For those with less cash to splash, Shizendo's lunch options offer an introduction on the magic they can work with chicken in various guises. On the menu is oyakodon, served up in six different varieties, starting from ¥1,100. Be prepared to queue.
If you really want to get a feel just how good Shizendo is with chicken, you can splurge on their specials, available to 20 diners only every day: the tokujo (extra special) oyakodon (¥1,800) and the tokujo motsu-iri oyakodon (oyakodon with giblets, ¥2,100), both made with premium rice, premium eggs and of course, premium chicken.
The eggs are barely set, and the bright-orange yolk mixes in with the remaining broth to coat the rice perfectly; it's almost sensual. The pieces of chicken, which are just cooked through in the mirin-based broth, still manage to keep their own against the eggs. The end result is immensely satisfying, just as you'd expect from a bowl of chicken and egg.