Torigen Kashiwa 鳥元 柏店

Classic yakitori-focused izakaya, lunchtime teishoku

Kashiwa Station has plenty of places for lunch and dinner, but it's mad busy on a Saturday. I dropped by Kashiwa Station Mall's dining floor and saw waiting lines in front of the restaurants. At the east exit, Torigen, a yakitori-focused izakaya, was quiet and uncrowded. The location is a late Showa-era time warp. A dark laquered counter wraps around the yakitori chef's hibachis and the booth seats are deep and inviting. I had a lunch set for under 1000 yen. The set comes with miso soup, yurinchi chicken topped with ground daikon (three dressings to choose from), ground yam, and brown or white rice. It was delicious, and the chicken was crispy and flavourful. At lunch time, there is a self-serve coffee bar. The beans are ground in the kitchen. While sipping my coffee, I glanced up. The interior, with bamboo lattices and tsuchikabe walls, incorporates antique beams and lintels. Classy. The background music is low-key, the lighting low, and free WIFI is available.