Bajitofu

You won’t have to wander far out of downtown Kyoto to find great yakitori. Bajitofu is a centrally-located izakaya serving some of the best in town. Reservations recommended.

Bajitofu – image © Chris Rowthorn

Wander around the side streets of the Shijo-Karasuma area in the evening, and you might chance upon Bajitofu, with its nondescript-looking door and white wall with four Chinese characters in black and red written across it. Don’t be fooled by its sedate appearance; Bajitofu serves up some of the best yakitori in town.

While Bajitofu is an izakaya, they really specialise in yakitori, or grilled chicken on skewers. They use only domestic chicken, cut into larger chunks than usual, and grill each skewer over high-grade binchotan (charcoal). Skewers aren’t dirt cheap – prices start at JPY150 per – but given the larger portions, it ends up being pretty good value for money.

As with most yakitori places, you’ll order by the skewer, and choose from a wide variety of chicken parts. Thigh and breast are always safe bets, but we highly recommend the seseri (neck/shoulder, which tastes like a more tender and flavourful piece of thigh) and torinegi (chicken interspersed with Japanese leeks). Wash it all down with some chuhai. We like the grapefruit-flavoured one with real juice.

Here’s a fun fact: “Bajitofu” is a Japanese idiom which means “to ignore the judgments and opinions of other people.” It’s safe to say they won’t have to pay attention to any of the critics in town with yakitori as good as theirs. Try to make a reservation if you can, or go early to avoid being turned away. It’s a full house pretty much every night by half past eight!

For more Kyoto yakitori choices, see our Best Yakitori in Kyoto page.

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Name in English:
Bajitofu

Name in Japanese:
馬耳東風

English address:
587 Kikusuiboko-cho, Muromachi-dori-Shijo-agaru, Nakagyo-ku

Japanese address:
中京区室町通四条上ル菊水鉾町587

Opening hours:
6pm-12am
Closed Sunday and national holidays

Price: Mid-range

Non-smoking area: No

Nearest Transport:
2min walk from Karasuma Station Exit 24, Hankyu line or Shijo Station Exit 2, Karasuma subway line

Reservations:
Possible

Telephone: 255-1311

Website: none

Near To Here:
Bajitofu is located in Kyoto’s Downtown district. See our complete list of things to do in Downtown Kyoto, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

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About InsideKyoto.com and Chris Rowthorn

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