Blog/Nikko Misto] Omakase Course at Seto, a Famous Imabari Yakitori Restaurant Loved by Local Residents

Imabari, one of Japan's three major yakitori towns

Imabari city in Ehime prefecture is known as one of the "three great yakitori cities of Japan." The city prospered through cotton weaving and shipbuilding, and was home to many merchants. Imabari residents are said to be impatient and hate waiting, so Imabari yakitori is characterized by the fact that, instead of the usual skewered yakitori, the yakitori is pressed and grilled on a hot plate under an iron weight.

It is said that the standard course for Imabari yakitori is to start with grilled skin and finish with fried chicken called senzangi.

Yakitori Sedo

Opened in March 1976. It has been a family business for almost half a century.Yakitori Sedo" is a popular bar crowded with Imabari residents and tourists. It is a long-established yakitori restaurant overflowing with warmth, with the irresistible banter between the characterful owner and the skillful landlady.

Toasting with bottled beer

Large bottles of Kirin Lager are available, while medium bottles of Super Dry are available. This time, I'll start with a medium bottle, feeling a bit timid.

Start with grilling the skin

The most popular dish in Imabari yakitori is grilled skin. "If you come to my restaurant and don't try the grilled skin, I'll be sad. I don't even want to see your face," says the chef. "Well, if you don't try the grilled skin, it'll be sad for us as a yakitori restaurant," says the proprietress. It's a dish they're confident in.

The crispy texture and chewy parts are irresistible. The pepper is on point and the sweet sauce is incredibly delicious! I ate it alternately with the complimentary cabbage and it was totally addictive! This is the undisputed number one nude bar for Imabari yakitori!

chicken wings

In this case, I'd like to ask for the chef's recommendation! Three chicken wings were brought out. They were perfectly salted, and the landlady said, "I'll change your hand towel after you've finished eating, so you can eat with your hands dirty," so I took advantage of her words and split them open in the middle and took a big bite.

The chef praised me saying, "You eat so neatly! You passed!"

Chuhai

I finished my bottle of beer and switched to a chuhai. I had a choice between lime and lemon, so I ordered the lime high, which has a western Japanese feel.

Sweet! This feeling also reminds me of Western Japan!

lotus root

Perhaps he could tell that I love lotus root, because the next thing he cooked for me was grilled lotus root with scissors.

They also served stuffed green peppers with meat as a special treat, which I dipped in vinegar and soy sauce.

Chicken with green onions and gizzards

They brought out a skewer each of chicken and green onion and gizzard. This was my first time seeing these skewers here, but they were beautifully skewered and my appetite was satiated!

Alcohol

After finishing the lime sour, we enjoyed a hot sake called "Yamatan Masamune" from Imabari.

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Chicken breast

The chef served us chicken breast to go with our drinks. The hostess recommended eating it with onions. It goes perfectly with hot sake.

Senzangi

At first they said, "We don't serve any because we want you to eat something other than Senzangi," and when I looked disappointed, they fried just one more at the end. This tsundere feeling was irresistible!

Thank you for the meal

This long-established restaurant in Imabari is approaching its 50th anniversary. It moved to this location about 26 years ago, but the beautiful exterior and interior look as if it was completed yesterday. You can really feel the love for the restaurant as they diligently maintain it every day. The owner says, "We've come this far in one generation. There's no second generation, so I'm free to quit anytime," but I hope this great restaurant will continue for a long time! Thank you for the meal! I'll definitely come again!

menu

Yakitori Seto

Time: 17:00-20:30 (L.O.)
Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays
Address: 1-5-20 Koganecho, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, 794-0037