This super-popular restaurant in Shinjuku sees flocks of customers coming to get the best premium pork dishes that Tokyo has to offer.
It is fairly unique as a "yakibuta" (roast pork) restaurant, and it has also been featured regularly in Michelin's Bib Gourmand.

While pork typically refers to the meat, here at "Torishige" they use the pig's organs.
Their main dishes are grilled skewers, made with meat so fresh that it could be eaten raw that is then grilled over high-quality bincho-tan white charcoal.

The man behind the grill is the third-generation owner of the restaurant, Yuji Sakamaki, who transformed the restaurant from a skewer shop frequented by the everyday person into a high-end restaurant visited by celebrities.

He has succeeded in drawing in new customers who are accustomed to visiting Ginza's sushi restaurants by offering up new variations on meat dishes one after the other using high-quality ingredients like wagyu beef, truffle, matsutake mushrooms, and caviar.

It's amazing that consistently, night after night, the combined 100 seats across the 1st and 2nd floors are packed by hordes of customers.
Over 20 staff are constantly coming and going across the restaurant.
There's probably not any other restaurant that comes close to being as lively as "Torishige" in Tokyo.

[Must-Try Dishes at Torishige]

★Grilled Liver
This liver skewer is offered up in exchange for your greetings when you're seated.
The sharp-cornered square cuts are proof of the liver's freshness.
This liver has absolutely no off smell to it, and its texture is so amazing that it seems like it could melt in your mouth. Its sweetness can be likened to a piece of chocolate.
Nobody would hesitate to dig in to this exquisite piece of liver!

★Sashimi
This dish here is the true treasure of Torishige.
While the sashimi is, well, sashimi (sliced raw meat), it's pork sashimi rather than fish.
Each of the offered pieces, including heart, tongue, uterus, and liver, has a distinct flavor and texture.
The best of the best, however, is the brain sashimi.
The mild but rich meat has a flavor that reminds me of high-quality pufferfish.

★Upper Intestine
The upper intestine, known as "shiro," is a staple at kushiyaki skewer restaurants, but here at "Torishige" the upper intestine has a unique flavor.
The tender meat is cooked slowly, to the point that it melts on your tongue the moment it's in your mouth.
It also pairs beautifully with the sweet tare sauce.

★Meat-Stuffed Bell Pepper
Supposedly the "Meat-Stuffed Bell Peppers" served at most kushiyaki restaurants and izakaya have their origins from the recipe made by the first-generation owner here at "Torishige."
There is delightful harmony in the flavors of the slightly-bitter and fragrantly grilled bell pepper and the ground meat seasoned with a sweet tare sauce.
This delightful flavor is sure to stick around for generations to come.

★Tsukune (Japanese Meatball)
This has been a super-popular dish since the restaurant's founding, made with a blend of beef, pork, and chicken organs and cartilage.
The moment you bite into it delicious juices steadily begin to pour out, and the juicy finish to the grilling is a true testament to the craftsmanship.

★Sukiyaki
The sukiyaki here at "Torishige" uses wagyu beef purchased from the famous Ginza meat wholesaler "Ginza Yoshizawa."
As expected from first-rate wagyu beef, it offers a strikingly vivid flavor with a delightful faint sweetness.
During matsutake season from autumn through winter, you can add a single plump matsutake to the sukiyaki.
There's no question about it; you'll be enchanted by the aroma of wagyu beef, soy sauce dashi, and matsutake.

★Truffle Onigiri
This dish, a white rice onigiri topped with a generous portion of truffle, is available only at the counter seats on the 2nd floor. You must order it when you make your reservation.
The salty flavor of caviar is a perfect match with just-cooked white rice.
While this is a simple dish, it is incredibly delicious.

"Torishige" in Shinjuku is a restaurant that spans 2 floors, but the main grill where the third generation owner works is on the 2nd floor.
If you want to stop by without making a reservation, you'll likely be placed into a 1st floor seat, so if you want to enjoy the true vibrant liveliness of "Torishige" you should make advanced reservations for the 2nd floor.